WOMEN S HISTORY AND RESOURCE CENTER WHRC PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE ADVANCEMENT GUIDE GFWC CLUB MANUAL

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1 WOMEN S HISTORY AND RESOURCE CENTER ADVANCEMENT GUIDE WHRC PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE The Women s Hstory and Resource Center of the General Federaton of Women s Clubs, celebratng over 30 years of preservng hstorcal records and provdng qualty reference servce to members, offcally opened at GFWC Headquarters n Washngton, D.C. on May 1, The WHRC nvtes GFWC members, the research communty, and the general publc to explore the rch hstory of women volunteers by provdng access to GFWC s expansve collectons. Readly avalable reference servce, nteractve technology, educatonal programs and publcatons, creatve exhbts, and dynamc partnershps awat those nterested n usng all GFWC has to offer. Preservaton of hstorc records, buldngs, and artfacts; the organzaton and publcaton of club hstory; and creatve ways to use GFWC s hstory for communty outreach are some of the benefts of membershp all made possble through ths nvaluable resource. Vst for updates and more nformaton WOMEN S HISTORY AND RESOURCE COMMITTEE Kathy Canzano, Charman 150 Mles Cuttng Ln. Pttsford, NY kandlcanz@aol.com Debbe Greder dgreder1@cox.net Sandra Mattocks gfwcmdsmattocks@gmal.com GFWC s hstory s full of examples of successful projects that demonstrate the mportant relatonshp between grassroots and nternatonal efforts, the sgnfcance of long-range plannng and thoughtful organzaton, and the value of communty servce n developng strong and compassonate leaders. The GFWC Women s Hstory and Resource Center Gude encourages clubs to nvestgate and document ther own hstory by learnng about our past. We hope ths nformaton wll motvate and provde the ncentve for you and your club members to explore and boast about GFWC s amazng hstory, whch wll serve to help facltate a growng and purposeful future. May 1, 2014 marked 30 years snce Vce Presdent George H.W. Bush cut the rbbon openng of the GFWC Women s Hstory and Resource Center. Snce that hstorc day, GFWC clubwomen have generously contrbuted tme, funds, and hstorcal materals to the WHRC, makng t a pearl among the country s women s hstory research centers. Help us celebrate ths annversary by becomng a Frend of the WHRC today! Your donaton wll help the WHRC engage n outreach actvtes, preserve and catalog the WHRC s multmeda collectons, buld the research lbrary collecton of publcatons on women s hstory, and offer nternshps and research fellowshps. Make your donaton through the GFWC Marketplace today and receve a lmted-edton 30th Annversary Pn. OVERVIEW OF GFWC COLLECTIONS The GFWC Women s Hstory and Resource Center manages the organzatonal archves of the General Federaton of Women s Clubs, related specal collectons, and a complementary research lbrary. Our Archves document GFWC s hstorcal development from 1890 to the present, ncludng the role of GFWC clubwomen n promotng educaton, leadershp, and socal and poltcal advocacy n the broad programmatc areas of art and lterature, conservaton, personal and publc educaton, publc and nternatonal affars, and home and communty lfe.

2 GFWC programs have ncluded advocacy for women s suffrage, chld labor and juvenle court laws, communty and famly health reform, the establshment of natonal parks, the preservaton of Natve Amercan culture, peacetme uses of technology, lbrares and lteracy, wartme servce, the Equal Rghts Amendment, and nternatonal humantaran efforts. GFWC members number some of the most promnent women of ther respectve eras, ncludng Jula Ward Howe, Jane Addams, Jula Lathrop, Alce Lakey, Mary Belle Kng Sherman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Margaret Chase Smth. Specal Collectons held by the WHRC nclude State Federaton and club hstores, oral hstores, photographs, and art and artfacts. GFWC s most sgnfcant artfact s ts Washngton, D.C. Headquarters, whch was desgnated as a Natonal Hstorc Landmark n GFWC s Research Lbrary conssts of nearly 5,000 publcatons that provde a broad context for researchng the hstory of GFWC and women volunteers. The GFWC Collectons Management Polcy, whch defnes how GFWC collectons are acqured, managed, and preserved, can be found at OVERVIEW OF WHRC RESOURCES, VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES, AND PROJECT IDEAS HOW CAN THE HELP ME AND MY CLUB? Your club s hstory s valuable to your communty and to GFWC. The WHRC can help you preserve your club s archves, record the oral hstory of longtme members, and wrte an engagng hstorcal narratve. The WHRC has prepared two gudelnes to help you wth these projects: A Gude for Recordng Oral Hstory and A Gude for Preservng and Wrtng Club Hstory. Call (GFWC), emal WHRC@GFWC.org, or wrte the WHRC, 1734 N Street NW, Washngton, DC , for a free copy of these publcatons. 1. GFWC hstory s YOUR hstory. The WHRC can help you develop programs usng GFWC hstory to promote nterest and membershp. Refer to the Ideas for Club Projects Usng GFWC Hstory secton begnnng on page 3 for more nformaton. 2. The WHRC helps manage the preservaton of GFWC s Natonal Landmark Headquarters buldng. We can offer advce and assstance n preservng your hstorc clubhouse. 3. The WHRC can act as a professonal lason for clubs that want to work wth a state or local hstorcal agency to preserve ther hstorcal records and/or buldngs. 4. The WHRC uses the latest technology to make GFWC s collectons avalable to GFWC members throughout the world. We can help you navgate the WHRC catalog and onlne exhbts, and provde advce to clubs and State Federatons on how to make ther own collectons accessble onlne. Vst the onlne catalog and exhbts at 5. GFWC publshes the WHRC News, a seasonal newsletter for Frends of the WHRC, and other specal publcatons to assst and promote clubs that are dong projects that relate to GFWC hstory or hstorc preservaton. 6. Workshops, tutorals, and webnars on GFWC hstory and hstorc preservaton are presented at the GFWC Annual Conventon and onlne at 7. GFWC offers tours hghlghtng exhbts at GFWC Headquarters for groups and ndvduals. These benefts are free to GFWC members. 8. The WHRC provdes research opportuntes for members and the general publc, and mantans an nventory of the locatons of State Federaton and club archves to assst GFWC club members and other researchers n fndng nformaton. 2

3 BECOME A FRIEND OF THE WHRC Donate to the GFWC Women s Hstory and Resource Center n support of our actvtes and you wll become a Frend of the WHRC. By jonng the Frends of the WHRC, you wll help the GFWC Women s Hstory and Resource Center: Preserve and mantan GFWC collectons Increase research lbrary acqustons Provde student feld study opportuntes Presdental $1,000 Benefactor $500 Sponsor $250 Patron $100 Supporter $50 Frend $30 Vst for membershp benefts. Name Club Address Emal For club membershps, please provde contact nformaton for the club presdent. Club presdent Address Emal edton of WHRC News: Yes No Check donaton status: Indvdual Club Checks should be made payable and sent to: GFWC-WHRC 1734 N Street NW Washngton, DC FRIEND LEVELS PRESIDENTIAL $1,000 per year Specal donor gft Name of ndvdual or club added to large plaque outsde the WHRC Research Lbrary BENEFACTOR $500 per year Contrbuton acknowledged n GFWC Clubwoman Magazne Full-day archves tranng workshop for ndvdual or club representatve usng the collectons at the WHRC (Small group format; certfcate provded upon completon) SPONSOR $250 per year 20 percent dscount on lbrary research servces, Feature story on WHRC related topc on GFWC webste PATRON $100 per year 15 percent dscount on lbrary research servces, Current GFWC Holday Ornament SUPPORTER $50 per year 10 percent dscount on lbrary research servces, WHRC related story featured n WHRC News FRIEND $30 per year Exclusve Frends of the WHRC pn Subscrpton to WHRC News (name lsted) Identfcaton as Frends member wth conventon name badge rbbon PLEASE COPY THIS FORM HOW CAN MY CLUB SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE WHRC? 1. Jon the Frends of the WHRC. See the next page for levels of gvng and benefts of Frends of the WHRC. 2. Become an onste or long dstance volunteer. The WHRC needs help to make the thousands of club hstores and hundreds of oral hstory transcrpts accessble onlne. The WHRC can provde copes of hstores and transcrpts for dgtzng or audotapes for transcrbng. Onste volunteers may work as GFWC Headquarters tour gudes or collectons assstants. 3. Help make the WHRC an nternatonally recognzable resource on the hstorcal role of women volunteers by promotng WHRC collectons, servces, and student feld study opportuntes to local colleges, unverstes, and hstorcal nsttutons. Upon request, the WHRC can provde you a full-color rack card descrbng the WHRC that you may gve to a local repostory or academc nsttuton. 4. Promote and partcpate n events that feature WHRC servces and benefts, such as webnars, tutorals, and workshops, as well as the Women s Hstory Month event held each year n March at GFWC Headquarters. 5. Encourage the appontment of a WHRC Charman n all State Federatons and clubs. 3

4 6. Keep the WHRC updated on the locaton of club and State Federaton archves. 7. Report your WHRC program actvtes to GFWC. We want to share your success stores to nspre others. IDEAS FOR CLUB PROJECTS USING GFWC HISTORY 1. Contact the WHRC for tps for usng WHRC publcatons and electronc resources for club program deas. For example, use the booklet Rsng by Lght to Hgher Thngs: Hghlghts of GFWC s Collectons to create programs on GFWC s support of Amercan Art; the GFWC Tmelne to relate GFWC natonal servce programs to local ones; or GFWC photographs of events, people, or unque publcatons and memorabla to llustrate a PowerPont presentaton. 2. When plannng and publczng a membershp recrutment program, hghlght your club s hstory to demonstrate the mportance of your club to your communty. For more nformaton on membershp recrutment actvtes, please revew the GFWC Membershp Advancement Gude n the GFWC Club Manual. 3. Gan nspraton for fundrasng and communty outreach by revewng past GFWC Communty Improvement Program Award wnners n the WHRC onlne catalog. GFWC hstory s relevant to ALL program areas. 4. Develop a proactve publc affars program by offerng GFWC hstory stores to your local news meda for Women s Hstory Month (March), Federaton Day (Aprl 24), and Archves Month (October). 5. Take a leadershp role n your communty by partnerng wth local hstorcal nsttutons to promote the role of your club n local hstory. For more nformaton on leadershp development, please revew the GFWC Leadershp Advancement Gude n the GFWC Club Manual. 6. Work wth your local publc schools to assst students wth Natonal Hstory Day projects on women s hstory; offer to serve as judges for local Hstory Day compettons. HOW CAN I OR MY CLUB ARRANGE A TOUR OR SCHEDULE A RESEARCH VISIT? The WHRC manages the preservaton of and access to GFWC s hstorc archves and collectons, ncludng tours of GFWC Headquarters. A Natonal Hstorc Landmark, 1734 N Street NW s a Washngton must-see for GFWC clubwomen and ther guests. Group tours and research appontments must be scheduled n advance by contactng WHRC@GFWC.org or GFWC (4392). Tour and research hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Frday. GFWC s closed on Federal holdays, Good Frday, and the week between Chrstmas and New Year s Day. Tour admsson s free for GFWC members and by suggested contrbuton for non-members. GUIDE TO USING THE WHRC ONLINE CATALOG A prmary goal of the WHRC s to make GFWC s valuable hstorcal records more accessble to our members, the scholarly research communty, and the general publc. Improved access wll promote greater recognton for the contrbutons of GFWC clubwomen and nspre members to use the lessons of past successes to buld sold membershp, strong leadershp, and meanngful communty servce projects. The WHRC onlne catalog allows GFWC members and webste vstors, ncludng those who come to the catalog va a general Web search engne such as Google, to explore a wde range of GFWC collectons. The tps n ths Gude are meant to be a quck outlne to navgatng the WHRC onlne catalog. If you need addtonal gudance, please don t hestate to contact us at WHRC@GFWC.org or GFWC (4392). To access the catalog through the GFWC webste: 1. Go to 2. Clck on the Search the Collectons button to brng you to the Women s Hstory and Resource Center home page: NAVIGATING THE ONLINE CATALOG FROM THE MAIN CATALOG PAGE KEYWORD SEARCH Ths search feld casts the wdest net for nformaton, smlar to the smple keyword search feature of Google. Ths search covers all felds ncluded n the catalog records, ncludng donors, who may be ndvduals, clubs, or State Federatons. As wth Google, enclosng a mult-word search term n quotaton marks wll lmt results to that phrase; for example, South Dakota. 4

5 Interactve features n each record Emal Page (top, rght) send ths mage to a frend Send Feedback (top, far rght) contact the WHRC wth comments or questons Order Image (below mage) request a copy for a club presentaton or publcaton Search Term (n record) may provde addtonal nformaton on that topc. For example, clck on GFWC Headquarters to read detals on the hstory of GFWC Headquarters. Person (not shown) Clck on the name of any GFWC Internatonal Past Presdent to see her bography. Related Hyperlnks (not shown) If dgtal content s avalable, a lnk wll be provded to read a book, club or state hstory, or oral hstory onlne. AWARDS GFWC recognzes State Federatons for outstandng projects and clubs for creatve projects n mplementng effectve Women s Hstory and Resource Center program, as follows: Certfcate to one State Federaton n each membershp category $50 award to one club n the naton for project creatvty Award wnners wll be determned by entres nto the Awards Program. Each State Federaton may submt one State Award Entry Cover Sheet and one Club Creatvty Award Entry Cover Sheet for the Women s Hstory and Resource Center program. Clubs do not submt entres drectly to GFWC. Refer to the Awards secton of the Club Manual for more nformaton, ncludng the Award Entry Cover Sheet gudelnes. 5