U-Mass-Lowell Library
Attention: Reference Librarian
3/9/2018
Request for information
During my high school years at St-Joseph Boys School and, later, at U-Mass-Lowell, I often needed access to up-to-date scientific journals to facilitate my progress toward a B.S. degree. Unfortunately, such resources were not easily availabe. So, many years later, I inquired about clarifi cations from the U-Mass-Lowell Library.
Dear Sir/Madam:
I am writing to you from my home in Albuquerque, NM, where I am, now, retired after35 plus years of doing scientific research for the U.S.government, both at several universities and at two national laboratories, one in California and the other, in New Mexico.
My request for you is quite simple, I believe, but before I ask, I would like to explain the reason for this request.
For several years, now, I have been compiling a myriad of memoirs – memories put to paper – about my personal experiences and those of many other Lowellians, who lived there, as I did, from 1939 to 1961. We were all surrounded by massive remnants of the city’s past textile achievements and the many ethnic or cultural neighborhoods, which made the city a miniature replica of Chicago’s more massive, technological marvels.
Perhaps, this is the reason that foreign languages have always interested me, i.e., French, Greek, Portuguese, Russian-Jewish, Polish, Irish, Yankee-English, etc., and also, the underlying motivation for my doing graduate research in plasma physics at the Max-Planck Institute in Garching near Munich, Germany, 1965 – 1967.
A personal interest and involvement on my part in science really started years ago as I was completing my high school studies in Lowell from 1953 to 1957. During those early years, I wore out a couple of library cards from the Pollard Memorial Library while reading many biographies about American legendary heroes plus ocean adventures with Jules Vern and archery books by Howard Hill.
I had just gotten the bug of finding out interesting facts about our lives on planet Earth. There was always more to learn, which fascinated me.
Soon, thereafter, I applied to the Physics and Math Department at the Lowell
Technological Institute, LTI, and I was accepted. Much of the rest of the story is history, but, today, I would like to acknowledge the people and agencies that permitted me toenter this truly amazing world of R&D.
In brief, I have been writing, for several years, a set of memoirs to be turned, soon, into a book, which might serve as an encouragement and, perhaps, a guide for a young man or woman, who is seeking a fascinating and remunerative career in science.
The Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell Tech and the Air Force Cambridge Reseach Center in in Bedford, Massachusetts, were truly key points in my case. Others could do the same with enough enthusiasm and perseverance, I believe.
Specific Request
Early on in my quest for more science resources, I was getting information about science outside of school by watching “Mr.Wizard” on Saturday morning TV and also by finding articles in popular magazines like Popular Science Monthly, National Geographic, Popular Mechanics, etc.
However, I do not recall if these resources and similar references were available at the Pollard Library or at LTI in the mid-1950s.. I am still awaiting a reply from a librarian at the Pollard Library.
Here is where I could use your assistance.
Did the UML Llibrary have in the mid-1950s a section reserved for scientific magazines? As an example, these would include: Scientific American, Nature, Comptes Rendus, Physics Today, etc.
Would I, perhaps, have needed to go to MIT or Harvard for these periodicals?
Your help would be greatly appreciated. I look forward for your response.
Thank you,
Paul E. Bolduc, Ph.D. – Class of 1961, Physics and Mathematics Department
