A Look Back: June 7

50 Years Ago

■ The move is on into the world’s tallest library, as books and people start filling up the new UMass library. In a month’s time, more than 50 workers — many of them students — have been assigned the task of moving some 850,000 books, 200,000 documents, 50,000 rolls of microfilm, and scores of stacks, racks and various odds and ends from the old UMass Goodell Library to the new, higher version.

■Sixty-five seniors at Smith’s Vocational and Agricultural School received diplomas in graduation ceremonies last night, along with three students who received postgraduate diplomas. Superior Court Associate Justice Raymond R. Cross urged the graduates to become involved in the political system to help solve the country’s internal problems.

25 Years Ago

■The nearly $23 million Northampton High School renovation question will be on the Nov. 3 municipal ballot. The City Council gave unanimous approval of the ballot question Thursday night and is expected to duplicate that vote in two weeks, when a required second vote is taken.

■Members of the Edwards Church now pledge to make sure their historic place of worship opens its door to all — regardless of sexual orientation or “family configuration.” In a step already taken by a few other local churches, members voted May 6 to accept a statement that a committee shaped over the past year.

10 Years Ago

■Gov. Deval Patrick visited the University of Massachusetts Amherst Thursday to announce $95 million in grants for life sciences at UMass through the state’s Life Sciences Initiative. The $167 million Life Sciences Building opened this past summer after four years of construction.

■Michael A. Szlosek of Ludlow is on track to be Southampton’s next top administrator. The Select Board plans to offer him the position pending the outcome of a background check, said John O. Martin, a member of the screening committee that recommended Szlosek to the Select Board as a finalist.

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