Oral History: Ruby Matott, part 1
Dublin Core
Title
Oral History: Ruby Matott, part 1
Subject
New Hampshire State Library
Description
An interview of Ruby Matott, a 45-year employee of the New Hampshire State Library. Ms. Matott discusses her first job at the library.
Creator
New Hampshire State Library
Publisher
New Hampshire State Library
Date
February 2020
Format
m4a
Language
eng
Type
Oral History
Identifier
NHSL-OH002
Spatial Coverage
Concord, NH
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Bobbi Slossar
Interviewee
Ruby Matott
Location
Concord, NH
Transcription
Interviewer: This is Bobbi Slossar interviewing Ruby Matott on 24th of February, 20202. Good afternoon, Ruby.
Ruby: Good afternoon.
Interviewer: Did I pronounce your last name correctly?
Ruby: Matott.
Interviewer: Matott. Pardon me, Matott.
Ruby: That’s ok.
Interviewer: Ruby, how many years have you been working at the State Library?
Ruby: I’ve been at the State Library for 45 years.
Interviewer: Wow! And what year did you start working here?
Ruby: 1974
Interviewer: 1974. Can I ask how old you were when you started working here?
Ruby: Twenty.
Interviewer: Twenty. Now how did you learn about the job here at the State LIbrary?
Ruby: Actually during my last year of high school I took a state exam during one of my office practice classes and that’s where the job application came in from.
Interviewer: Oh, that’s really interesting. Now what was your first position here at the State Library?
Ruby: I worked in technical services processing incoming books and typing up library catalog cards.
Interviewer: Typing up library catalog cards? So there were no computers then.
Ruby: No, there were no computers.
Interviewer: And what was your role in typing up those cards?
Ruby: I would take the cards as they came in and type in the subject headings and the title headings and anything else that needed to be added to them.
Interviewer: And did you also have to file the cards into the card catalog system?
Ruby: Yes. I did have the file the cards in the catalog. File one card in the shelf list downstairs in tech services and the rest of the cards came upstairs into the regular card catalog.
Interviewer: Well, that is a fascinating portion of our library history that we just don’t deal with very much -- except for you! What are you doing now with the cards in the card catalog?
Ruby: Well, I’m pulling the cards from the catalog for items that have been added to the online catalog. We’re trying to [remove] the rest of the titles that are in the online, regular card catalog.
Interviewer: So it’s a never ending job, you’re saying!
Ruby: Yes, it is a never ending job. It seems like the cards just never go away.
Interviewer: Well, thanks for that information, Ruby. And we will be doing more oral histories with Ruby in the future about the different aspects of her time here at the New Hampshire State Library.
Ruby: Good afternoon.
Interviewer: Did I pronounce your last name correctly?
Ruby: Matott.
Interviewer: Matott. Pardon me, Matott.
Ruby: That’s ok.
Interviewer: Ruby, how many years have you been working at the State Library?
Ruby: I’ve been at the State Library for 45 years.
Interviewer: Wow! And what year did you start working here?
Ruby: 1974
Interviewer: 1974. Can I ask how old you were when you started working here?
Ruby: Twenty.
Interviewer: Twenty. Now how did you learn about the job here at the State LIbrary?
Ruby: Actually during my last year of high school I took a state exam during one of my office practice classes and that’s where the job application came in from.
Interviewer: Oh, that’s really interesting. Now what was your first position here at the State Library?
Ruby: I worked in technical services processing incoming books and typing up library catalog cards.
Interviewer: Typing up library catalog cards? So there were no computers then.
Ruby: No, there were no computers.
Interviewer: And what was your role in typing up those cards?
Ruby: I would take the cards as they came in and type in the subject headings and the title headings and anything else that needed to be added to them.
Interviewer: And did you also have to file the cards into the card catalog system?
Ruby: Yes. I did have the file the cards in the catalog. File one card in the shelf list downstairs in tech services and the rest of the cards came upstairs into the regular card catalog.
Interviewer: Well, that is a fascinating portion of our library history that we just don’t deal with very much -- except for you! What are you doing now with the cards in the card catalog?
Ruby: Well, I’m pulling the cards from the catalog for items that have been added to the online catalog. We’re trying to [remove] the rest of the titles that are in the online, regular card catalog.
Interviewer: So it’s a never ending job, you’re saying!
Ruby: Yes, it is a never ending job. It seems like the cards just never go away.
Interviewer: Well, thanks for that information, Ruby. And we will be doing more oral histories with Ruby in the future about the different aspects of her time here at the New Hampshire State Library.
Duration
2:33 minutes
Subject Line
New Hampshire State Library
Citation
New Hampshire State Library, “Oral History: Ruby Matott, part 1,” Omeka Classic 4, accessed June 13, 2026, https://omekaclassic4.nhlibraries.org/items/show/64.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.