Retired Moultonborough librarian works to organize NHBM collection

MOULTONBOROUGH — For longtime New Hampshire Boat Museum member Jane Rice, unpacking, cleaning, and cataloging the museum’s collection in a database is almost second nature. Rice worked as a librarian at the Moultonborough Public Library for 38 years before she began volunteering for NHBM in Moultonborough last winter.

“It’s sort of familiar to me, although it’s a different program,” said Rice, comparing the CatalogIt database used by NHBM with the database she utilized as a librarian. “It’s the same idea of entering all the details about the object, whether it’s a book or these various boat artifacts.”

NHBM currently has more than 2,500 items in its database, but Rice explained that number will likely grow if the Collections Committee decides to incorporate several items currently in limbo. 

“Even the stuff that’s already cataloged needs to have the location changed from our prior location in Wolfeboro to Moultonborough,” she said. “It’s important to know what you have in the collection because it can’t all be displayed at once — and if items are organized, it makes it easier to pull them for specific displays.”

According to Rice, items she and fellow volunteer Joanne Pendergast have cataloged include everything from steering wheels, propellers, tools, and steamboat gauges to magazines and books, water skis, outboard motors, and the boats themselves. Each item is tagged with a reference number, while Rice and Pendergast input specific descriptions and photos. 

“We are so thankful for Jane’s invaluable help,” said NHBM Development Director Wendy Stocker. “She has been an enormous asset in helping organize our collection after moving to Moultonborough. It’s been a big project, and she’s absolutely stepped up to the task.”

For more information, visit nhbm.org.