Abstract
In the course of the twentieth century, the professionalization of historical research in America has established a rigid dichotomy between librarians and archivists who "provide" research materials and academic historian "doers" who use those materials to write historical scholarship. The author of this article, a traditional "doer," had to assume certain "provider" functions in researching his history of the Menninger Foundation. He details six of his experiences in carrying out his Menninger research. From these, he argues that "doers" gain depth and sophistication by assuming certain "provider" functions. More fundamentally, rigid "doer"-"provider" dichotomies operate to the detriment of historical inquiry.
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