Central New York Library Resources Council

Documenting Community Organizations

Prepared by the Central New York Library Resources Council Documentary Heritage Committee 1993.

INTRODUCTION

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In 1831-32 a young Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States. Like many Europeans of his day, he was fascinated to learn about this new country across the Atlantic. He published his observations in a famous book, Democracy in America.
One of the things which de Tocqueville found especially interesting in the United States was a fondness for forming associations for all sorts of purposes. He wrote, "The power of the association has reached its highest degree in America. Associations are made for the purposes of trade, and for political, literary and religious interests. It is never by recourse to a higher authority that one seeks success, but by appeal to individual powers working in concert."
The same is no less true today. Think how many organizations to which you currently belong - religious or charitable, hobby or recreational, educational or scientific, community or neighborhood, business or professional. And, if your mail is typical, nearly every day you receive invitations to join more: to further political candidates or causes, to preserve landmarks or endangered species, or to join with others to share interests in a thousand- and-one other subjects.
Many organizations to which Americans belong are national or even world-wide in scope. Others serve only particular states, counties or local communities. With their variety of purposes these organizations add texture and variety to a community's heritage. A knowledge of that heritage, provided by written documentation as well as oral tradition, proves valuable to members of the organization, to historians and to the community itself. This booklet offers an introduction to keeping and documenting the history of community organizations.

Why Keep History?

Whether an organization is a church, a scout troop, a support group, a volunteer fire department, a softball league, or a hobby club, it makes history with everything it does. Whether an organization has been organized for 100 years or for just a few months, it has a history. Whether an organization's purpose is charitable, educational, religious, or recreational, it generates historical documents.
A historical document is any item which can convey information about past human activity. We tend to think of "documents" in terms of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or even diplomas, licenses, deeds and certificates. "Documents" can, however, encompass a much wider assortment of papers or other items. Whatever the size or scope of an organization, there are documents which record its history such as:

a charter or articles of incorporation indicating when and by whom it was founded,
a constitution and bylaws telling its purpose and organizational structure,
minutes of meetings recording details of activities accomplished and issues dealt with,
financial records including not only details of income and expenses, but a sense of how the organization directs its efforts,
bulletins, newsletters, programs, and other publications announcing the organization's activities and concerns,
newspaper clippings, photographs sound or video recordings documenting organization history,
and for some, payroll records, building plans or other information.

It should be the responsibility of someone in every organization to systematically save and preserve these documents in an orderly fashion for future reference. This job can be given to a historian, secretary, president, director, or manager, but it should be a clearly designated responsibility.
Written documents will be needed to supplement and clarify an organization's oral tradition. In organizations where the founding members are no longer active, the written documents are the sole source of information about the purposes, intentions and activities of the organization. Common inquiries about the organization can be answered in the historical documents:

When was the organization (or chapter) established?
Who were the charter members?
Who have been the presidents (or the award winners, or the committee chairs)?
What programs or activities have the organization sponsored? (and When? and Who were the speakers?)
When was the organization directory first published?

Adequate historical records, well organized and readily accessible, can provide information for the organization's decision making. The documentation can:

provide an impartial "organizational memory" to resolve legal or other disputes,
facilitate accountability to members, parent organizations or regulatory bodies,
help avoid re-inventing the wheel and duplication of effort, thereby saving time, effort and money,
assist in planning for organizational anniversaries or special events,
help to instill pride in past accomplishments and inspire future improvements,
identify long term members, volunteers, contributors for recognition,
and measure the organization's growth and development.

What Records to Keep

Whether the organization has an established historical documents (archives) collection or an unorganized pile of papers, knowing which records are likely to be of permanent value will help the person designated as historian to cope with current documents. Keeping the documents of an organization consists of:

sorting and organizing,
eliminating duplicates and non-essentials,
and planning policies and procedures for storage and
preservation of vital documents.

The historian will also add value by, whenever possible, making sure that items are dated and that photographs and audiovisual materials are identified with who, what, where, and when.
Community organizations that are affiliated with state, regional, national, or international organizations should seek guidance from their parent organizations in keeping important records. In general, a local organization should keep records of the local chapter's activities and membership and the national organization should keep records of national activities, publications, etc.
Many records that are updated frequently (such as membership lists, volunteer lists, or contributor lists) are kept on computer for easier manipulation and retrieval. The organization historian should request a printed copy for the permanent files on a regular basis.
There are two general categories of records created by organizations: permanent items of lasting value and temporary items. There are usually a greater number of items in the second category.

Permanent records of lasting value

General Files

Operating documents such as the Charter, Constitution and Bylaws, including all amendments and revisions
Minutes of membership business meetings
Membership lists
Procedures Manuals
Organizational histories such as anniversary publications
Awards, Memorials and Citations with accompanying documentation
Photographs, audio or video cassettes, films, etc of organizational activities
Publicity such as clippings or articles about the organization or its membership
Obituaries of past or present officers, directors, etc.

Board Files

Rosters of trustees, officers, committee chairs, etc.
Minutes of board meetings
Officer's files (arranged by year) including annual and special reports, important correspondence, budget and income/expense reports
Committee files (arranged alphabetically by committee, and by year)

Special Files

Projects such as workshops or conferences, jointly sponsored activities, community service projects, championships or honors
Building or property records such as deeds, surveys, architectural drawings, etc.
Publications such as bulletins, newsletters, membership directories, etc. (keep 2-5 copies of each)
Reports or important correspondence of liaisons with other
organizations
Memorabilia such as awards, t-shirts, products used for fund raising, anniversary
celebrations, etc.

Temporary Records
These may usually be discarded after a brief period unless they are the only records left.

Accounting/Bank statements
Acknowledgments
Announcements of meetings
Applications
Ballots
Bills
Budget work papers
Canceled checks
Casual memoranda
Invoices
Manuscript versions of publications, articles or published speeches
Maps unrelated to the organization or its property
Payroll notices
Receipts
Reservations and confirmations
Routine correspondence (Requests, Thank you notes, etc)
Sales literature
Schedules
Shorthand notes
Tickets
Time books and records
Vouchers

Making Choices

There are a number of choices an organization can make to insure that its historical documents are preserved for the future. It can:

create and maintain its own archives,
donate records to an existing archival or local history collection or to the headquarters or archives of a parent organization.

Before making the decision on where to keep the organization's documents, the group should consider the space, preservation, and staffing costs of keeping records and the need to have the records accessible for use and reference.

Historical documents should be kept in a secure and permanent place that is dry and reasonably climate controlled for protection from deterioration. Extremes of temperature (hot or cold) and humidity (dampness or dryness) should be avoided. Most attics are too hot and many basements and garages are too damp to store paper, photos and tapes.

If an organization has a building, is there a adequate space where records can be filed and used? Is there a plan of action in case of fire, flood or natural disaster? Is there someone who can organize and file the records, prepare indexes or inventories of what is there, and retrieve and copy items when they are needed?

If an organization has no building, is there space in another building? If records are stored at a place of business, is there space in or near the office of the person responsible for those records? If a member must store records at home, is there space in a first or second floor closet or spare room? If records are stored at a member's place of business or home, are new records filed and are the records available for use?

If an organization plans to donate its documents to an archival collection or to a parent organization, will the documents be readily available? Can copies of some documents be kept locally, while originals are stored in an archives? Are the location and hours convenient for access to the documents? Are there records that require access more than once or twice a year? These should be kept with current records until their use is less frequent.

An organization may want to seek additional information or the advice of an archivist in making these choices. Resources listed in this booklet may help. An organization's records are important historical documents that deserve protection. Keep them safe for the future.

Resources

Basic Bibliography

The following brief guide includes selected reliable sources that offer concise and practical advice for the person whose responsibilities include the care and arrangement of an organization's documents. Many of the resources include their own bibliographies. All of these materials are available through interlibrary loan or directly through the Documentary Heritage Program of the Central New York Library Resources Council (CLRC).

Archives and You: The Benefits of Historical Records. State University of New York, New York State Archives and Records Administration, 1990.
A 12 page introduction to the importance of historical records in contemporary society.
Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts by Frederic M. Miller. Society of American Archivists, 1990.
A detailed introduction to organizing historical documents, part of the Archival Fundamentals series.
Let the Record Show: Practical Uses for Historical Documents, New York State Archives and Records Administration, 1989.
A 15 minute videotape introducing the importance of historical documents in contemporary life, can be used with Archives and You.
A Manual for Small Archives. Association of British Columbia Archivists, 1988.
A loose leaf manual with a great deal of practical information for the person responsible for historical documents.
Understanding Archives and Manuscripts by James M. O'Toole. Society of American Archivists, 1990.
A detailed introduction to the importance of keeping history including a chapter on the Archivist's Tasks: Responsibilities and Duties, part of the Archival Fundamental Series.

Organizations

Documentary Heritage Program
Central New York Library Resources Council
6493 Ridings Roadt, Syracuse NY 13206
phone: 315/446-5446 Fax: 315/446-5590

web site: http://www.clrc.org

In addition to the resource collection for loan, the DHP Regional Archivist is available for telephone & on-site consultations. Information on suppliers of archival library materials is also available.

County Historical Societies

Herkimer County Historical Society, 400 North Main Street, Herkimer, NY 13350
Madison County Historical Society, PO Box 415, Oneida, NY 13421
Oneida County Historical Society, 1608 Genesee Street, Utica, NY 13502
Onondaga Historical Association, 311 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 13202
Rome Historical Society, 200 Church Street, Rome, NY 13440

In addition to the county historical societies, many central New York towns and villages also have historical societies and public libraries with collections of interest to their communities.
Lake Ontario Archives Conference
LOAC is an organization of historians and archivists that meets once a year for workshops and information sharing. Contact LOAC secretary, Pat Virgil at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court, Buffalo, NY 14216, to be added to the mailing list.
New York State Archives and Records Administration, Cultural Education Center, 10A46, Albany NY 12230, Phone: 518/473-8037
New York State Archives and Records Administration, Local Government Records Bureau Region V, 207 Genesee Street Room 1400, Utica, NY 13501, Phone: 315/793-2780 Fax: 315/793-2782
The regional office offers workshops and technical assistance on records management for town, village, school district and other local government agencies.
Northeast Document Conservation Center, 100 Brickstone Square, Andover MA 01810, phone: 508-470-1010
NEDCC offers technical advice, contractual services and training in the conservation of historical materials. "Preserving Family Documents: Helpful Hints from the Northeast Document Conservation Center" is probably the best summary for the general public of preservation measures.
Society of American Archivists, 600 S Federal Street, Suite 504, Chicago IL 60605 Phone: 312/922-0140 Fax: 312/347-1452
The SAA offers a free publications catalog and a small brochure "Who is the I in Archives?"

Acknowledgments

Documentary Heritage Program

The state-wide Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) is administered by the New York State Archives and Records Administration, which aims to help improve the documentation of New York State's historical development, and works to raise awareness of the importance of historical records in New York State.
The DHP promotes projects for the documentation of the twentieth century in upstate New York communities. Services of the DHP include a newsletter and workshops on topics such as "Basic of Archives" to provide training for part-time and volunteer staffs of libraries, archives and historical societies. The DHP-funded Regonal Archivist for the CLRC region is headquartered at the Central New York Library Resources Council in Syracuse, and provides technical assistance, workshops, and access to a reference library.

For more information, please contact:
Susan Hughes, Regional Archivist
CLRC
6493 Ridings Road
Syracuse, NY 13206
E-mail
(315) 446-5446

Central New York Library Resources Council

The Central New York Library Resources Council, familiarly known as CLRC, has facilitated resource sharing among libraries since 1967. It is one of nine Reference and Research Library Resources (3Rs) Councils in New York State. CLRC serves libraries and library systems in Madison, Oneida, Herkimer, and Onondaga Counties. Council programs for the preservation of library and archival materials and for Documentary Heritage include not only libraries, but archives and historical societies in the region.

© 2007 Central New York Library Resources Council
6493 Ridings Road, Syracuse, New York 13206
Voice: 315/446-5446 | Fax: 315/446-5590