Library News

Celebrating more than 30 years of the Women Writers Project

On March 27, as part of a month-long celebration of Women’s History Month, the Women Writers Project hosted a screen of Always in Progress: Three Decades of the Women Writers Project, a documentary by John Melson.

Screenshot of a person with glasses speaking in front of a bookshelf. The person is identified as Julia Flanders, Director of the Women Writers Project & Professor of the Practice, Northeastern University
Julia Flanders, Director of the Women Writers Project, speaks in the Always in Progress documentary.

Work on this documentary began in 2018 as part of the WWP’s celebrations of the project’s 30th anniversary. This milestone marked an opportunity to reflect on the WWP’s decades of work bringing texts by pre-Victorian women writers out of the archive to make them accessible to a wide audience of teachers, students, and scholars. The documentary shares highlights from the WWP’s years at Brown University, where the project was founded in 1988, and Northeastern, where the project moved in 2013. We were delighted to have in the audience present and past members of the WWP community, including students, staff, and advisors—it was exciting to see familiar faces and remember the many important contributions people have made over the years.

The documentary outlines the WWP’s long history as a project focused on early women’s writing and text encoding, and includes insights from current and past staff and students about representing texts using the Text Encoding Initiative markup language and publishing them on the Women Writers Online digital interface. The film also follows WWP staff and students as they work on several initiatives, including the Women Writers Vector Toolkit exploratory interface; the Women Writers in Review collection of periodical reviews; the Women Writers: Intertextual Networks interactive bibliography; and the Women Writers in Context scholarly exhibit series. Several scholars and experts in the digital humanities, including Dean of the Library Dan Cohen, also speak about the impact of long-term projects like the WWP on digital scholarship and discuss what the project can teach us about the history of the digital humanities.

Three people sit in an office setting chatting
Elizabeth Adams, Julia Flanders, and Carole Mah working in the early days of the Women Writers Project.

The documentary was made possible with support from the Northeastern University Humanities Center, the NULab for Digital Humanities and Computational Social Science, and the Northeastern University Library. It was directed by John Melson, with camera and sound by Melson and Colleen Nugent. To learn more about the WWP, see the project’s Welcome page.

Reading Challenge Update: March Winner and April Preview

Happy spring! The end of the semester is in sight and we’re heading into the fourth month of the 2025 Reading Challenge.

Congratulations to Caroline Nicolai, who won the March prize drawing! Caroline wins one of the library’s coveted stocked study rooms: a four-hour reservation for a study room at Snell Library in Boston, which will be filled with snacks and treats for Caroline and friends to enjoy, during Finals Week. Happy reading and good luck on your finals, Caroline!

To be eligible for the prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the theme and then tell us about it.

What You Read in March

The March theme was a book that has won or been shortlisted for a major award. Here are some of the award-winners that readers enjoyed this month. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

Cover of Your House Will Pay

Your House Will Pay, Steph Cha
Find it at Snell Library

Winner of the California Book Award
Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize

“An absolute page turner and a well written book that brings out the tension between two families of extremely different ethnicities. It reminds us of the victims and sacrifices that had to be made to achieve the peace and acceptance around us.” — Gautam

Cover of All Systems Red

All Systems Red (Murderbot #1), Martha Wells
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novella
Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novella

“The Murderbot Diaries blew me away. Wells writes with so much humor, combining thrilling sci-fi action and heartfelt emotion to explore what it means to be a sentient being. I would highly recommend this series to fans of Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series.” — Bianca

“I love Murderbot and you might, too!” — Anaya

Cover of The Safekeep

The Safekeep, Yael Van Der Wouden
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction

“Strikingly unique, a story that balances family connections, identity, and a post WWII environment. There is a twist at the end, and with the protagonist’s narration placing the reader directly inside her head, one can easily feel deeply connected.” — Caroline

Cover of Martyr!

Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

Shortlisted for the National Book Award

“I’m still thinking about this book. A totally unexpected trajectory, and an absolutely absorbing narrative style.” — Molly

Suggested Reads for April

To celebrated National Library Week (April 6-12), your April challenge is to read a book recommended by a librarian or library staff member. Fortunately, Northeastern’s library staff members have you covered!

Check out our list of recommended e-books and audiobooks in Libby and our full list of recommendations in all formats, and make sure to stop by the Reading Challenge table in the Snell Library lobby from 1-3 p.m. on April 9 and April 10 to browse more staff picks!

Here are some highlights:

Cover of Intermezzo

Intermezzo, Sally Rooney
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Recommended by Dan Cohen, Dean of the Library

Dan says: “You would think that a book animated by the death of a parent would be grim and difficult to read, but as in her earlier books, which I also heartily recommend, Rooney somehow explores the biggest issues through compelling characters whose casual conversations sound a lot like chatting with your best friend, or someone who is more than just a friend. Intermezzo also explores how two brothers with very different neurotypes approach that most human emotion, love.”

Cover of Gwen & Art are Not in Love

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Lex Croucher
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by Lily Reilly, Entrepreneurship Librarian

Lily says: “This book was the most fun I’ve had reading. If you enjoy the aesthetics of medieval times plus queer shenanigans, you’ll love this book. Who says young adult fiction has to be for teens?”

Cover of Careless People

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, Sarah Wynn-Williams
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by Jeanine Bell, Access Coordinator

Jeanine says: “Careless People is relevant — a poignant reminder of what people in power are capable of.”

Cover of Against the Loveless World

Against the Loveless World, Susan Abulhawa
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Recommended by Anna Ryerson, Metadata Librarian

Anna says: “An incredibly resonant and compelling novel by Susan Abulhawa, Against the Loveless World follows Nahr, a Palestinian woman caught in the turmoil of displacement and resistance. The writing is beautiful, and the story is one that has stuck with me.”

Cover of Writers & Lovers

Writers & Lovers, Lily King
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Recommended by Molly Brown, Reference & Outreach Archivist

Molly says: “Set in Cambridge and following the life of a 31-year-old woman who is grieving, in debt, and trying to finish her novel. It’s a great Boston-based book filled with complicated characters and strong narrative prose.”

Cover of MIll Town

Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains, Kerri Arsenault
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by Lauri Fennell, Health Sciences Librarian

Lauri says: “This is so well written it is easy to read about the complex relationship of a paper mill in a rural community in Maine. The book won the Rachel Carson Environmental Award, the Maine Literary Award, and the Inge Fetrinelli Prize. The author shares fond memories of growing up in this community and the eventual cancer area designation that impacted many she knew. It is thought provoking and heartfelt.”

Whatever you read, make sure to tell us about it to enter the April prize drawing. Good luck, and happy reading!

Box by Box: Inventorying the Frederick Salvucci Papers

By Julia Lee and Aleks Renerts

Processing assistants Julia Lee and Aleks Renerts recently went through more than 150 boxes of papers belonging to transportation and infrastructure leader Frederick Salvucci. Salvucci’s contributions to infrastructure are numerous: you can become familiar with the scope of his impact by reading his Wikipedia page and listening to his oral history with Head of Archives and Special Collections and University Archivist Giordana Mecagni. The papers he donated to Northeastern encompass his time at MIT, where he has taught since the late 1970s, and document infrastructure projects students were involved in and that he advised on throughout the world.

With the goal of improving access to these records for researchers, Julia and Aleks went through each box carefully, refoldering materials and assigning descriptive keywords. They have selected a few items from the collection to highlight.

“The Inner Belt” Belt

A black belt with "THE INNER BELT" in white lettering

This commemorative wearable belt is a pun referencing the Inner Belt project. The Inner Belt was a proposed eight-lane highway that would have connected I-93 to I-90 and I-95, stretching from Somerville through Cambridge, across the Boston University Bridge, and through Boston and Roxbury. Plans for the highway would have placed major intersections along its length, disrupting the landscape of many of the neighborhoods of Greater Boston. In the late 1960s and ’70s, construction of the highway was blocked by the actions of a group of city planners, community activists, universities, and politicians, including Salvucci. The defeat of the Inner Belt project marks a significant moment in the history of Boston, transportation in the city, and its history of urban development, as well as setting the tone for Salvucci’s career and focus on the role of community in transportation.

MIT Commencement Exercises

Pink cover labeled "Massachusetts Institute of Technology Commencement Exercises 1994." "Killian Court, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Friday, May 27, 1994, 10:00 AM" In the center of the page is a circular photo of a domed building

Salvucci taught at MIT as a senior lecturer from 1978-1983 and from 1991 to the present. He has taught courses on transportation and urban planning through the Department of Civil Engineering and worked for MIT’s Center for Transportation Studies (now the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics). Salvucci’s students were conscious of his impact in the field. Comments on his teaching from the Spring 1991 term repeatedly emphasized his knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm for the material. His ability to give students insight into the “real world” of transportation and civil engineering was praised, and my personal favorite comment creates a delightfully succinct picture of the Salvucci classroom experience: “Great war stories with great analysis.”

Document with a variety of images of trains, railroad tracks, wheels, and construction sites. It reads "Tercer Encuentro UPR / MIT, 8-15 de enero de 1997, Tren Urbano, Auspician: UPR, MIT, DTOP, GMAEC, CIIC

Tren Urbano Encuentro Reports

The MIT/UPR Encuentro Reports represent the nine-year partnership between the MIT Transit Lab, the Puerto Rican Transportation Authority, and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). From the 1990s to the 2000s, MIT students, overseen by Salvucci, collaborated with students from UPR to “study and advise on the design, operation, and scheduling of the Tren Urbano rail system.” The encuentro (meeting) reports demonstrate the specific concerns and strategies relevant to the Tren Urbano project and showcase student contributions over several years of consultation. This collaborative project formed the model for future partnerships between MIT and various transit authorities around the world, many of which are also well-represented in Salvucci’s work and papers.

Statement of Strategy, London Transport

Cover of a "Statement of Strategy 1994-1997 London Transport." Cover has a blue background with cartoon images of people waiting under an "Underground" sign and people walking onto a red double decker bus

Boston was not the only city to benefit from Salvucci’s knowledge. Through MIT, he worked with Transport for London (TfL), the government body in charge of most of London’s transportation network, on their Crossrail project. Crossrail, as its name suggests, involved the creation of a new east-west rail line through London with connections to existing major train routes in the UK. Today, it is known as the Elizabeth Line, as Crossrail was the name specific to the construction project. Salvucci’s papers at Northeastern include correspondence and reports from his involvement with TfL that document both Crossrail and the beginnings of London’s Oyster card fare system. I’m personally appreciative of Salvucci’s work in London, as it was the Elizabeth Line that got me to and from Heathrow Airport during a recent trip to the UK.

To learn more about accessing the Frederick Salvucci papers, email the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections at archives@northeastern.edu.

Julia Lee (she/her) is in her first year of the Simmons University Library and Information Science graduate program. She received her BA from Northeastern University with a combined major in English and theatre.

Aleks Renerts (he/him) recently completed a dual MA degree in history and library and information science, with a concentration in archives management, from Simmons University. He received his BA in history from McGill University.

Reading Challenge Update: February Winner and March Preview

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the second month of the 2025 Reading Challenge! The February challenge was to read a book about a city where Northeastern has a campus. Geneva Palmer has won a Northeastern travel mug, perfect for staying hydrated while visiting all of our global campuses.

To be eligible for a prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the theme and then tell us about it. Here are some of the books readers enjoyed this month. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in February

Cover of The Kiss Quotient

The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

“The Kiss Quotient is a charming, unconventional romance that challenges typical love story tropes. It’s a must-read for fans of contemporary romance who appreciate strong character development and diverse representation.” — Mahnaz

Cover of Sea of Tranquility

Sea of Tranquility, Emily St. John Mandel
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“Set in Vancouver, B.C., Sea of Tranquility features a compelling story of multiple protagonists, time travel, and as always with this author, the human condition. Emily St. John Mandel has a unique talent in engaging readers with different perspectives, and then masterfully blending them together into one pensive story.” — Caroline

Cover of A Little Life

A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“I liked how A Little Life starts off feeling like a story about friendship, but quickly transforms into a much darker and more intense journey. The author slowly reveals the main character’s traumatic past bit by bit. It was interested to see how his childhood abuse had lingering effects on his adult relationships. It was both heartbreaking and eye-opening.” — Griffin

Cover of The Woman in the Library

The Woman in the Library, Sulari Gentill
Read the e-book

“As someone who’s new to Boston, it was refreshing to explore new places through the protagonist’s lens. I found myself relating to the protagonist’s impressions of the Boston Public Library and the streets of Boston, and taking notes of places I want to visit soon, like a donut shop mentioned in Copley. It was impressive how the author managed to create a multifaceted narrative.” — Shreeti

Cover of The Fragile Threads of Power

The Fragile Threads of Power, V.E. Schwab
Read the e-book

“I liked this book’s fantasy elements and plot, and although I thought it was missing some needed elements, I overall enjoyed it. I look forward to the next books in the series when they’re released, and I might go back and read the prequel!” — Nina


Suggested Reads for March

Your March challenge is to read a book that has won or been shortlisted for a major award. This can be a general literary award or a genre-specific award, including (but not limited to) the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, Newbery Medal, Women’s Prize, Hugo Award, Orwell Prize, and Edgar Award.

Need more reading inspiration? Check out our list of suggested e-books and audiobooks in Libby. You can also stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1 – 3 p.m. on March 12 and March 13 to browse print books and pick up Reading Challenge swag. Finally, join us for our final Reading Party of the semester on March 19, from 4 – 7 p.m. in the Research & Teaching Hub (Snell Library 215), to enjoy tea, snacks, and dedicated time to read.

Cover of Orbital

Orbital, Samantha Harvey
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Winner of the Booker Prize and the Hawthornden Prize
Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Imaginative Fiction

Six astronauts from different countries are serving on their final space station mission before the program ends. Orbital captures every single day of their lives in space.

Cover of James

James, Percival Everett
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin | Listen to the audiobook

Winner of the National Book Award and Carnegie Medal for Fiction
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize

James tells a familiar story: Huckleberry Finn and the slave Jim, adrift on a raft down the Mississippi. But this version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is told from the perspective of “Jim”—aka James—with “electrifying humor and lacerating observations.”

Cover of My Friends

My Friends, Hisham Matar
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Winner of the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
Finalist for the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award

Three Libyan men living in London are isolated from their families and country by fear of the Qaddafi regime. My Friends is an exploration of the reality of exile, the bonds of friendship, and disparate meanings of home.

Cover of Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women, Jessica Knoll
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Finalist for the Edgar Award for Fiction

In 1978, a murderer descends on a sorority house in Florida. The sorority president survives, but her life will never be the same. Seeking justice and answers, she joins forces with another woman who believes that her missing friend is another victim of the killer.

Cover of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel

Amina Al-Sirafi is a retired pirate who just wants peace and quiet. But, of course, there’s always one last job, and Amina is hired (at an exorbitant sun) to track down a kidnapped girl. The job should be easy enough—but the deeper Amina dives, the more tangled the web becomes.

Whatever you read, make sure to tell us about it to enter the March prize drawing. Good luck, and happy reading!

Boston Campus Screen of “Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy”

Michael Dukakis is not only the former governor of Massachusetts, but he is also a well-known and beloved professor emeritus of political science in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. In 2024, he became the subject of the documentary Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy.

Northeastern University will be hosting a screening on Tuesday, March 11.

Michael Dukakis and his wife standing and waving from the back of a train. The train is decorated with American flags, bunting, and "The Duke Express"
Michael Dukakis and his wife Kitty wave from the Duke Express during his presidential campaign. Michael S. Dukakis Presidential Campaign records, Northeastern University Archive and Special Collections

The Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections (NUASC) had the pleasure of providing archival resources for the film. The documentary features selections from Michael Dukakis’ Presidential Campaign records held at NUASC. The Dukakis collection spans from administrative campaign records to memorabilia like bumper stickers. Archives staff parsed through the collection’s correspondence on the hunt for information about the use of Neil Diamond’s “America” as the Dukakis campaign song and photos of Dukakis from his schoolboy days in Brookline.

Black and white image of Michael Dukakis, taken from above, speaking into a microphone. He is surrounded by people both in front of him and standing in a balcony around him. A large sign reads "Rally Round Dukakis for President 2/8/88"
Michael Dukakis speaks at a rally in 1988. Michael S. Dukakis Presidential Campaign records, Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections

Final selections for use in the documentary include a photo of Dukakis and his wife Kitty on the back of a train called “The Duke Express,” and a photo of a rally in support of Dukakis’ presidential bid. Though these photos portray Dukakis with the essence of celebrity, the letters in the collection reflect an approachability that remains today, as evidenced in the film. The correspondence files are filled with letters from constituents and citizens outside of Massachusetts, wishing Dukakis good luck, bringing up issues they want to know about, and asking him to visit their hometowns.

The film premiered in October 2024 at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Dukakis’ hometown of Brookline.

The Northeastern University campus screening will take place on Tuesday, March 11, at 5 p.m., in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs (310 Renaissance Park). Those interested in attending can register for the event with their Northeastern email ahead of time. Other screenings are listed on the film’s website.

If you’re interested in learning more about Michael Dukakis’ presidential campaign, the collection has been partially digitized and added to the Digital Repository Service. You can also contact the NUASC at archives@northeastern.edu to schedule an appointment or consultation.