available for study. This is a problem when old and fragile
materials (photographs, letters, correspondence and some early Annual Reports, scrapbook entries, city directories, newspaper clippings) need to be examined carefully at the Library and Historical Society and when the determination of what information needs to be copied must be decided immediately, then and there. Gaps in the data are problems in historical research which are
alleviated when personal interviews are possible. I discovered that librarians, who are still charged with the organization and
classification of materials, do a poor job of keeping their own
house in order. A11 too frequently Annual Reports were missing, incomplete, contradictory, and at variance with
published newspaper articles on the same topic. Even names and
dates of directors were casually and carelessly kept at the
11brary. Middletown had several competing daily and weekly
papers during part of this century, which made the job of tracking down incomplete scrapbook 'clippings more difficult.
Lastly, in my role as researcher, I tried to remain aware of my
own interpretive framework - my values, personal interest, and, yes, biases in presenting the story of this 11brary. This story
is as accurate and as inclusive as the available materials
permitted. Errors in judgement or interpretation are mine alone,