Ask a Curator Day

September 1, 2010 is "Ask a Curator Day," a one-time worldwide Question & Answer event on Twitter. Modelled on the successful Follow a Museum event on February 1, 2010, users of Twitter can post questions to participating curators of art, history, science, and other collections at #askacurator. A list of individuals and institutions from over 20 countries available for questions can be viewed here.

New Consortium for History of Medicine Finding Aids

The History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the release of its prototype History of Medicine Finding Aids Consortium, a search-and-discovery tool for archival resources in the health sciences that are described by finding aids and held by various institutions throughout the United States.

The new resource crawls existing Web content managed by partner institutions, provides keyword search functionality, and provides results organized by holding institution. Links point to the holding institution's Web sites. Formats indexed consist of HTML, PDF and Encoded Archival Description XML. The project does not include content held in bibliographic utilities or other database-type information. Crawls are conducted monthly to ensure information is current and to capture new content as it is released.

Current Consortium partners are:

-- NLM History of Medicine Division, Archives and Modern Manuscripts Program
-- Columbia University Health Center Library Archives and Special Collections
-- Medical Archives of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
-- University of California-San Francisco Library Archives and Special Collections
-- University of Virginia Health Sciences Library Historical Collections
-- Virginia Commonwealth University Tompkins-McCaw Library Special Collections and Archives

NLM's History of Medicine Division invites libraries, archives and museums which include in their collections archival materials related to the history of medicine and health sciences to join.

For more information about the project or requests to join the Consortium, please contact John P. Rees, Archivist and Digital Resources Manager, NLM, at reesj@nlm.nih.gov, or visit the Consortium's web site.

Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Fellowship

The Moody Medical Library of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is pleased to offer the Truman G. Blocker, Jr. Fellowship to support research related to the history of medicine conducted at the Moody Medical Library.

The Truman G. Blocker, Jr. Fellowship will provide between $2,000 and $4,000 per year to support travel, lodging and incidental expenses for the period between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. Upon completion the recipient will deliver a paper at the University of Texas Medical Branch outlining the research, provide an expense report and a copy of the final research product. The University of Texas Medical Branch also reserves the right to post excerpts from the work, a photograph and biographical material of the Fellow on its website.

The fellowship proposal must demonstrate that the Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections contain resources central to the proposed topic. These collections consist of over 18,000 titles and 10,000 pamphlets and reprints documenting the development of Western medicine and allied sciences. The Moody Medical Library's holdings of books printed prior to 1501 place it among the top medical sciences libraries in the United States. Collection strengths include fundamental and secondary works in anatomy and surgery, anesthesiology, immunology, and occupational medicine. The Titus Harris Collection of the History of Psychiatry maintains over 4,500 volumes and is considered one of the most comprehensive accumulations of works on the subject.

The archival collections housed at the Moody Medical Library are among the largest and most significant in the history of the biomedical sciences in the southern United States. These collections provide records of state and national organizations, and professional societies in medicine and related fields in addition to the private and professional papers of University of Texas Medical Branch faculty, staff, students and alumni. An inclusive list of these archives may be found at the Texas Archival Resources Online website.

While preference will be given to applicants who live beyond commuting distance of Galveston, all are encouraged to apply, including graduate students. Applicants should submit a fellowship proposal outlining the subject and objectives of the research project and historical materials to
be used, (not to exceed 2 pages), a project budget including travel, lodging and research expenses, curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation by November 1st, 2010. Award decisions will be made by December 1st, 2010.

Applications should be mailed to:

Robert O. Marlin IV, Archivist
Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections
Moody Medical Library
University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77555-1035

Guide to the History of Medicine and the Health Sciences

A guide to selected resources in the history of medicine and the health sciences is available at the Special Collections web site at UNC Health Sciences Library; a PDF version is also available for download. While not a comprehensive compendium, the guide contains links to scores of useful tools and research materials at UNC and at other institutions around the United States and abroad. Organized by section, it covers the following areas of interest:

— Professional & Scholarly Associations
— Libraries
— Online & Print Catalogs
— Classification Schemes & Catalog Searching
— Digital Collections
— Online Exhibitions
— Aggregator Sites
— Listservs & Blogs
— Bookdealers, Antiquarians & Auction Houses
— Dissertations
— Oral Histories
— Museums
— Archives & Manuscripts
— UNC Special Collections
— UNC Online Resources & Guides
— Online Journals
— Selected Books & References
— Digitization
— Preservation & Conservation
— Book Collecting
— Information Management
— Funding & Opportunities

A guide to researching Public Health at UNC is available online as well.

National Archives Solicits Input on Open Government Plan

The Open Government Directive of December 8, 2009 was issued to promote new lines of communication and cooperation between the Federal government and the American people. To meet the goals of Open Government, each Federal agency is creating an Open Government Plan. The National Records and Archives Administration (NARA) is soliciting public input on how it can promote transparency, participation, and collaboration.

Comments can be made via the following forums by March 19, 2010:

:: Open Government Idea Forum
:: NARAtions Blog
:: E-mail: opengov@nara.gov

NARA's Open Government Plan will be released on April 6, 2010 and made available online.

Research Fellowships for the History of Women in Medicine at Countway Library

The Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine is pleased to offer two fellowships to support research related to the history of women in medicine at the Countway Library's Center for the History of Medicine and its Archives for Women in Medicine.

The Foundation will provide two $2000 grants to support travel, lodging, and incidental expenses for a flexible period between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011. In return, the Foundation requests a one page report and a copy of the final product as well as the ability to post excerpts from the paper/project, as well as a photo and bio of the Fellow on its website.

Foundation Fellowships are offered for research related to the history of women in medicine. Preference will be given to projects that deal specifically with women physicians or other health workers or medical scientists, but proposals dealing with the history of women’s health issues may also be considered.

The fellowship proposal should demonstrate that the Countway Library has resources central to the research topic. Preference will also be given to those who are using collections from the Archives for Women in Medicine, but research on the topic of women in medicine using other material from the Countway Library will be considered. Preference will be given to applicants who live beyond commuting distance of the Countway, but all are encouraged to apply, including graduate students.

Applicants should submit a proposal (no more than two pages) outlining the subject and objectives of the research project, length of residence, historical materials to be used, and a project budget (including travel, lodging, and research expenses), along with a curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendations by March 1st, 2010. The decision should be made by May 1st, 2010.

Applications should be submitted to:

Foundation Research Fellowships
Archives for Women in Medicine
Center for the History of Medicine
Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
10 Shattuck Street
Boston, MA 02115

Celebrating the North Carolina Record

As archives throughout the nation celebrate American Archives Month in October, the North Carolina State Archives offers programs and activities reflecting our state theme, “Celebrating the North Carolina Record,” during North Carolina Archives Week, October 19-25, 2009. All activities are FREE and will take place in the North Carolina State Archives Building, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.

:: Home Movie Day
Saturday, October 17; 1:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m.
Location: State Archives Building, Auditorium, 1st Floor
Home Movie Day is a celebration of amateur home movies created by individuals, families, or groups. Join us in Raleigh to view the movies that reflect our own cultural perceptions. Bring your own family films to share (8mm, super8 and 16mm—sorry, no video). Sponsored bythe State Archives, North Carolina State University Film Studies Program, and A/V Geeks.

:: Exhibit: “Extraordinary People in Ordinary Documents and Treasures of the State Archives”
Monday, October 19; 10:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m.
Location: State Archives Building, Archives Search Room, 2nd Floor
View on ordinary public documents the names of those North Carolinians who would go on to do extraordinary things. This exhibit alsofeatures a page from the original 1663 North Carolina Charter, North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights, postcards, letters, and historic photographs. The Tar Heel Family, will play on a continuous loop. This black and white film, ca. 1954, depicts North Carolina’s transition froman agrarian economy an industrialized one.

:: Presentation: “North Carolina Maps: From the 16th to the 21st Century”
Tuesday, October 20; 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m.
Location: State Archives Building, Room 308, 3rd Floor
View an online demonstration of some of our oldest and rarest maps and the ways we are preserving current geospatial data for legal, fiscal,analytical, and historic purposes.

:: Presentation: “The New Manuscript and Archives Reference System (MARS): Online Access to State Archives Records”
Wednesday, October 21; 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m.
Location: State Archives Building, Room 208, 2nd Floor
Many people now perform research from the convenience of the home laptop. What historic North Carolina documents are available through the Internet? The State Archives staff will present a hands-on demonstration of how to search the newly revised catalog to discover and locate the types of records in our collections. The new Web interface links to images of over 50,000 documents.

:: Presentation: “Managing and Accessing Your Digital Images”
Thursday, October 22; 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m.
Location: State Archives Building, Room 308, 3rd FloorState
Archives staff will demonstrate best practices for naming and retrieving your collections of digital photographs, documents, and otherimages.

For a fuller description of our activities and events, visit the North Carolina State Archives web site.

Countway Library Fellowships in the History of Medicine

The Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine is pleased to offer two annual fellowships to support research in the history of medicine. The Francis A. Countway Library Fellowships in the History of Medicine provide stipends of up to $5,000 to support travel, lodging, and incidental expenses for a flexible period between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011. Besides conducting research, the fellow will submit a report on the results of his/her residency and may be asked to present a seminar or lecture at the Countway Library. The fellowship proposal should demonstrate that the Countway Library has resources central to the research topic. Preference will be given to applicants who live beyond commuting distance of the Countway. The application, outlining the proposed project (proposal should not exceed five pages), length of residence, materials to be consulted, and a budget with specific information on travel, lodging, and research expenses, should be submitted, along with a curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation, by February 1, 2010. Applications should be sent to:

Countway Fellowships
Center for the History of Medicine
Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
10 Shattuck Street
Boston, MA 02115

The appointment will be announced by March 15, 2010.

The Boston Medical Library’s Abel Lawrence Peirson Fund provides support for the fellowship program. The Boston Medical Library is a physicians' non-profit organization, incorporated in 1877. Its mission is "to be a Library for the dissemination of medical knowledge, the promotion of medical education and scholarship, and the preservation and celebration of medical history, and thereby to advance the quality of health and healthcare of the people." Today there are over 300 fellows of the Boston Medical Library. In 1960, the Boston Medical Library entered into an agreement with the Harvard Medical School Library to combine staff, services, and collections into one modern biomedical facility. The Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine opened in 1965 and ranks as one of the largest biomedical libraries in the world.

Background
Established in 1960 as a result of an alliance between the Boston Medical Library and the Harvard Medical Library, the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine is the largest academic medical library in the United States. The Countway Library maintains a collection of approximately 700,000 volumes. Its Center for the History of Medicine holds 250,000 books and journals published before 1920, including 802 incunabula. The department’s printed holdings include one of the most complete medical periodical collections, an extensive collection of European medical texts issued between the 15th and 20th centuries, and excellent holdings of pre-1800 English and pre-1900 American imprints. The book collection is strong in virtually every medical discipline and is particularly rich in popular medicine, medical education, public health, Judaica, and travel accounts written by physicians.

The Countway's collection of archives and manuscripts, approximately 20 million items, is the largest of its kind in the United States. The manuscript collection includes the personal and professional papers of many prominent American physicians, especially those who practiced and conducted research in the New England region, or who were associated with Harvard Medical School. The Countway Library also serves as the institutional archives for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. The printed, manuscript, and archives holdings are complemented by an extensive print and photograph collection and the collections of the Warren Anatomical Museum. Established in 1847, the museum houses an exceptional collection of medical artifacts, pathological specimens, anatomical models, and instruments.

October Is Archives Month

October is Archives Month, with a theme of "Celebrating the American Record" as designated by the Society of American Archivists, and October 19-25th is North Carolina Archives Week. Archives are essential to the historical record, and include a wide range of document types, including such things as letters, legal records, transcripts, photographs, reports, manuscripts, ephemera, artifacts, realia, tapes, and materials in electronic and other formats as well.

The University of North Carolina holds vast archival collections, and finding aids (or guides) to the collections can be found for a large number of these in the online catalog and on the Wilson Library web site. There is also a variety of Health Affairs-related collections, and the finding aids to many of these are accessible in the Archival Collections section of the Special Collections web site. Archival collections at the Health Sciences Library include the papers of the renowned medical illustrator, Dr. Frank Netter, and the internationally recognized water and sanitation researcher, Dr. Daniel Okun.

Many other institutions around the state, country, and world have significant archival holdings. The National Library of Medicine, for example, is highlighting its archival collections concerning Health Care Accessibility and Reform this month. The Library of Congress also has extensive archival collections for which finding aids are available online, and a number of these collections contain information on women's health and their involvement in the medical professions. The Library of Congress also maintains the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections.

The National Records and Archives Administration (NARA) was established in 1934 and is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary; a photo gallery of its history as an institution is available online. Among the many millions of documents that it preserves are the Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution of the United States; and the Bill of Rights. A sense of the scope of other holdings can be had from the online subject index. Although its holdings are vast, only an estimated 1-3% of government records are held by NARA, and of these records, only a fraction is available in electronic form. Agency-specific collections include, among many others: Records of the National Institutes of Health; Records of the Health Resources and Services Administration; Records of the Environmental Protection Agency; Records of the Food and Drug Administration; Records of the Public Health Service; and Records of the Indian Health Service.

The American Medical Association maintains historical archives, and information on their use is available online. Only AMA members have access to the archives, with the exception of the Historical Health Fraud Collection, which may be used by non-members on a fee-for-service basis. A descriptive summary of more than 50 collections is available for download.

In North Carolina, archives of interest include the North Carolina State Archives, Duke University Medical Center Archives, Wake Forest Medical Archives, and the History Collections at East Carolina University. The Society of North Carolina Archivists maintains a list of links to other archives in the state.

In addition, there are several other tools that can be helpful in conducting archival research, including ArchiveGrid and WorldCat, which are UNC e-resources, Repositories of Primary Sources, and the UNESCO Archives Portal, which provides access to collections around the world. The HSL Special Collections web site also features a guide to research resources.

The Society of American Archivists is currently conducting an online survey about how people use archives in the US, and welcomes responses by November 30, 2009. The SAA also has two informative guides online for those interested in learning more about donating either personal or organizational materials to collecting institutions: A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository and A Guide to Donating Your Organizational Records to a Repository.

Operation Coffeecup and Socialized Medicine

Health care reform is today foremost in the minds of the public and politicians alike. It is, however, not a new concern, as evidenced by a new exhibit at the UNC Health Sciences Library which features the American Medical Association’s 1961 campaign, Operation Coffeecup. Led by the Woman’s Auxiliary to the American Medical Association, Operation Coffeecup was “an all-out effort to stimulate as many letters to Congress opposing socialized medicine and its menace as proposed in the King bill (HR 4222).”

Identical versions of the bill were introduced by Cecil King (D-CA) in the House of Representatives and Clinton Anderson (D-NM) in the Senate, and the bill was the latest in a series of legislative attempts to create a Medicare-type program. All were defeated until the Social Security Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 30, 1965. President Truman was a guest at the ceremony and was presented with the first Medicare card (below); a video clip is available online.

Operation Coffeecup’s main tool of persuasion was a 33-1/3 rpm record entitled, “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine,” a copy of which was recently acquired by Special Collections at the Health Sciences Library. It contains two tracks: the title piece, delivered by Reagan, and “Socialized Medicine and You”; several documents were also inserted into a pocket in the album that were intended for the use of discussion leaders, including printed transcripts of the record's two tracks. Ronald Reagan [1911-2004] was a registered Democrat when this record was produced, though he switched his affiliation to the Republican Party in 1962 and had been a strong supporter of Dwight Eisenhower in the presidential campaigns of 1952 and 1956 and Richard Nixon in 1960.

“The Problem,” as described by Operation Coffeecup on the album's inside cover, was:

The legislative chips are down. In the next few months Americans will decide whether or not this nation wants socialized medicine . . . first for its older citizens, soon for all its citizens. The pivotal point in the campaign is a bill currently before Congress. The King bill (HR 4222), another Forand-type bill, is a proposal to finance medical care for all persons on Social Security over 65, regardless of financial need, through the social security tax mechanism. Proponents admit the bill is a “foot in the door” for socialized medicine. Its eventual effect—across-the-board, government medicine for everyone!

The section "How Operation Coffeecup Works" enumerates the following headings as action items:

— Listen, Look
— Put on the Coffeepot
— Invite an Audience
— Talk about What You Heard
— Spur Action
— Don’t Stop Now

“Each letter you help send off is a step along the way toward stopping socialized medicine. So join the Coffeecup Corps today!”

Related online resources include an essay, “Operation Coffeecup: Ronald Reagan’s Effort to Prevent the Enactment of Medicare,” and a YouTube recording of the text “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine” (note that the first two paragraphs of Reagan's text are not included on this particular recording).

In addition, the American Medical Association Historical Archives contains a Medicare Campaign collection (record group MDC), which includes materials related to Operation Coffeecup and other AMA public relations efforts from 1960-1965; the collection is described as follows:

History Note: The Medicare public relations campaign constitutes the AMA's efforts in response to the proposed passage of the King-Anderson bill in Congress since 1960. The AMA staged numerous public relations efforts to amend passage of the bill before Congress. Congress passed the bill in 1965, creating Medicare.

Scope Note: Many of the highlights in the AMA's history are documented here, such as excerpts from Operation Coffee Cup featuring Ronald Reagan, the nationally televised script of AMA president Dr. Annis speaking before Madison Square Garden in 1964 and other interviews. Also included are files and newsletters related to the AMA's position on the bill and about socialized medicine.

Infomation on how to use the AMA Historical Archives is available online. Only AMA members have access to the archives, with the exception of the Historical Health Fraud Collection, which may be used by non-members on a fee-for-service basis. A descriptive summary of more than 50 collections is available for download.

Former Duke University Librarian Nominated To Be Archivist of the United States

On July 28, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated David Ferriero to be the next Archivist of the United States. As Archivist, Mr. Ferriero would lead the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which is the official United States repository for government documents and records. Mr. Ferriero is currently Director of the New York Public Library, and prior to that served as University Librarian at Duke University. Further details are available from the White House blog.

NARA was established in 1934 and is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary; a photo gallery of its history as an institution is available online. Among the many millions of documents that it preserves are the Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution of the United States; and the Bill of Rights. A sense of the scope of other holdings can be had from the online subject index. Although its holdings are vast, only an estimated 1-3% of government records are held by NARA, and of these records, only a fraction is available in electronic form.

Agency-specific collections include, among many others: Records of the National Institutes of Health; Records of the Health Resources and Services Administration; Records of the Environmental Protection Agency; Records of the Food and Drug Administration; Records of the Public Health Service; and Records of the Indian Health Service.

The picture above shows President Herbert Hoover on February 20, 1933 at the ceremony for the laying of the cornerstone of the National Archives Building. The ceremony was accelerated to ensure that Hoover, who had just two weeks remaining in his term, would have his name on the cornerstone.

AAHM and the Future of Medical History Libraries

The February 2009 issue of the AAHM Newsletter published by American Association for the History of Medicine is now available online, and contains the president's message ("The AAHM and the Future of Medical History Libraries"); AAHM news, including the upcoming conference in Cleveland; notices on members, fellowships & grants, meetings & calls for papers, lectures & symposia, and archives, libraries, and museums (including a brief notice on Special Collections at HSL; see page 21). Earlier issues of the AAHM Newsletter are also archived online.

In the above-noted president's message, W. Bruce Fye quoted a presentation he made in 1982 to the Archivists and Librarians in the History of the Health Sciences organization; given the current economic situation across the state and country, his observations seem especially relevant still today:

“In a given institution,” I argued, “there may be one or two faculty members or administrators who are sensitive to the needs of the history of medicine collection and those individuals charged with its care. This is obviously a precarious situation. Should the supportive dean or faculty person retire, move to another institution or expire, the history of medicine collection may lose a vital friend or patron.” I concluded, “The unique institutional resource you administer must be preserved and its value acknowledged. Administrators within your library or institution may question the relevance of historical materials in this age of financial uncertainty. By forming a coalition among interested individuals of diverse backgrounds and by heightening the awareness of those within your institution and community to the contents of your collection you can most likely survive and perhaps even thrive in this challenging decade.”

In response to such concerns, Fye created the Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Medical History Libraries to address the following questions, among others:

1) How important is it that the few remaining major medical history libraries be preserved for the benefit of future scholarship in the history of medicine?
2) What research opportunities are lost when comprehensive collections are dispersed?
3) What types of printed materials are not being captured electronically?

Committee members will work to generate a report to the AAHM Council by September 1, 2009.

"Open Stacks" at UNC's Wilson Library

On February 17, 2009, curators and staff at Wilson Library sponsored "Open Stacks," giving the public the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and view materials drawn from the Southern Historical Collections, the Southern Folklife Collection, and the University Archives and Records Service. The student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, was on hand to record some of the tour, and this can be seen in the YouTube video below.

Political Transitions

A new White House web site accompanied the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. The site features a White House blog, and a section on Health Care and numerous other agenda topics. About the White House contains historical materials, including brief biographies of the presidents. President Harrison, for example, who early in his life briefly studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania under Dr. Benjamin Rush, holds the unfortunate distinction of being both the first president to die in office and the president with the shortest term.

In other presidential transition news, a Raleigh, North Carolina man netted $35,000 for the domain name, www.georgewbushlibrary.com. George Huger, according to a News & Observer article, purchased the expired domain two years ago anticipating a windfall. Yuma Solutions, The Bush Library Foundation's web developer, had apparently let the domain expire, and thus had to reacquire it at a premium.

The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum will be administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and will be located on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Its archives will contain President and Mrs. Bush's presidential and gubernatorial records, the papers of cabinet members and key decision makers, as well as other artifacts and materials.