There are several sources of information to assist you in archiving your materials. These are some recommended by John Hurley, Archivist and Director of Information and Public Witness, Unitarian Universalist Association, 617–948–6131, info@uua.org
Maintaining Records and Archives
Are your church records in order? Documents, artifacts, artwork, photographs are all part of your congregation’'s history. Is someone, or preferably a committee, in your congregation in charge of making sure that these past records are in order? Are they organized and stored properly?
There are several sources of information to assist you in archiving your materials. Rather than reinventing the wheel, PSD’s Heritage and Archives Committee would like to refer you to the wealth of information available the UUA web site. Just click onto the materials at http://www.uua.org/cde/handbook. Their on-line congregational handbook has an entire section devoted to Maintaining Records and Archives. It includes the following:
- Preserving Congregational Archives
(includes information from the UU Historical Society – UUHS)
- Preserving Our Past: Maintaining Church Archives
- Create a historical Archive with Publicity & Planning
- Church Office Basics
One cannot overemphasize the importance of maintaining adequate records. Good records can bridge the level of experience between new and long-standing leaders, allowing new leaders to be effective far sooner. Proper archiving of records makes them a living and useful resource for those searching for information about the past but also may be valuable for legal reasons.
The UUA recommends putting church records on a CD-ROM and storing multiple copies in several locations for greatest safety. All your financial record keeping and official church documents should be “backed up” on the computer periodically. When the threat of a severe storm comes, the back up discs can be put into a bank vault.
Sources of Help and Advice for
Your Church or Synagogue Archives
The resources listed at http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/caw.html#l1, most of which are specifically for volunteer archivists, are intended to be of assistance to those involved in the difficult and important task of preserving their congregation’s history. This is a task that involves not just saving bits or papers, film, and tape but also and especially making the archives a living and useful resource for the members of the faith community. This is a good site—don’t be put off by the Billy Graham reference. There are several other links listed at the end including:
- How to Start a Church Archives
- Doing Oral History
- Tips on Creating an Archival Scrapbook or Photo Album
- Tips on Preserving Scrapbooks
UU Historical Society (UUHS)
Please see information under Maintaining Records and Archives. The UUHS handbook on congregational archives (hardcopy only) is available from John Hurley’s office. Contact him at info@uua.org or
John Hurley
UUA
25 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02108
There is an administrator’s guidebook on establishing archives. Contact Gail Donkin at gdonkin@aol.com .
E-mail Discussion List
The UUA sponsors an e-mail discussion list on the topic of congregational archives: see http://www.uua.org/mailman/listinfo/uu-cong-archives for information and directions for how to subscribe. This list provides a great opportunity to learn from the discussion as well as to ask questions for your information. Bill Parke is co-manager of the list and church historian at the UU Church of Buffalo. Bill also has a Web site on the topic of congregational archives at http://www.cwebdev.com/uuca.
More Information
If you need additional assistance with your archiving, please consult with the PSD Heritage and Archives Committee, in care of the PSD office.
