library history and library archives in the united states

Library History and Library Archives in the United StatesAuthor(s): Richard J. CoxSource: Libraries & Culture, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Fall, 1991), pp. 569-593Published by: University of Texas PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25542372 .

Accessed: 16/06/2014 03:51

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

University of Texas Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Libraries&Culture.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 194.29.185.251 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 03:51:15 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=texas

http://www.jstor.org/stable/25542372?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


Library History and Library Archives in the United States

Richard J. Cox

Although library history is a significant part of the research being done on

libraries and librarianship, this interest has not produced a systematic effort

to identify, preserve, and make accessible the archival records and

manuscripts documenting libraries and their supporting profession in the

United States. This article offers a preliminary investigation into this prob lem. It examines the kinds of archival sources library historians are using, considers how effectively these sources are being identified, preserved, and

made available for research, and suggests some possible actions for the library

profession to take to preserve the records of its institutions, associations, and

leaders. As the article suggests, the collecting of manuscripts on library

history has been more successful than the preservation of library institutional

archives; this poses some serious problems for the future of library history research in the United States.

Introduction

In the abundance of library research manuals that are available, his

torical research and the importance of archival and historical records for

conducting such research are generally the topic of at least a

chapter or

two.1 Moreover, there is little question that library history represents a

major part of the research being conducted on libraries and librarianship; library history is the subject of monographs, supports journals solely or

largely devoted to it, consistently appears in articles in every library pro fessional journal no matter how general

or specialized, and regularly

sur

faces in doctoral research. The recent publication of American Library History: A Comprehensive Guide to the Literature (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1989), compiled by Donald G. Davis, Jr., and John Mark Tucker, shows the

vitality and diversity of research on this aspect of libraries and librarian

ship. But surprisingly, the interest in the history of libraries and librarian

ship has not translated to a systematic effort to identify, preserve, and make

Libraries and Culture, Vol. 26, No. 4, Fall 1991 ?1991 by the University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713



570 L&C/Library History and Library Archives

accessible the archival records and manuscripts documenting this history.

For example, the library profession possesses a manual on personal collect

ing of "librariana,"2 but it lacks basic suitable references on library ar

chives.3 Although the library profession has innumerable articles on the

role of libraries in collecting local manuscripts and archives, there are vir

tually none on the establishment and maintenance of institutional library archives.4 While the American Library Association supports a Library

History Round Table and publishes volumes on library history, this pro fessional association has not developed or endorsed any plan to document

the long and important history of librarianship in the United States.5

The purposes of this article are threefold. The first is to examine what

kinds of archival sources library historians are utilizing for their research

and to determine what, if anything, this reveals about the condition of

historical materials concerning the development of libraries and the library

profession. I have analyzed articles published in the Journal of Library History

(JLH, now Libraries & Culture) from 1985 to 1987 and dissertations on

library history completed during the same years to see what varieties of

sources are being used. The second purpose is to ascertain how effectively

library archival sources are being identified, preserved, and made available

for research. Three national directories have been examined in order to

prepare a general profile of the care of library archives and manuscripts.

The third purpose is to consider some possible actions for the library pro fession in order to preserve more adequately the sources of the profession's

institutions, associations, and leaders. These recommendations have been

made as a result of my own experience in archival administration. As the

title suggests, the focus of the essay is on library history in the United

States.

Before beginning this essay, some basic definitions are in order. The

main concern here is the preservation of library archives and manuscripts.

Library archives include the records of enduring value created by library institutions and associations in the normal transactions of their business.

The minutes of a library board of trustees, directors' files, correspondence, collection records, and other similar records make up the bulk of library archives. The term "archives" is also used to indicate programs or re

positories; in this essay, however, archival programs and repositories are

clearly identified. Manuscripts related to library history are the papers of

individuals, families, associations, and other bodies that have been collected

by an archival or historical records repository rather than maintained by the creating organization. The personal papers of Melvil Dewey and

records of the Library Bureau held in university special collections are

examples of manuscript collections of interest to library historians. As this

article suggests, the collecting of manuscripts on library history has been

more successful than the preservation of library institutional archives;



571

this poses some serious problems for the future of library historical research

in the United States, as it does for other topics. The quantity of library archival material worth preserving is undoubtedly higher than the capacity of historical records-collecting repositories. Either there must be a

signifi

cant increase in resources for these collecting programs, which is unlikely

and which would have to be used to benefit topics other than librarianship in any event,6 or the libraries themselves and the library profession must

assume a greater responsibility for the identification, preservation, and

maintenance of library archival records.7

Sources Used in American Library History Research

Sources for Articles in ̂ Journal of Library History

Since its inception in the mid-1960s, the Journal of Library History has been the primary journal outlet for the publication of research on American

library history and news and reviews of such research. This journal has

published the proceedings of conferences, annual assessments of the charac

teristics of library history work, reviews of significant monographs, bib

liographies, and methodological discussions of historical research on

librarianship. For this reason, I undertook an analysis of sources used in

articles on American library history in this journal to assist in the prepara tion of an assessment of what kinds of sources individuals were using to do

such research. I reviewed writings during a three-year period, with the

expectation that such a span would provide a typical view of the nature of

such research. From 1985 through 1987 twenty-seven articles on American

library history were published in the Journal of Library History. These articles

indeed reflected the variety of studies that now characterize the field.

There were historical examinations of academic, government, public, and

private libraries and professional associations; gender and racial issues;

labor relations; bookstores; and library leaders. There were also four broad

analyses of library development in the United States. The use of sources for these studies is quite revealing for an understand

ing of the state of library archives in the United States. Of the twenty-seven articles, eighteen have cited manuscript collections or archival record

groups. Of those eighteen, only ten reflect any serious dependence on

manuscripts and archives. Wayne A. Wiegand, in his investigation into the formation of the Bibliographical Society of America, noted?in a manner

that could be considered typical for many aspects of library history?that "no one has explored existing primary source materials in which the foundation for a more comprehensive, detailed, analytical history resides";

he used the personal papers of library leaders located at Columbia Uni

versity, Newberry Library, University of Illinois Library, Harvard



572 hScC/Library History and Library Archives

University, Springfield Public Library, Library of Congress, New York

Public Library, and Oberlin College, as well as some federal government archives preserved at the National Archives.8 Larry E. Sullivan's study of

early reading tastes also relied on primary sources. He stated that "we

know reading tastes primarily through such archival material as probate inventories, circulating library readers' statistics, booksellers' records,

and printers' daybooks, as well as printed book advertisements, library

catalogues, and the like. Letters and memoirs are also most useful." But

Sullivan also noted that this tells us what was available to read, not what

was actually read. He turned to John Pintard's diaries because they "men

tion everything?the works he read, bought, what he thought about them,

and every other type of occurrence he thought interesting, which included

much."9 Sullivan's study demonstrates the potential use of personal papers

not directly related to libraries and librarians for understanding issues

important to the development of librarianship in this country. The reliance of these authors on primary sources is at least partly de

termined by their choice of topics, as Sullivan's statements suggest. Their

research concerns specific institutions,10 an event that opens up the possi

bility of detailed analysis,11 previously unexplored topics that require uses

of untapped materials,12 and localities or individuals that enable a more

intense use of archival materials.13 In some cases, it is obvious that the

availability of archival material has encouraged a

particular research effort.

Ron Blazek, in his inquiry about public library development in Florida, noted that "although there are some gaps, the relative completeness of the

existing records makes it possible to consider the factors [of small-town

library development] in light of conflicting belief systems regarding library

origins, such as revisionism as opposed to multiple social forces theories."14

A closer look at the use of manuscript and archival materials and other

primary sources reveals some interesting characteristics of the nature of

library archives. In these articles there are a small number of citations of

what could be construed to be institutional library archives (see table 1). Most references are to collections in university and college special collec

tions, historical societies, and similar historical record-collecting agencies.

The most likely source of library documentation appears to be academic

libraries, probably because of the prevalence of university and college

archives that may maintain the archival records of the library and, in a few

cases, the records of library schools.15 A distant second are the archival

records of major urban public libraries. In the latter case, however, it is

especially problematic whether these citations are to formal archival pro

grams or not; one of the citations is to the Enoch Pratt Free Library in

Baltimore, which has a valuable accumulation of archival records, but lacks

any institutional archives that include professional staff, facilities, and

resource commitment.16



573

TABLE 1

ARCHIVES AND MANUSCRIPT REPOSITORIES CITED IN

THE JOURNAL OF LIBRARY HISTORY, 1985-1987

Universities and college special collections 11

University and college archives 10

Public library manuscripts collections 5

State and local historical societies 4

Public library archives 4

Federal government archives 3

Local government archives 1

Corporate archives 1

Total 39

These researchers have also used other forms of primary sources (see

table 2). Official publications (such as annual reports and special studies) of

libraries and other institutions have been consulted. Newspapers, govern

ment documents, city directories, and documentary editions also regularly

appear in the footnotes of the Journal of Library History articles. Articles, news releases, proceedings, minutes, and descriptions published in journals

were also frequently examined as primary sources. The utilization of these

kinds of sources is at least partly determined by the nature of the intended

research.17 Haynes McMullen's effort to determine how prevalent libraries

were in the Northeast before 1876 required use of published surveys,

directories, state legislative acts, and almanacs, as well as secondary sources,

and his collaboration with Larry Barr to determine public attitudes about libraries in the nineteenth century required the use of periodical articles.18

Turning to the overall basis for library history research suggests, how

ever, that researchers are more prone to use secondary materials, then

published primary sources, and, finally, archival and manuscript sources

(see table 2). This should not be surprising, since it is a general characteristic of most historical research.19 The secondary and published primary sources

are, of course, much more widely available for consultation. There are,

however, different implications for library history and archives. The former sources can be easily acquired by libraries and researchers without any

commitment to the establishment and sustenance of library archives. While

it is difficult to state that this has had an impact on the quality of library history, it certainly suggests one reason?underuse?for a lack of motiva

tion to establish institutional library archives or to collect manuscript and

archival materials that document the library profession. Wayne Wiegand has suggested the nature of the dilemma. His history of the early develop

ment of the American Library Association had a secondary purpose of

communicating to the "library community the benefits of historical




TABLE 2 SOURCES CITED IN THE JOURNAL OF LIBRARY HISTORY, 1985-1987

Secondary Published

Books 329 Articles 270

Unpublished Theses 22 Dissertations 18

Other 2

Primary Published

Journals 203

Newspapers 126

Official publications 62 Government documents 49

Documentary editions 24

Other 46

Unpublished Manuscript collections 40

Archival groups or series 34

Interviews and oral history 7

Total 1232

research into all primary source materials. Much of the detail, many of the

patterns, and most of the politics of the ALA's development discussed in

subsequent pages represent new information derived from analysis of pri

mary source collections heretofore little used in library history research."20

But this kind of research is made possible because it focuses on the main

library professional association and leading library pioneers;21 it is more

problematic to make the step from national library politics and develop ment to state and local library history. And it is virtually impossible to

comprehend the nature and impact of national trends and events without

studying libraries and librarianship on the regional, state, local, and

institutional levels.

Sources in Dissertations on Library History

It is possible that the publication of essays in the Journal of Library History

might not accurately reflect the use of archival sources, due to limited space for citations and comprehensive descriptions of methodology and the

varied, topical nature of the literature typically characterizing scholarly and

professional journals, so I also studied dissertations on library history



575

completed in the same period (1985-1987). Since dissertations are generally intended to be a more

rigorous research endeavor, requiring the careful

use of empirical methods and primary and secondary sources, I thought that these historical studies would show a greater reliance on archival

materials or at least a greater effort to locate and use the primary sources,

revealing more about the nature of the preservation of librarianship's

historical sources. The results were, however, very similar to those derived

from an analysis of the Journal of Library History. I examined eleven dissertations from six library schools (Florida State,

University of Pittsburgh, University of South Dakota, Indiana University,

University of Illinois, and University of Kentucky) and three schools of

education (University of Nebraska, Seton Hall University, and St. Louis

University). The topics exhibited a wide range, consisting of studies on

the development of academic, public, and business and special libraries, the influence of feminist thought on American librarianship, the evolution

of a state library network structure, a regional analysis of library collec

tions, early library education for American blacks, changing notions of certification requirements for school librarians in the United States, and a biographical study of a pioneer library preservationist. These were again typical of the range of topics in library history research in general and

historical research undertaken by doctoral students.22

Nearly all of the historical studies showed a use of primary sources. The most substantial use of archival materials was evident, not

surprisingly, in

some of the institutional studies. The analyses of academic library develop ment made strong use of library archives that were part of larger university

archives, long a mainstay on the archival scene; it is evident from these studies that the quantity of available documentation is probably what

attracted the doctoral candidate to the topic in the first place.23 This is, however, quite a contrast to other kinds of institutional research. Studies

of mercantile and public libraries clearly indicated that documentation was limited despite the existence of the institution being studied. A history of the St. Louis Mercantile Library had to rely primarily on published annual reports and a vertical file collection.24 Another research effort on

the changing young adult services program in a southern public library system noted that "because the documentary evidence available, such as

annual reports, is limited, interviews with present and former librarians of the system are a principal source of information."25 Multi-institutional research presented even more difficult problems. A study of the New Jersey library network over a

twenty-year period led the researcher through a

maze of "published and unpublished documents and reports found in the literature and in the archives of the New Jersey State Library, Rutgers

University Library, and the New Jersey Library Association."26 An effort to determine the nature of library education for blacks sent the researcher




through the Hampton Institute Archives, American Library Association

Archives, Atlanta University Archives, and the records of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, while also involving the problem of restricted rec

ords of recent origins or of a sensitive nature.27 Other approaches to library

history yielded different uses of documentary sources. While the study of a library leader prompted the use of personal papers and institutional

records in a diversity of historical-records repositories and institutional

archives,28 studies of regional and national library developments were able

to restrict themselves to the use of widely available published materials.29

A look at library history dissertations, even a cursory one such as this,

suggests that some archival source material on librarianship is scattered in

a variety of repositories, but that there may be little emphasis by the pro fession on the organized identification and preservation of its historical sources. This is confirmed by a similar analysis that Haynes McMullen

conducted twenty years ago; looking at fifteen dissertations, McMullen

found that most primary sources were published books, pamphlets, and

government documents, followed by manuscripts, journal articles, and

newspapers.30 This also suggests a lack of institutional archives and avail

ability of library archives in historical-records repositories. An examina

tion of national directories of archives and historical-manuscript reposi

tories and related materials (see below) also indicates that this is the case.

Conclusions about the Use of Archival and Manuscript Sources in Library

History

It is evident even from this limited examination of library history re

search undertaken during a few years in the late 1980s that such historical

research has become more sophisticated in purpose and scope. The broad

range of topics recently being researched constitutes a more ambitious

agenda of study than what was generally the norm only a decade ago.

Library history has moved beyond a preoccupation with commemorative

institutional studies and biographies of professional leaders to look at

serious issues, events, and controversies. Yet the variety of historical

sources remains somewhat limited. There appears to be a predilection to

use more widely available published sources found in journals, official

organs, and government documents. While the most important task of the

competent historian is surely, as Marc Bloch eloquently wrote, getting the

witnesses in the documents "to speak, even against their will," the evi

dence from such testimony will be incomplete if the crucial eyewitnesses

have not been cross-examined or if their testimony has not been identified

and preserved.31 The essential transactional records of library institutions,

organizations, and associations seem not to be used uniformly, perhaps

because they are not being identified and preserved in the first place.



577

National Directories of Archives and Manuscript Repositories

The Condition of Library Archives as Revealed in the NHPRC Directories, 1978 and 1988

The national directories prepared under the auspices of the National

Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) in 1978 and

1988 provide one-volume snapshots of the landscape of archival programs

and historical-records repositories; they also enable a glimpse of change

over the past decade, even if this view is more suggestive of trends and

activities than it is definitive. Although their coverage is less than complete,

they represent the best and most convenient national directories with

general institutional descriptions of scope of holdings and intended col

lecting areas.32 The main problem with the directories, for the purpose

of this article at least, is that they provide no information on the nature

of the archival programs themselves but only on the general nature of

holdings; there is no indication whether the records described are being held under satisfactory conditions or administered by competent profes

sionals.33

Regardless of these problems, the NHPRC directories reveal several

major characteristics of efforts to preserve archival materials related to

libraries (see table 3). First, there seems to have been significant growth in the number of institutions holding library-related archives and manu

scripts. However, this seeming growth may be only the result of a more

energetic effort by the NHPRC to gather descriptions of archival and

historical-records repositories (the number of repositories listed grew from

3,250 in 1978 to 4,650 a decade later). Second, despite the possible growth,

the number of institutions preserving library archival records is extremely

small, given the total number of libraries in the United States.34 While it is probably the case that more university archives preserve records

of libraries and library schools than reported in these directories, the small number of public libraries describing their own institutional records indicates that there have been relatively minor efforts systematically to

preserve such records.

Finally, the nature of descriptions of library records suggests that

acquiring and preserving such records is an underdeveloped function.

There is a sense that these represent the documentary remnants of library institutions. More than twenty-five years ago library associations were

characterized as "maintaining archives . . . [in] more of an accidental

than a planned activity in that most ... do not have an archives commit

tee or policy and, as a result, not [a] real program.

. . ,"35 Descriptions in the directories suggest the same accidental preservation of library archival sources. The description for the Ida Public Library in Illinois




TABLE 3

LIBRARY ARCHIVAL SOURCES IN DIRECTORY OF ARCHIVES AND

MANUSCRIPT REPOSITORIES IN THE UNITED STATES (1978, 1988)

1978 1988

Public libraries 21 80 Museums 1 1

Special research libraries 1 3

Historical societies 1 0

Academic libraries 2 5

Other 4 5

Total 30 94

Sources: Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States (Washington, D.C: National Historical Publications and Records Commission, 1978); Directory

of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States, 2nd ed. (Phoenix/New York:

Oryx Press for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission,

1988).

reads: "also included are blueprints from the 1913 library building, as

well as the records, accession books, and Board of Trustees minutes from

the Library, dating from 1885."36 Louisville Free Public Library's entry

says: "photographs, news clippings, scrapbooks, correspondence, reports,

and meeting minutes of the Beechmont Civic Club covering the building of the branch library in south Louisville and its dedication in 1939."37

Unadilla Public Library in New York includes "minutes of the meetings of the [library], with some financial data and copies of correspondence."38

The Folger Shakespeare Library holds "records of the founding and

building of the Library, architectural drawings, and blueprints."39 While

there are some entries that indicate more comprehensive holdings, the

descriptions cited here are far more typical of what has been reported to

the NHPRC. All of them beg the question of what has happened to the

other archival records of the libraries.

The reason for the greater number of public library archives programs in some states, whether formal or informal, may be that such records

often fall under the jurisdiction of state legislation regarding the main

tenance of local public archival records. New York is one example. Of

the eighty entries for public library "archives" in the 1988 directory,

twenty-five are located in the Empire State. This may be partially due

to the fact that New York has a "Local Government Records Law"

(Article 57-A of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law passed in 1987) that

stipulates the administration, retention, and disposition of local government



579

TABLE 4

LOCAL PUBLIC ARCHIVAL RECORDS IDENTIFIED IN NEW YORK

STATE ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION RETENTION

AND DISPOSITION SCHEDULES

All records before 1910 Official minutes and hearing proceedings

Legal opinions or directives

Manual of procedures, policies, and standards

Correspondence ("documenting significant policy or decision making") Official copy of publication ("including newsletter, press release, published

report or bulletin") Grant program file ("application, proposal, agreement, narrative, evaluation,

and annual report for accepted grant")

Opinion survey records ("survey results, including official copy of survey form") Internal investigation or nonfiscal audit records ("report and recommendation

resulting from investigation")

Annual, special, or final report, summary, review, or evaluation

Annual, special, or long-range program plan

Manuscript or printed catalogs

Library material censorship and complaint records (those concerned with "serious

constitutional issues")

Incorporation, chartering, and registration records

Sources: Records Retention and Disposition Schedule ED-1 for Use by School Districts and

BOCES (Albany, 1988), p. 25; Records Retention and Disposition Schedule CC-1 for Use by Public Community Colleges (Albany, 1988), p. 26; Records Retention and Dispo sition Schedule MI-1 for Use by Miscellaneous Local Governments (Albany, 1988), p. 29;

Records Retention and Disposition Schedule MU-1 for Use by Municipalities (Cities, Towns,

Villages, and Fire Districts) (Albany , 1988), pp. 1-4, 37.

records, including over 300 municipal, public school district, special district, and joint municipal libraries; efforts by the state to encourage

the preservation of local government archival records, including public libraries, date back to 1911. As such, these records have been included in general retention and disposition schedules issued for local governments in the mid-1980s and earlier, providing advice that may be instructive for libraries as well as other state archives that have not provided assistance

for such institutions (see table 4). Even so, the New York State Archives and Records Administration (SARA) has recognized a special urgent need for these kinds of records, recently preparing an information leaflet on the subject, stating that

library and library system officials should be aware that few public library archival programs exist and that early library records are




rather fragmentary. SARA encourages libraries and library systems

to provide for the retention, administration and accessibility of their

records of enduring value (archival records) as part of an overall

records management program. . . . Concerned in particular that

public libraries and library systems in New York State can properly document their establishment and evolution, SARA will not allow

the disposition of any library records predating 1910 without special

permission granted on a case-by-case basis. This requirement is

especially important because of the scarcity of information on 19th

century libraries.40

What emerges from these directories, then, is a sense that, while there

is an interesting and valuable array of manuscript and archival material

relevant to the study of American library history, these sources are hardly the product of systematic or planned collecting by the library profession and are

certainly not a major consideration for the archival profession.

There is little evidence, indeed, that there is an adequate documentary

record of American librarianship. These conclusions are reaffirmed by an examination of another important national archival directory.

The Condition of Library Archives as Reported in the National Catalog of Sources for the History of Librarianship, 1982

The most important single source for locating archives and manuscripts

with information on American librarianship is the National Catalog of Sources for the History of Librarianship, published in 1982 by the American

Library Association. This directory grew out of the work of Maynard Brichford?the university archivist at the University of Illinois?with the

American Library Association, in preserving and managing its archives,

surely a

significant turning point in the preservation of the sources for

library historical research. The directory draws on the National Union

Catalog of Manuscripts Collections (1962-present), a 1961 directory edited

by Philip Hamer, the Dictionary of American Library Biography, Women's

History Sources, institutional guides, and some original surveying of insti

tutional holdings. The relative richness for library historical research of the archives and

manuscripts cited in the directory seems to support the conclusions already

suggested by glances at the use of sources in research studies and the

descriptions of records in the NHPRC directories. Most of the available

collections of primary sources are the personal papers of library leaders,

academics who worked in and lobbied on behalf of libraries, politicians who played important roles in the development and support of library



581

institutions, philanthropists who provided funds for library development, and other individuals and families who participated in library-related

organizations and left important documentation behind regarding their

interests (see table 5). Records of public libraries, library associations,

college and university libraries, pioneer subscription and circulating libraries, and state libraries make up the bulk of the remaining documen

tation related to American librarianship. A more accurate picture of which library institutions are preserving some

of their transactional records can be obtained by noting the types of archival

and historical-records repositories holding library history sources (see table 6). Colleges and universities lead by far, again reflecting the long term development of college and university archives and special collections.

It is not surprising that these archival and manuscript programs through the years have collected significant bodies of documentation regarding the

development of academic libraries, as well as the personal papers of library leaders and archival records of associations and library institutions; these

individuals and associations have often been based in academic settings,

along with the graduate library schools. Public libraries and historical

societies also make up a substantial portion of the repositories possessing

library-related primary sources. In the case of both, this has reflected their

activities in collecting local, state, and regional documentary sources and

their efforts to preserve the important transactional records of their own

institutions. However, their numbers pale in comparison to the total num

ber of such institutions in the United States. The fact that most libraries are

not caring for their archival records is evident: only six state libraries show

up in the directory, with virtually no theological seminaries, museums,

hospitals, or other kinds of special libraries.

The Need for a Survey of Archival Programs in Library Institutions

As mentioned earlier, the national directories do not necessarily provide an accurate portrait of the quality

or scope of archival and historical records

programs, only indicating that these institutions have reported holding archives and manuscripts. Holding such materials and possessing

a pro

gram are, of course, not necessarily the same, as revealed in the statewide

assessment reports on the condition of historical and archival materials

undertaken in the early to mid-1980s. In the report on Alabama's historical

records programs, it was found that "over a third of Alabama's archival

repositories have no funds for operation and nearly three-quarters have

less than five hundred dollars. Less than one in five institutions have one or more full-time personnel and over half of this small number have only one staff member. Many of the staff are not professionally trained and do not have sufficient opportunities to acquire the training they need for the



TABLE 5

LIBRARY HISTORY MANUSCRIPTS AND ARCHIVAL RECORDS CITED

IN THE NATIONAL CATALOG OF SOURCES FOR THE HISTORY OF

LIBRARIANSHIP, 1982

Personal papers 647

Public libraries 85

Library associations 74

Colleges and universities 45

Subscription and circulating libraries 40

State libraries 23

Historical societies 13

Library schools 13

Federal library agencies 11

Library clubs and literary societies 11

Corporate and institutional libraries 7

Miscellaneous 38

Total 1007

Source: National Catalog of Sources for the History of Librarianship (Chicago: American

Library Association, 1982).

TABLE 6

TYPES OF ARCHIVAL AND HISTORICAL-RECORDS REPOSITORIES

HOLDING LIBRARY HISTORY SOURCES CITED IN THE

NATIONAL CATALOG OF SOURCES FOR THE HISTORY OF

LIBRARIANSHIP, 1982


Public libraries 54 Historical societies 47

State archives 19

Research libraries 8

State libraries 6

Religious denominations 5

Presidential libraries 5

Theological seminaries 4

Municipal archives 4

Library associations 4

Museums and cultural organizations 4

Federal agencies 4

Hospitals 3

Philanthropic foundations 1

Total 270

Source: National Catalog of Sources for the History of Librarianship (Chicago: American

Library Association, 1982).



583

proper care of the records in their custody."41 Yet many of these impov erished archival and historical-records repositories show up in directories

and other sources as "programs."

While there is no concise definition of what constitutes a quality archival

program, there are some basic elements that are relatively easy to identify.

Adequate archival programs require at least one professionally trained and

experienced archivist, a separate and adequate budget to support the

management of the archival records that indicates institutional support, suitable facilities for the storage of and reference to the records, and a

connection to a current records management program that provides the

means for identifying records of continuing value to the library and for

research purposes. Although there are other desirable elements (such as

a mission statement, preservation program, adequate finding aids, appro

priate administrative placement, and so forth), these four would indicate

the existence of institutional commitment to an archival operation and an

acceptable foundation for the development of the archives.42

It is beyond the scope of this study to survey the nature of library insti tutional archives, but it is obvious that such work needs to be done in order to assess the nature and condition of library archives accurately. However,

evidence of the lack of placement of professional archivists on the staffs of

TABLE 7

PRIMARY INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED IN SOCIETY OF

AMERICAN ARCHIVISTS MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY, 1988


Religious organizations 179

Corporations 89

Historical societies and sites 67

Museums 64

Municipal and county government 39

State archives 30

Federal agencies 28

Public libraries 25 Health and medical organizations 23

Associations 20

Other 149

Total 1042

Source: Society of American Archivists, 1988 Directory of Individual Members (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1988). The "other" category consists of types of

repositories that number ten or less; this is where arts organizations, theological seminaries, foundations, patriotic societies and clubs, and state libraries fall. Not

included are students, foreign repositories, consultants, and retirees.




libraries can be gleaned from the institutions represented by members of

the Society of American Archivists (see table 7). Although the largest

percentage of institutions having SAA members are colleges and univer

sities, it is also true that many of these individuals are working with his

torical records and archives other than those related to the libraries of their

institutions; archivists in colleges and universities tend to work in specialized

manuscript and other special collections as frequently as they do in the

university archives. Beyond these institutions very few libraries are listed

as the employers of SAA members. Only twenty-five public libraries and

five state libraries appear as such employers. Even considering that indi

viduals working in historical societies, museums, health and medical

organizations, theological seminaries, and the like might work in libraries

and might have some responsibilities for their archival records, it is generally

apparent that the number of institutional library archives must be very

low in comparison to the potential number.43

Conclusions about the Status of Library Archives

Although the evidence used in this essay is somewhat impressionistic, it suggests that library archives are generally underdeveloped and a rarity on the national scene. The chances are

higher that archival records of

academic libraries have been identified and preserved because of the preva lence of university archives staffed by professional archivists.44 Public

library archives seem to be even more of a rarity. While some archival

records of these institutions have been preserved in states where they fall

under local government records guidelines and programs, it is more likely

that these libraries have done little to preserve their historical files. The

care of archival records of other types of libraries appears to be even more

bleak, if the directories are reliable evidence. It seems that librarianship's

documentary heritage is in considerable danger.

An Agenda for Improving the Identification, Preservation, and

Use of Library Archives and Manuscripts

Three basic actions can be taken to start improving the care of library

documentation. First, there must be renewed efforts to improve the quality

of historical studies in graduate library education. While many have

lamented the decline of this aspect of library education, some recent de

velopments give this area new potential. Second, the American Library

Association needs to join forces with the national archival associations,

primarily the Society of American Archivists, to develop an agenda of

education, publication, and cooperation in the identification and preserva

tion of library historical sources. Again, some new efforts are underway



585

that make work here more promising. Third, the library profession needs

to develop a national plan for its documentation. The relatively recent

archival concept of documentation strategies is an excellent mechanism

for aiding the development of this plan.

Improving the Quality of Historical Studies in Graduate Library Education

There have been a number of statements regarding the declining presence

of historical studies in library schools over the years. Focusing on rare book

education, Lawrence J. McCrank painted a rather gloomy portrait of

trends over two decades, suggesting that the rare books field (and other

areas of historical studies) "may not be phased out of library education, but

if it survives as an esoteric, minor concern, the mediocre level of its instruc

tion, resources and curricular support may be more harmful than good."45

Concern about the quality of historical studies is certainly reflected in the

1989 statement by the Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the

American Library Association. It notes that a "knowledge of history and an understanding of historical methodology are indispensable elements in

the education of library and information professionals" because such

information "provides a necessary perspective for understanding the prin

ciples and practices of library and information science" and strengthens the "research process." The LHRT urged that the "entire curriculum

should be informed by historical contexts." In addition, "a strong his

torical component should be part of any required core curriculum," and

every year "one or more courses devoted specifically to the history of

recording, communicating, organizing, and preserving knowledge, and of the institutions, individuals, and professions engaged in such efforts,"

should be offered. "Historical methodology and historical approaches to

knowledge should be included in the study and discussion of research

methods"; finally, the "use of historical methodology should be encouraged ... to investigate issues and problems in library and information science."46

The potential for improving the quality of library archives and other

programs for the preservation of manuscripts related to the history of

librarianship is there, with the increasing presence of archival education

programs located in American library schools. Of the handful of full-time

archival educators, most are placed in library schools (University of British

Columbia, University of Texas at Austin, University of Maryland, Uni

versity of Pittsburgh, Long Island University, and Catholic University), and all are

working toward improved, multicourse archival education

programs. Not only are these academics preparing individuals who work as

professional archivists, but they are reaching many others who are interested

in archival administration and will work as mainstream librarians in a

variety of settings. These individuals eventually may have opportunities




to influence the creation and development of library archives.47 Many also

possess advanced history degreees, increasing the probability of renewed

attention to the history of libraries and librarianship.

Forging Alliances with Archivists and Records Administrators

The increasing presence of archivists in graduate library schools suggests the second possible route to a more effective preservation of librarianship's

historical records?forging stronger working alliances with archivists and

related records professionals. There is a historical precedent for such a

partnership. Although archivists trace their origins more directly to the

historical profession, there is also a long tradition of connections between

archivists and librarians.48 More recently, the Society of American Archi

vists and the American Library Association have taken steps to increase

their cooperation. SAA has a representative in the group that is revising

accreditation guidelines for education programs. There is a joint ALA/SAA

committee that regularly reviews issues of mutual concern to the two pro

fessions. Finally, SAA has established a working group on library archives

with the purpose of determining ways in which to encourage library insti

tutions to care for their own archival records.

The latter working group relates directly, of course, to the issues raised

here. Although this group was just getting underway when this essay was

being prepared, its chairperson (Robert Martin of Louisiana State Uni

versity) defined the group's main aim?to determine how to raise the

consciousness of the library profession in identifying and preserving its

archival documentation.49 Martin indicated that the working group in

tended to focus on small to medium-sized libraries, at least initially, since

these library institutions seem to be the main ones that lack any effort to

protect their historical records. He thought that academic libraries and

larger research libraries appear to be in better shape in regard to their

archives because of the presence of university archives and greater resources

and capability for historical records programs. Evidence gathered for this

essay certainly suggests that Martin is correct in regard to the academic

libraries. Actions like that taken by the New York Public Library in 1985

to establish a New York Public Library Archives, including an institutional

records management program, also suggest that the larger, more influen

tial, and better-financed public libraries have probably taken steps to

identify and preserve their records of continuing administrative and re

search value.

There are other actions that librarianship can take to build professional

partnerships that will improve the documentation of the profession and

encourage the creation of institutional archives. Working with the Na

tional Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators



587

(NAGARA), an association primarily representing the state archives, could

lead to a new focus on state archives and records management programs'

assistance to local public libraries and state libraries. Preparation of guide lines for the management of such archival materials issued by NAGARA

could stimulate activities in this area that could greatly assist the documen

tation of librarianship on the state and local levels. Similar efforts to per suade the Association of Records Managers and Administrators to focus

here could pay off in the establishment of records management programs

in these institutions. ALA, state library associations, and the archival and

records management associations (national, regional, state, and local)

should be encouraged to offer sessions, seminars, and workshops on the

issue of identifying and preserving the archival records of the library insti

tutions. A period of consciousness-raising might be the most important

step in improving library historical documentation. The Association of

Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) already has special interest groups on archives and records management and preservation,

and these bodies could also contribute to the historical knowledge of librar

ianship through the preservation and administration of the archival records.

Developing a Plan for Documenting American Librarianship

Collecting personal manuscripts and encouraging the development of

institutional archives in librarianship are worthwhile activities in them

selves, but they are better utilized as part of a coherent plan for document

ing librarianship. Through the years archivists have developed many excellent principles and techniques for determining which records should be preserved because of enduring value. More recently archivists have

developed the concept of analytic documentation strategies and planned

approaches to determining which records should be saved or, in some cases,

created in order to document an ongoing issue, activity, or

geographic area. These strategies seek to get archivists and others to determine what

should be documented through an analysis of the issue, activity,

or area

to be documented, an understanding of the documentary problems, and

the development of a formal plan with actions to be taken and actors to be

involved. One significant aspect of the strategy model is its involvement

of records creators, administrators, and users. Another is its emphasis on

the refinement of existing institutional collecting policies and development of new institutional archives as the best means of ensuring that the appro

priate documentation is identified and preserved in a society with an over

abundance of information and limited archival and historical records

repositories.50

Archival documentation strategies seem to have a wide range of potential

applications for librarians. Indeed, they are closely related to library




collection development concepts. The documentation strategies can be used

to enhance the selection of government documents, aid in the identification

of library materials to be preserved, and help provide an increased poten

tial for cooperation between librarians and archivists in providing informa

tion needed by society.51 Their greatest value may be, however, in assisting

librarians to document their own profession. In order to accomplish this,

the strategy model suggests the formation of a national advisory committee

of librarians, library historians, archivists, records managers, and others

with appropriate expertise to determine what aspects of librarianship should be documented. After developing a statement of documentation

priorities and concerns, there needs to be an assessment of the current state

of library documentation. Some of the directories and other sources con

sulted in this essay could be used for this purpose, although some "docu

mentary probes" into specific aspects of librarianship might also be advisable

in order to provide additional information about how well the library

profession and institutions are being documented.52 The other possibility

is, of course, a national survey that seeks some basic information about

library archival holdings in libraries and other repositories and about the

nature of institutional archives in the library community.53 This informa

tion, along with identification of aspects of librarianship that should be

documented, could be used to develop an action agenda that could guide the library and archival professions and to ensure that the history of Ameri

can librarianship has a future.

Notes

1. For example, Ronald R. Powell, Basic Research Methods for Librarians (Nor

wood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing, 1985), chap. 7; and Rolland E. Stevens (ed.), Research Methods in Librarianship: Historical and Bibliographical Methods in Library Research (Urbana: University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science, 1971).

2. Norman D. Stevens, A Guide to Collecting Librariana (Metuchen, N.J.: Scare

crow Press, 1986). 3. The American Library Association and Society of American Archivists are

currently cooperating in the preparation and publication of a basic text on public

library administration of local history sources. An excellent complementary volume

would be one on the management of library archives.

4. The annotated bibliography in Robert L. Clark, Jr. (ed.), Archive-Library

Relations (New York: R. R. Bowker, 1976), pp. 199-212, clearly reflects this bias

in the literature. Of thirty-eight articles, books, and chapters described in this

bibliography, twelve concern basic differences in management of archives and

libraries, ten relations between the two professions, ten the collecting of local ar

chives and manuscripts by libraries, four the education of archivists and librarians,

and two public programming. There is not a single article on the preservation of

library archives. Unfortunately, in the past decade and a half there have been no

significant additions to the literature on this topic. 5. Examples of the ALA's recent concerns in library history include its publication



589

of Neil A. Radford, The Carnegie Corporation and the Development of American College

Libraries, 1928-1941 (Chicago: ALA, 1984); and Redmond Kathleen Molz, National

Planning for Library Service, 1935-1975 (Chicago: ALA, 1984). The ALA's long interest in this topic can be seen in such earlier publications as William Henry

Allison et al. (eds.), A Guide to Historical Literature (New York: Macmillan, 1931); and Martha Conner, Outline of the History of the Development of the American Public

Library (Chicago: ALA, 1931). 6. Evidence for the financial inelasticity of existing archival and historical

records programs is found in the 1985 Society of American Archivists Census of

Archival Institutions. This census revealed large numbers of programs operating with less than $100,000 annually, the majority of these funds being tied up in per sonnel costs. Many of these programs were obviously operating on a marginal level

of existence. See Paul Conway, "Perspectives on Archival Resources: The 1985

Census of Archival Institutions," American Archivist 50 (Spring 1987): 180-181.

7. There are, of course, good reasons why the records of institutions sometimes

must be acquired by a repository collecting historical manuscripts. For an excellent

analysis of this, see David J. Klaassen, "The Archival Intersection: Cooperation between Collecting Repositories and Nonprofit Organizations," Midwestern Archi

vist 15/1 (1990): 25-38. 8. Wayne A. Wiegand, "Library Politics and the Organization of the Biblio

graphical Society of America," JLH 21 (Winter 1986): 131. 9. Larry E. Sullivan, "Books, Power, and the Development of Libraries in the

New Republic: The Prison and Other Journals of John Pintard of New York,"

JLH 21 (Spring 1986): 410. 10. Thomas F. O'Connor, "Collection Development in the Yale University

Library, 1865-1931,"7L// 22 (Spring 1987): 164-189; Ron Blazek, "The Library, the Chautauqua, and the Railroads in DeFuniak Springs, Florida," JLH 22 (Fall

1987): 377-396; and Mark Sandler, "Workers Must Read: The Commonwealth

College Library, 1925-1940," JLH 20 (Winter 1985): 46-67. 11. Jane A. Rosenberg, "Foundation for Service: The 1896 Hearings on the

Library of Congress," JLH 21 (Winter 1986): 107-130; Sarah Jordan Miller, "A Distribution of Books by the Continental Congress: The Nation's Earliest Legisla

tion Addressed to Libraries," JLH 22 (Summer 1987): 294-311; and Wiegand,

"Library Politics."

12. Joanne Passet Bailey, "'The Rule Rather Than the Exception': Midwest

Women as Academic Librarians, 1875-1900," JLH 21 (Fall 1986): 673-692;

Rosemary Ruhig Du Mont, "Race in American Librarianship: Attitudes of the

Library Profession, "JLH 21 (Summer 1986): 488-509; and James V. Carmichael,

Jr., "Atlanta's Female Librarians, 1883-1915," JLH 21 (Spring 1986): 377-399.

13. Joseph Lawrence Yeatman, "Literary Culture and the Role of Libraries in

Democratic America: Baltimore, 1815-1840," JLH 20 (Fall 1985): 345-367; and

Raymond Cunningham, "Historian among the Librarians: Herbert Baxter Adams and Modern Librarianship," JLH 21 (Fall 1986): 704-722.

14. Blazek, "The Library," p. 377.

15. In the 1985 SAA Census, 38 percent of the responses were from academic

archives, more than twice the quantity from the next type of repository (Conway,

"Perspectives on Archival Resources," pp. 178-179). For the nature and growth of

these programs, see Nicholas C. Burkel and J. Frank Cook, "A Profile of College and University Archives in the United States," American Archivist 45 (Fall 1982): 410-428.

16. See Richard J. Cox and Anne S. K. Turkos, "Establishing Public Library




Archives, "JLH 21 (Summer 1986): 574-584, which is a description of an effort to

evaluate the records of this important pioneer urban public library. As stated in

this study, "the body of documentation [on the Pratt] uncovered by the records

survey is a significant one," yet "these records remain scattered throughout the

Pratt system and in their offices of origin" (p. 580). 17. It would be valuable, for example, to examine in greater detail the impact

of various historiographical and methodological approaches on the nature of the

use of library archival sources. The rise of the new social history, black history, and

women's history in the 1960s and 1970s did have some impact on the use of archival

sources and the creation of subject-oriented archives, but there is less evidence that

this new research had any appreciable impact on the establishment of archival

records. See Diane L. Beattie, "An Archival User Study: Researchers in the Field

of Women's History," Archivaria 29 (Winter 1989-1990): 33-50; Jacqueline Goggin, "The Indirect Approach: A Study of Scholarly Users of Black and Women's Or

ganizational Records in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division," Midwestern

Archivist 11/1 (1986): 57-67; and Fredric Miller, "Use, Appraisal, and Research:

A Case Study of Social History," American Archivist 49 (Fall 1986): 371-392. 18. Haynes McMullen, "Prevalence of Libraries in the Northeastern States

before 1S76,"JLH22 (Summer 1987): 312-337; and Haynes McMullen and Larry Barr, "The Treatment of Libraries in Periodicals Published in the United States

before 1876," JLH 21 (Fall 1986): 641-672. 19. See, for example, Arthur Monroe McAnally, "Characteristics of Materials

Used in Research in United States History" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of

Chicago, 1951); Clyve Jones, Michael Chapman, and Pamela Carr Woods, "The

Characteristics of the Literature Used by Historians," Journal of Librarianship 4

(July 1972): 137-156; David Baker, "Characteristics of the Literature Used by English Musicologists," Journal of Librarianship 10 (July 1978): 182-200; Clark A.

Elliott, "Citation Patterns and Documentation for the History of Science: Some

Methodological Considerations," American Archivist 44: (Spring 1981): 131-142; and

Miller, "Use, Appraisal, and Research."

20. Wayne A. Wiegand, The Politics of an Emerging Profession: The American Library

Association, 1876-1917, Contributions in Librarianship and Information Science, no. 56 (New York: Greenwood Press, 1986), pp. x-xi.

21. The quality of research on library history that can be done using such sources

is evident in Dee Garrison's excellent Apostles of Culture: The Public Librarian and

American Society, 1876-1920 (New York: Free Press, 1979). Garrison's study is a

valuable companion to Wiegand's history of the early American Library Associa

tion, and she uses many of the same sources.

22. See Arthur P. Young, American Library History: A Bibliography of Dissertations

and Theses, 3rd rev. ed. (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1988). 23. Sharon McCaslin, "The Development of a University Library: The Univer

sity of Nebraska, 1891-1909" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,

1987); Christine Desjarlais-Lueth, "Brown University and Its Library: A Study of

the Beginnings of an Academic Library" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Illinois

at Urbana-Champaign, 1985); and Edward R. Arnold, "The American Geo

graphical Society Library, Map and Photograph Collection: A History, 1951

1978" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 1985). 24. Betty Boyd Walker, "The History of the Saint Louis Mercantile Library: Its

Educational, Social, and Cultural Contributions" (Ph.D. dissertation, St. Louis

University, 1986). 25. Robin Reed Gault, "The Evolution of Young Adult Services in the Miami



591

Dade Public Library System, 1951-1984: A Historical Case Study" (Ph.D. disser

tation, Florida State University, 1986), p. 58.

26. Amy Grace Job, "Development of the Library Network Structure in New

Jersey from 1964 to 1984: An Historical Analytical Study" (Ph.D. dissertation, Seton Hall University, School of Education, 1987), p. 6.

27. Arthur Clinton Gunn, "Early Training for Black Librarians in the U.S.: A

History of the Hampton Institute Library School and the Establishment of the

Atlanta University School of Library Service" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of

Pittsburgh, 1986). 28. William Joseph Crowe, "Verner W. Clapp as Opinion Leader and Change

Agent in the Preservation of Library Materials" (Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana

University, 1986). 29. Cleo Kosters, "A Critical Analysis of Certification Requirements for School

Librarians in the Fifty States from 1950 to 1985" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of South Dakota, 1986); and Michael J. Waldo, "A Comparative Analysis of

Nineteenth-Century Academic and Literary Society Library Collections in the

Midwest" (Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1985). 30. Haynes McMullen, "Primary Sources in Library Research," in Stevens,

Research Methods in Librarianship, pp. 25-26.

31. Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft (NewYork: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963), pp. 64.

32. The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, published by the Library of Congress over the past thirty years, is another potential source; however, this

reference provides more detailed access to a smaller number of repositories, and

its multivolume format would be clumsy to use. Manuscript collections and archives

in national bibliographic databases, such as RLIN and OCLC, are also more

limited in scope, while providing richer detail. Although these references are impor tant for researchers, they are less useful for a general analysis of the condition of

library archives and relatecj manuscript collections.

33. For a discussion of the origins, mechanics, and limitations of the NHPRC

directories, see Richard A. Noble, "The NHPRC Data Base Project: Building the

'Interstate Highway System,' "

American Archivist 51 (Winter/Spring 1988): 98-105.

34. Consider that there are 9,068 public libraries and 3,376 university and college libraries in the United States {American Library Directory 1989-90, 42nd ed. [New

York: R. R. Bowker, 1989], p. x). 35. Bill M. Woods, "Library Association Archives and Library History," in

Approaches to Library History: Proceedings of the Second Library History Seminar, Florida

State University Library School, Tallahassee, March 4, 5, and 6, 1965, ed. John David

Marshall (Tallahassee: Journal of Library History, 1966), p. 49.

36. Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States, 2nd ed.

(Phoenix/New York: Oryx Press for the National Historical Publications and

Records Commission, 1988), p. 142.

37. Ibid., p. 214.

38. Ibid., p. 472.

39. Ibid., p. 98.

40. Retention and Disposition of Library and Library System Records, Information Leaf

let no. 6 (Albany: New York State Archives and Records Administration, August

1988), p. 4.

41. Assessing Alabama's Archives: A Plan for the Preservation of the State's Historical

Records (Montgomery: Alabama Historical Records Advisory Board, 1985), pp. 178-179.

42. Two recent sources that provide a good glimpse of the elements of archival




and historical records programs are Paul H. McCarthy (ed.), Archives Assessment

and Planning Workbook (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1989); and [Richard

J. Cox and Judy Hohmann,] Strengthening New York's Historical Records Programs: A

Self-Study Guide (Albany: New York State Archives and Records Administration,

1988). 43. This profile is confirmed in the 1985 SAA Census, in which academic reposi

tories represented 38 percent of the reporting institutions and public libraries

represented a part of the "local repositories" category, constituting only 5 percent of the reporting repositories (see Conway, "Perspectives on Archival Resources,"

pp. 178-179). 44. Even in these institutions, however, many university archives have operated

without benefit of universitywide records management programs that allow the

regular retirement of archival records to archival facilities and enable a broader

identification of archival records beyond top levels of the administration hierarchy and the papers of important faculty. William Saffady noted some years ago that

"most college and university archives . . . were originally formed out of collections

of materials used in the preparation of an institutional history for a centennial or

similar anniversary celebration" rather than as a result of an administrative deci

sion to manage records and information (College and University Archives: Selected Read

ings [Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1979], p. 97). Informal conversations

with university archivists have suggested that many university archives still operate with no benefit of a records management program. This is certainly the case at the

University of Pittsburgh. While there is a university archives, there is no university wide records management program. Some of the early records of the School of

Library and Information Science are in the university archives, but most of the

school's records are scattered about in offices, closets, and a basement garage. 45. Lawrence J. McCrank, Education for Rare Book Librarianship: A Reexamination

of Trends and Problems, University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science

Occasional Papers no. 144 (Champaign: GSLS, April 1980), p. 22. See also

Roderick Cave, "Historical Bibliographical Work: Its Role in Library Education,"

Journal of Education for Librarianship 21 (Fall 1980): 109-121. 46. "Statement on History in Education for Library and Information Science,"

Library History Round Table, American Library Association, June 1989.

47. This is strengthened by the fact that archival educators are increasingly interested in teaching historical methods courses because of the lack of such courses

in the history departments. Historical methods courses would provide an additional

source of encouragement for library history research and for the preservation of

sources necessary for conducting such research.

48. See William F. Birdsall, "Archivists, Librarians, and Issues during the

Pioneering Era of the American Archival Movement," JLH 14 (Fall 1979): 457

479; T. R. Schellenberg, The Management of Archives (New York: Columbia Uni

versity Press, 1965), part 1; and Clark, Archive-Library Relations.

49. Conversation with Robert Martin, 29 November 1989.

50. For the literature on documentation strategies, refer to Helen W. Samuels,

"Who Controls the Past," American Archivist 49 (Spring 1986): 109-124; Larry J. Hackman and Joan Warnow-Blewett, "The Documentation Strategy Process: A

Model and A Case Study," American Archivist 50 (Winter 1987): 12-47; Philip N.

Alexander and Helen W. Samuels, "The Roots of 128: A Hypothetical Documen

tation Strategy," American Archivist 50 (Fall 1987): 518-531; and Richard J. Cox, "A Documentation Strategy Case Study: Western New York," American Archivist

52 (Spring 1989): 192-200.



593

51. See Richard J. Cox, American Archival Analysis: The Recent Development of the

Archival Profession in the United States (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1990),

chaps. 10-13.

52. A documentary probe has been defined in an institutional context as "a

product study that generates diverse historical, organizational, and documentary information from all facets of a company in order to aid in the selection of historically

valuable records. A probe uses prior research, interviews, records surveying, and

the description of industrial activity to identify historical issues that should be docu

mented, to ascertain how well those issues are represented by extant documentation, and to identify other areas needing to be documented" (Bruce H. Bruemmer and

Sheldon Hochheiser, The High-Technology Company: A Historical Research and Archival

Guide [Minneapolis: Charles Babbage Institute, Center for the History of Informa

tion Processing, University of Minnesota, 1989], pp. 4-5). The principle of the

probe could be applied to any geographical or topical issue. In the case of librarian

ship, an effort to determine the elements of a national strategy could rely partially on probes in specific components of the profession, such as public or academic

libraries, or on ongoing issues such as federal and state government funding and

support. These probes would provide more detailed information about the current

state of documentation in comparison to documentary needs.

53. Libraries could be asked several questions. Do you have a formal program

(a professional archivist, maintenance in an archival facility, regular identification

and retirement of records to the archival program, guide to the holdings, and oppor

tunity for both internal and external use of the archival materials) for administering the records of your institution that have archival value? If you don't have a formal

archival program, does your institution make an effort to care for its archival

records? Has your institution opted for placement of its archival records in another

archival repository? If so, where have the records been placed and what sort of

arrangement exists for their care and additions? Does your program have a records

management program (formal scheduling of all records, use of a records center or

other temporary holding area, and the effort to manage all records efficiently,

economically, and the like) for the care of its information?



library history and library archives in the united states

Documents