Excellent homes found for anatomy discipline and AAA archives

Abstract

The American Association of Anatomists (AAA)'s organizational archives and archival materials related to the discipline of anatomy will all have exceptional places to reside in perpetuity, thanks to the efforts of the AAA's Historical Task Force: Lynne Opperman (chair), John Lough, Andrea Pendleton, and Ann Poznanski. The Albin O. Kuhn Library at the University of Maryland–Baltimore County (UMBC) will become the archival repository for materials related to the AAA as an organization. These materials will become part of the UMBC's Center for Biological Sciences Archives (CBSA), which already houses the papers of such organizations as the American Association of Immunologists, the American Society for Cell Biology, the American Society for Microbiology, and the Tissue Culture Association. The CBSA's mission is to identify, preserve, and provide access to manuscripts, personal papers, and archives generated by individuals and institutions involved in the biological sciences. As soon as the AAA archive is catalogued at UMBC, its contents will be available to researchers. For more information about the CBSA, go to http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/cbsa.php3. The AAA's Historical Task Force worked with CBSA officials to develop policies for gathering and organizing the society's archival resources. Past and current presidents, board members, and committee chairs received a letter that explained the archive project and inquired as to what materials they might have that should be included. In addition, members of the AAA staff have begun the process of printing and identifying photographs, and assembling papers that now reside in the national office. If you have any materials related to the AAA as an organization (as distinct from anatomy as a discipline) that you think should be included in this archive, contact exec@anatomy.org to request an AAA materials checklist. Please do not send any materials without making arrangements with the national office. The AAA is working with the National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM) of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) to establish an archival home for anatomy as a discipline. Letters. Memoirs, reminiscences, and diaries. Scrapbooks and photo albums. Professional papers. Genealogical information. Speeches and lectures. Business records. Subject files. Legal documents. Minutes and reports. Brochures and flyers. Photographs (labeled). Films, videos, and audiotapes (labeled). The AAA asks all of its members to consider donating such materials, after they first contact their own university's archive to determine whether that would be a more appropriate home. The AAA expects to appoint a “Culling Subcommittee” of members who are willing to review the actual materials before they are sent to the museum. The subcommittee's role will mainly be to assess the scientific or historical importance of the material. If you are interested in serving on this group, please contact the AAA at exec@anatomy.org. A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository www.archivists.org/publications/donating-familyrecs.asp A Guide to Donating Your Organizational Records to a Repository www.archivists.org/publications/donating-orgrecs.asp