Exploiting the Business Records Collection
George Sweet Gibb · The American Archivist · 1961
T HE question of what a librarian or archivist does with the business records his institution possesses and acquires can be answered only by taking a close look at the reasons why those records were kept or acquired.Often, of course, such collections just happen.They come fortuitously, and they repose in respectable, dusty oblivion.But, pressed to rationalize the situation, most archivists would say that they keep and acquire business records for active use-by historians, by members of the firm's advertising department, or by the occasional executive or legal counselor seeking data from the past.This is the theory, and it is one that all archivists would like to translate into reality.The great obstacle is psychological-the "post-acquisition slump."Being human, we put tremendous emphasis on acquisition.Once the collection is in the basement, we sigh with satisfaction and that is the end of the matter.We have fulfilled our responsibility and we sink into comfortable apathy.If records are collected for utilitarian, as contrasted with packrat, motives, let's put them to work.To do this, the first requirement is to let potential users know about the collection.In short, publicity.Publicize the collection!Your community or company paper will love the scoop.Acquisition of historical records by a library or the establishment of an archive by a company is first-class news, full of local interest.Next, put your collection to use for in-library or in-company exhibitions.Nothing claims attention like local history.Get pieces of it in those foyer show cases.It's fresh, original, fascinating.Then, cooperate with local historical groups * The author is a member of the faculty of the Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, and editor of Business History Review, published by the school.This paper was read on Oct. 5, i960, at the 24th annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists, in Boston.It was a part of a workshop session on materials for business history over which Robert W. Lovett presided.Mr. Gibb has written business histories of Reed & Barton, silversmiths of Taunton, and Saco-Lowell, textile machinery manufacturers, as well as a volume in the series on the history of Standard Oil Company (New Jersey) being prepared under the sponsorship of the Business History Foundation of New York.