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A Brief History of SAA
To be ignorant
of what occurred before
you were born
is to remain always a child.
For what is the worth
of human life,
unless it is woven into
the life of our ancestors
by the records of history?
—Cicero
Introduction
History is not what happened in the past. It is, as the word itself suggests,
a story, written by subsequent generations. The veracity and accuracy
of the account, however, is totally dependent upon the surviving record
at hand—documents, manuscripts, letters, publications, photos, and
memorabilia—from which the story must often be pieced together and
reconstructed, item by item, clue by clue. This is true whether the work
is medical research done by scientists, or a family genealogy sought by
a curious individual. From students to scholars, business professionals
to creative artists, we are all in constant need of access to information,
not only from the past, but of the present. With the rapid increase in
high-tech communications—satellite links, computer modems, e-mail,
and the like—Marshall McLuhan's view of the world as a global village
has shrunk to that of a single, multilingual, multicultural neighborhood.
As a result we are bombarded with information from around the world every
day, buried under an avalanche of paper, inundated with electronic messages.
As individuals, we frequently choose what we need to use at a particular
moment, and discard the rest. But everything we create in the act of communication,
formal or informal—every memo, snapshot, blueprint, magazine article,
cartoon, videotape, radio and television broadcast, or CD-ROM—is
part of a gigantic jigsaw puzzle, forming a picture of our civilization
that changes according to one's perspective and potential use. How much
of that picture will be available for future generations to know us and
learn from us—just as we attempt to reconstruct a picture of the
past for our own enlightenment? Each piece of the puzzle becomes invaluable,
and what is not saved is lost, possibly forever. To whom do we trust the
care and safe-keeping of this treasure?
Archivists have accepted the challenge, and the responsibility, to collect,
preserve, and protect this fragile, constantly changing record of who
we are and what we do. From the smallest shoe box stored in a hall closet
to the voluminous National Archives, documents and memorabilia require
special handling and an awareness of the materials particular value and
possible use. Archivists are trained and experienced to deal with the
various questions and problems which arise in the preservation of such
material. They are able to bring a specialized perspective and an informed
interpretation to decisions concerning the material's worth and usefulness.
They are familiar with the nature and characteristics of all types of
human documentation—from ancient Egyptian papyrus to contemporary
computer e-mail. And archivists understand that within each document is
a drama, behind each letter or photograph is a person. They are safe-guarding
not the residue of our culture, but the immediate and permanent resources
which will define who we are and explain what we did, for posterity.
To accomplish this job an archivist must be part doctor, part scientist.
He or she must keep the body of information healthy and in a functional
capacity, while determining how to best draw out and maximize its inherent
qualities. In order to do this the archivist must first identify and appraise
the value of the material, deciding what to keep and what to dispose of.
The criteria used in this regard is a combination of the material's uniqueness,
usability, and importance. All of these characteristics are variable,
since a document's importance or potential usefulness may not be revealed
for an extended period of time, and as time passes new uses for old records
may emerge. Then the archivist is responsible for preserving the physical
integrity of the material; that is, protecting it from loss, deterioration,
or unauthorized disposal. The next step is organizing the collected material(s)
in a coherent and systematic way. This, in turn, insures its accessibility
to researchers, compilers, analysts, information services, and other potential
users. Finally, the archivist must provide for outreach opportunities
that give the material an ongoing life outside of its safe storage—publications,
exhibits, and other visible displays and applications.
Today, records and relevant materials are created not only from official
governmental management, but as the result of all manner of personal,
social, economic, functional, and symbolic activities of individuals,
organizations, and institutions. These records are used daily in the valuable
research done on behalf of scientific, medical, cultural, scholarly, legal,
and even commercial interests. The development of particular subject areas
and special interest groups—from Civil War buffs to religious convents,
gay and lesbian coalitions to sports statisticians—demand complete,
available records with which to work and to document their purpose. Crucial
information resides in contracts, minutes of meetings, maps, diaries,
account ledgers, and artworks—for example, court transcripts may
explain aspects of our social relationships as well as legal ones, or
a tapestry may illustrate an event otherwise unknown. For these reasons,
archives are vital to maintain the specific detailed information that
would otherwise disappear or be forgotten.
In all of these ways, archivists are able to help us forge a better and
more useful individual and collective memory. To tell the story of our
lives and those of our ancestors in a full, truthful, and unbiased manner,
we need to not only ask What did we do? and How did we do it?, but also
Why did we do it? and What were our thoughts and motivation as we did
it? The answers to such questions are necessary to give depth and texture
to the dry details of existence and fill in the gaps between the known
and the speculative. Though such answers may have their genesis in the
past, the insight they offer is crucial to give meaning and direction
to our future. These answers survive in our archives.
History
From the earliest annals of recorded civilization, archives have served
personal and public, practical and symbolic uses. According to the type,
value, and significance of the documents, the responsibility of maintenance
might fall to scholars, religious figures, or minor government administrators.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, as feudal kingdoms consolidated into
nations and laws began to be codified, precise record keeping became increasingly
necessary and prevalent. Gradually, the changing circumstances of European
society and governments effected the manner in which records were used
and preserved. By the time of the French Revolution it was widely accepted
that records were critical because they protected the rights of the people,
and that such records must be available for public scrutiny and use.
The first settlers in America brought with them the knowledge and practice
of precise record-keeping. Records of marriages, births, and baptisms
were saved by the Church, and often by individual families as well. Hunters
and trappers listed their business transactions, merchants kept track
of sales, homemakers and famous figures alike wrote letters, diaries,
and memoirs, land titles were recorded and filed away for safe-keeping,
and as settlements grew into towns and territories, civic documents increased.
After the Revolutionary War, the first Continental Congress acknowledged
that it was expected to keep official records on behalf of all citizens,
and followed the practices they had learned in Europe. In 1791, the Massachusetts
Historical Society, the first of its kind, was formed to "preserve
the manuscripts of the present day to the remotest ages of posterity."
Similar local and national organizations soon followed, many concerned
with collecting the private papers and memorabilia of famous individuals
in addition to official documents.
Slowly, as more independent historical societies and archival repositories
were created, they began to be even more concerned with the most efficient
ways of preserving their materials. By the early 1800s one Ohio society
developed a manner of protecting its holding in "air-tight metallic
cases, regularly numbered and indexed, so that it may be known what is
in each case without opening it." But each archive had its own system
of organization and storage, with varying degrees of success. It wasn't
until the end of the nineteenth century that common archival theories
and practices were shared among many separate societies and associations,
ultimately leading to the formation of a distinct archival profession
in the United States. The American Historical Association, created in
1884, took as its major focus the development of standardized systems
of archival organization, by helping to foster interaction between the
various independent archives. The AHA spawned several subgroups such as
the Historical Manuscripts Commission, the Public Archives Commission
and, in 1909, a Conference of Archivists. This latter group met annually
and worked to establish new archives and to promote and improve those
already in existence. During the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's
Works Progress Administration created the Historical Records Survey and
the Survey of Federal Archives, and then, in 1934, Congress established
the National Archives as an independent federal agency.
Society of American Archivists
Perhaps inevitably, as a result of the greater governmental recognition
and support which archival activity was receiving at this time, the members
of the Conference of Archivists realized that a distinction needed to
be made between historians and scholars, who used the archival materials,
and archivists, who were responsible for the material's care, organization,
and management. They believed that their field was a particular science
for which a professional association was needed, in order to continue
the growth and advancement of the profession. The Society of American
Archivists (SAA) was founded in December of 1936, "...to promote
sound principles of archival economy and to facilitate cooperation among
archivists and archival agencies." A more democratic body than its
predecessor, it opened its ranks not just to directors of large archival
institutions, but to all "who are or have been engaged in the custody
or administration of archives or historical manuscripts." This included
archives of all sizes and orientation, from small private and business
archives to large historical collections.
Once born, SAA acted quickly. A president, A.R. Newsome, and a board
of directors were elected by its initial 124 individual and four institutional
members. In its first full year membership increased to 243 archivists
and institutions, and SAA began the practice of holding an annual convention,
at which professional papers were delivered, information was exchanged,
and philosophies of archival organization discussed. At this June 1937
convention, President Newsome outlined a course for SAA which has been
followed to the present day: "to become the practical self-help agency
of archivists for the solution of their complex problems" and "to
strive to nationalize archival information and technique;" to seek
"the solution of archival problems involving external relations with
all archival agencies, with learned societies, and with the public;"
and "to encourage the development of a genuine archival profession
in the United States" in which SAA would "set training standards
and advance archival administration through its meetings and publications."
Primary among these publications was the Society's journal of record,
the American Archivist, whose
premiere issue appeared in January 1938.
Volunteer members ran SAA under a tight economy during the final years
of the Great Depression and the period of World War II. At war's end,
SAA supported the formation of the International Council on Archives in
order to encourage and facilitate exchanges between foreign and domestic
archives.
Starting in the 1950s, SAA became an advocate and focal point for the
development of professional standards, and as early as the 1960s started
sharing information on how to address the challenge of managing computer-generated
records. In the 1970s SAA issued the first of a series of guidelines for
graduate archival education, began offering continuing education and workshops
on archival techniques and management, and published the first of several
basic manuals covering archival procedures. SAA membership grew considerably
in the 1970s and early 1980s, and numerous special-interest groups (sections
and roundtables) were formed within the Society to address the diversity
of employing institutions and professional interests of SAA's members.
From the beginning, SAA's strength and source of growth has been the
volunteer efforts of its members, who are passionately dedicated to their
profession. But by the early 1970s, the administrative needs of the organization
had grown to the point where it was necessary to hire an Executive Director,
and to establish a national headquarters office. The Executive Director
now oversees a staff of 12 and a budget of $1.2 million.
SAA developed a strategic plan in 1993 to define the organization's direction
and purpose: In recent years, SAA's governing Council has been re-examining
the strategic priorities of the organization in light of changes in society
and the profession. Among the most important current priorities, in addition
to providing core membership services (such as annual meetings and publications)
are: to develop a strategy to expand and promote membership to defined
constituencies and specialty segments within the archival community; to
further develop and refine continuing education offerings, including exploring
distance learning options; and to increase external funding support to
the organization.
Advocacy in the public policy arena has become an increasingly important
trend for SAA's leadership. During the last decade, SAA officers and leaders
have provided testimony to Congress and interacted with government leaders
on issues ranging from the qualifications of nominees for Archivist of
the United States, to citizens' rights to access records of former presidents
and other elected officials, to intellectual property issues. SAA today
numbers approximately 3,100 individual and 500 institutional members,
and maintains offices in Chicago's South Loop. SAA supports efforts that
use the latest advances in information technology to provide greater access
to data, and to promote the value of archives and archivists.
Policies
With its 1993 strategic plan, Leadership and Service in the 1990s,
SAA created a statement which defines the organization's direction and
purpose for the present as well as the immediate future.
Mission: The Society of American Archivists serves the educational
and informational needs of its members and provides leadership to help
ensure the identification, preservation, and use of the nation's historical
record.
To fulfill this mission the Society of American Archivists will:
Goal 1: Exert active leadership on significant archival issues
by shaping policies and standards, building effective coalitions, and
improving public awareness of the value of archives.
Goal 2: Provide opportunities for continuing professional growth
and promote high quality in archival education programs offered by SAA
and other organizations and institutions.
Goal 3: Position SAA to lead the archival profession in advancing
electronic records issues and represent the interests of the profession
in shaping policies and accepting practices for identifying, preserving,
and using electronic records.
Goal 4: Increase SAA's overall effectiveness as an organization
by improving its structure, methods of communication, and financial
base to accomplish the Society's mission and to achieve its strategic
goals and objectives.
Services
Foremost among SAA's many activities are services the Society provides
to members. These include:
- helping to improve the environment and conditions under which archivists
work through employment opportunities and career development, salary
and benefit surveys;
- networking strategies and a membership directory; providing ongoing
educational support through publications and training manuals;
- continuing education workshops and mentor programs; and
- acting as an advocate—in both governmental and public opinion
forums—on behalf of archivists in such key issues as intellectual
property, copyright and fair use, the declassification or destruction
of federal records, abuses of privacy and confidentiality, the Freedom
of Information Act, and others which affect archivists ability to function
in a fair, professional, and successful manner.
The core of SAA's service component is divided into three parts: sections,
standing committees, and roundtables.
The sections reflect particular areas of interest and expertise for SAA
members, and they include Acquisitions and Appraisal, Archivists of Religious
Collections, Business Archives, College and University Archives, Description,
Electronic Records, Government Records, Manuscript Repositories, Museum
Archives, Oral History, Preservation, Reference, Access and Outreach,
and Visual Materials. Each section publishes its own newsletter and offers
meetings, seminars, and an exchange of relevant information and ideas.
Standing committees offer assistance and support in areas of organizational
activity and special interest, such as Archival Information Exchange,
Awards, Selection of SAA Fellows, Education,
Ethics and Professional Conduct, Annual Meeting Hosts, Institutional
Evaluation and Development, International Archival Affairs, Legal and
Legislative
Affairs, Membership, Nominations, Annual Meeting Programs, Public Information,
and Status of Women.
Roundtables are groups which address diverse areas of concern and serve
members in a more informal capacity, for example, Archivists and Archives
of Color, Architectural Records, Archival Educators, Archival History,
Archives Management, Art and Architecture Thesaurus, Congressional Papers,
Labor Archives, Lesbian and Gay Archives, Local Government Records, Visual
Materials Cataloging and Access, On-Line Computer Library Center (OCLC)
Users, Performing Arts, Privacy and Confidentiality, Recorded Sound, Records
Management, Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) Users, Science,
Technology and Health Care, Women's Collections, and Women's Religious
Archives.
SAA is proud of its efforts to improve and facilitate the training of
future archivists as well as provide continuing education opportunities
to those currently engaged in the profession. In 1994 they established
standards and curriculum guidelines for archival education in graduate
school programs where no such programs had previously existed. These guidelines
were reviewed and replaced by the Guidelines
for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies in 2002. Overview committees
constantly monitor the educational programs and support materials SAA
offers in order to ensure their quality and effectiveness. Workshops,
ranging from beginning level to advanced courses, are presented at various
sites around the country. Workshops address such topics as: "Sound
and Light: Administration of Sound Recording and Moving Image Materials
in Archives," "Digital Imaging Technology," and the newly
developed Descriptive Standards Institute.
SAA's annual meeting alone typically
presents more than 85 educational sessions, seminars, and topical workshops.
SAA also acts as a distributor for more than 120 quality books and publications
of specific interest to archivists, as well as publishing its own valuable
series of books, pamphlets, and manuals.
Moreover, as new interactive technologies continue to expand the nature
and scope of communication and the exchange of information, SAA is poised
at the forefront of the electronic frontier, helping to establish the
new criteria and methodology necessary for the creation, retrieval, preservation,
and accessibility of computer records and less formal documents alike.
With the advent of CD-ROM storage and distribution of records, plus online
libraries and archival collections on the Internet, there is a greater
opportunity for public and private use of archival material than ever
before. SAA is in position to represent the best interests of both the
caretakers of such material—archivists—and those who stand to
benefit most from its availability: scholars, administrators, and the
public. SAA's work to explore and expand the potential for all types of
electronic archives and recordkeeping systems will continue well on into
the twenty-first century.
SAA has published numerous books and pamphlets on various archival topics,
most notably, the Archival Fundamental Series—seven titles
which provide a foundation for modern archival theory and practice. These
volumes are intended to strengthen and augment the knowledge and skills
of archivists who are performing a wide range of duties in all types of
archival and manuscript repositories. This series, along with other SAA-produced
publications and a multitude of related titles from other publishers,
is available through SAA. A catalog of titles is published annually and
is available upon request in both print and electronic formats.
In addition, SAA regularly publishes several periodicals to keep members
informed on topics of vital concern. They are:
American Archivist
As journal of record for SAA, The American Archivist provides
a forum for North American archival professionals to discuss trends
and issues in archival theory and practice both in the United States
and abroad through essays, case studies, in-depth perspectives, and
reviews of recent books.
Archival Outlook
SAA's bimonthly newsletter updates members on SAA business and the
work of the governing Council, committees, and task forces. It also
reports on national, regional, and international archival new, as well
as details upcoming events, awards, educational offerings, and lists
position announcements.
Various Section Newsletters
These newsletters update and report upon the work of SAA sections.
SAA Membership Directory
A listing of names, institutional affiliations, telephone, fax, and
e-mail addresses of SAA members. Geographic listings and an index of
members by employer as well as a membership roster for SAA sections
are included.
SAA Directory of Archival
Education in the United States and Canada
A listing of graduate and continuing archival education in the U.S.
and Canada published every other year.
SAA Employment Bulletin
Keeps members abreast of employment opportunities nationwide and is
published bi-monthly.
Future
The course of life does not change arbitrarily, it evolves. Innovations
do not occur in a vacuum, but are informed by an awareness of the past
and are inspired by a vision of the future. The role of archivists has
evolved dramatically during the twentieth century, due to an expanded
awareness of the value of documents and materials, a growth in the diversification
of subjects requiring archival administration, advances in technologies,
and an ever-increasing demand for information of all kinds.
Along the way, new categories of data and types of storage offer new
problems to be solved, questions to be answered. If the majority of humankind's
collective knowledge is to become computerized—or eventually redefined
by some technology not yet known—how will this affect our access
to and understanding of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that forms the
complete picture of our civilization? After all, aren't computers merely
another kind of storage container for documents, in some sense no different
from those "air-tight metallic containers" used in Ohio in the
early 1800s? Or do they offer a fundamental challenge to the way we work,
think, and relate to one another?
In 1950, Waldo Gifford Leland wrote in the American Archivist,
"The ultimate purpose of the preservation and efficient administration
of public records goes far beyond the improvement of administrative processes
and the facilitation of the public business. The ultimate purpose is to
make it possible for our present generation to have enduring and dependable
knowledge of its past, and for future generations to have such knowledge
of their past, of which our present is a part . . . . It is in the high
ideals and purposes of scholarship and in its concern for the public good
that the archivist must find. . . motives and seek. . . inspiration."
Time present and time past
are both perhaps present in time future.
And time future contained in time past.
—T.S. Eliot
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