Spinelli Archives

Due to water damage, Lamson Library will be closed to the public until repairs are made. Library staff may be reached online during regular business hours.

We will provide updates to everyone as we receive more information.

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” -Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, 1976.

We at the Spinelli Archives wish all Plymouth State students good luck on their finals, and a happy holiday to our alums, students, local community, staff, and faculty.

If you have a question about Plymouth State's history, or any of our other collections, or just want to look through our records, you can make an appointment our website at https://library.plymouth.edu/archives/.

Above is the "African Buttefly Art Object" from our Ray Burton Collection. This piece had a very special meaning for Ray Burton. Ray helped a student from Africa achieve his educational goals, and after returning to Africa, the student sent this piece to Ray Burton.

Ray Burton was an alumnus of Plymouth Teacher College's class of 1962. He is most well-known for his political career serving the North Country. His legacy strikes far at Plymouth State with the Ray Burton Open Lab in Lamson Library and the Spinelli Archive's Ray Burton Collection.

Above are a pair of artifacts from Dr. Robert L. Boyd, for whom Boyd Hall is named.

Dr. Boyd was a professor of science at Plymouth State for three decades (1931-1961) and was known for his rapport with students, soft-spoken personality, and skills as a naturalist. What many may not know is that the Spinelli Archives owns his specimen collector and motorcycle helmet.

Did you know that Lamson Library has undergone several renovations over the years? The second renovation in 1996 transformed the building into what it is now, adding several new offices for the librarians, the current circulation desk, and much more.

The blueprints also show the ill-seen backrooms of the Library, from the boiler room to the current archival storage rooms and even a secret stairwell. The blueprints are not limited to floor plans; they also include details on the building's landscaping, exterior, and utilities.

As you look at these blueprints, you may notice several missing foundations of the Library, such as the Commons Cafe, the Spinelli Archives, the Writing Center, or COLAB. These were all added in later renovations to Lamson. You may also notice that the purposes of several rooms have changed, such as the Library's director's office being moved from the third floor to its current location in the COLAB, or 031's use as a computer lab.

When you think of psychedelic art, you probably think of Peter Max. Born October 19, 1937, in Berlin, Germany, Max’s Jewish parents fled to Shanghai and raised Max there. His youth in Shanghai influenced his art work, drawing upon the bright colors and calligraphy he saw at Buddhist temples. Moving from Israel, to Paris, to New York, Max studied art around the world before he was 19. His work is associated with counter culture, neo-expressionism, and the psychedelic movement in graphic design. In the Spinelli archives, we host a copy of his first book: Poster Book. Max’s work in the book stresses his core values and philosophies: veganism, human and animal rights, harmony, and love. If you’re interested in more artwork books, the upper-level of Lamson Library and Spinelli Archives has a wide variety of art books from different cultures, mediums, and styles.

Did you know Plymouth State is home to several ghosts? At least, students throughout the years have claimed so. Above are two articles from our Student Publication collection detailing ghostly encounters in the Samuel Read Hall Building and Mary Lyon Residence Hall.

The first article is from the 1994 issue of the Clock, while the second is from 1996. The second article's layout has been edited to ensure readability, but the content has not been altered.

Have you experienced any paranormal encounters around campus? Let us know below!

First Fire at Plymouth State is a celebration of the lighting of the first fire in the HUB. It is one of Plymouth State's newest celebrations, started in 2011 by the former Director of the HUB Terri Potter and Program Support Assistant Randy Szabadics. Randy still organizes the celebration to this day.

Which is your favorite iteration of the mugs? Can you guess Randy's favorite? Comment down below!

Be prepared to be scared! Our newest exhibit is located outside of 218 in the Lamson Library (look for the old wooden door on the second floor). It is bound to frighten, as we share the history of the Rounds pumpkins and their secret society.