The Commonwealth's role in the international business community has never been in doubt, but no grand effort has been made to build historical collections outside of Boston and across the state. We have lost much by not advising businesses about the importance of their records to our history. An undertaking such as the Boston Business Heritage Project is an example of those projects making a difference, particularly to the preservation of the built-environment. But, documenting business history cannot be limited to the eastern part of the state and must include a focus on historical records in addition to buildings. As interested as we are today in the history of Waltham Watch, Shreve, Crump, and Low, or the work at the Lowell mills, tomorrow's historical community is just as likely to be interested in Wang, Crane Paper, Filene's Basement, or Legal Seafoods.
Gaps exist in our records of nature and of the environment.
Many of the school records that have been lost are public records. It is in the area of local, public record-keeping that our track record, as a historical record community, is the most shameful, despite pockets of fine work. While goodwill and good intentions exist in many communities from Boston to Amherst, public records are deteriorating and remain inaccessible. Funds to care for these records properly are, in many cases, non-existent and those charged with the responsibility of caring for these records are often unable to cope with the magnitude of the problem. A host of additional gaps in our documentary record exist.