Documenting and Preserving Organizational History

Introduction "Don't Throw It Away! Documenting and Preserving Organizational History," encourages organizations, both large and small, to save and organize their office and project records. This guide is intended to assist staff members and volunteers to prepare a plan for the organization and maintenance of current records and historically important documents. It offers practical advice on records security, how to set up an in-house archives, as well as factors to consider should the organization want to deposit records in an institution. It also discusses the importance of records from the point of view of the organization, community, and researcher's needs. Organizational records not only document the work of an organization. They tell the story of the community and its people, their successes and the issues which they believe to be important. Sandra F. Young, Project Archivist, wrote this guide for community organizations to use as a tool in documenting and preserving their historic past. The "Don't Throw It Away" project, of which the guide is an important component, was funded by the University of Illinois Great Cities Initiative and supported by the University Library and the Women's Studies Program. Gretchen Lagana Associate Professor Special Collections Librarian and Curator of the Jane Addams' Hull House Mary Ann Bamberger Associate Professor Assistant Special Collections Librarian Margaret Strobel Professor Women's Studies Program