or the challenges in organizing and describing the records of an evolving organization

1

OR

The Challenges in Organizing and Describing the Records of

an Evolving Organization

Home Economics – More Than Meets The Eye

2

Acronym alert!

AAFCS =American Association of Family and

Consumer Sciences

AHEA =American Home Economics Association

3

Brief history of the AAFCS AAFCS activities Cornell-AAFCS connections Processing the collection Other collection-related work

AAFCS Historical Collection Processing Project

4

The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

(AAFCS)

Formerly the American Home Economics Association

Headquartered in the metro Washington, D.C. area

10,000+ members “AAFCS strives to improve the quality and

standards of individual and family life by providing educational programs, influencing public policy, and through communication.”

5

Originated from the Lake Placid Conferences, 1899-1908

Group of 11 “Founders” headed by Ellen Richards

AHEA officially established in 1909 700 charter members; 1200+ at the

end of 1909; nearly 20,000 by 1949 Growth = Change

AAFCS – the Beginning

6

Annual meeting

s

Headquarters

Council

AssemblySenate

Executive Cmte

Executive Bd.

Bd. of Trustees

Bd. of Directors

Officers

Committees Sections

& Divisions

Student groups

Affiliated orgs.

AHEA Foundatio

n

Center for the Family

Bd. of Truste

es

State Associations

UnitsAccreditati

on

Certification

Projects and

Programs

Members

7

Key Sources of Published History

The AHEA Saga by Keturah Baldwin (1949)

AHEA - A History of Excellence by Helen Pundt (1980)

Lake Placid Conference proceedings (1899-1908, 1973)

Bulletin of the AHEA (1912-42) Journal of Home Economics (1909-present)

8

9

10

Association Activities

Public affairs Consumer interests and standards International relations and programs Education Assistance in times of need

11

(a few) Cornell-AAFCS Connections Martha van Rensselaer Flora Rose Flemmie Kittrell Helen Canoyer Gwendolyn Newkirk Carol Anderson Francille Firebaugh

F. Rose & M. van Rensselaer, ca. 1920

12AHEA bumper sticker

AAFCS Historical Collection Project

13

Project Background

3-year project began in October 2004 Funded by the AAFCS Purposes:

To organize and preserve the historical records of AAFCS

To assist the organization in leveraging its history to celebrate its centennial

14

The AAFCS Collection

About 400 cubic feet Over 500 boxes Materials from late 1800s

to mid 1990s Includes paper records,

scrapbooks, books, videotapes, films, slideshows, photographs, textiles, and other interesting items

15

The Challenges of Archival Processing

What is it? Why is it there? Where does it go?

Future challenge How do we save it?

16

What is it?

The original box list At least there was a list But sometimes vague or inaccurate

The survey – one box at a time Verifying collection contents Identifying potential preservation problems

17

Why is it there?

Are these materials together for a reason?

Is there a common source? Do we need to keep it all?

Archival appraisal – deciding research/historical value, not monetary value

Disposition of published materials

18

Where does it go?

The ideal of original order Arrangement into series The process of sorting Information management tools

Database Reports generated from the database

19

Microsoft Access database

20

Microsoft Word table (generated from Access database)

21

Additional Responsibilities

Records management More boxes?! Working with Headquarters staff

Assisting researchers In person, and via e-mail and telephone Dean’s Fellowship in the History of Home

Economics and Nutrition http://www.human.cornell.edu/che/Fellowship/index.cfm

22

Additional Responsibilities (cont’d)

Donor relations National Headquarters Individual members

Presentations and events AAFCS conference, Minneapolis, June 2005 Donor event, Ithaca, October 2005

23

AAFCS Donor Event, October 2005 - (L to R) Jennie Kitching, Francille Firebaugh, Sharon Nickols, Peggy Meszaros, Marjorie East, Queen Bowman, Carol Anderson, Sarah Keen, and Sarah Thomas

24

Future happenings

AAFCS conference, June 2006 Society of American Archivists

conference presentation, August 2006The Politics of Petticoats: The American

Home Economics Association and National Standards for Textile Fabrics

Lake Placid Centennial, 2008 AAFCS Centennial, 2009

25

Questions?

For further information, please contact:Sarah Keen, AAFCS Project Archivistsek38@cornell.edu