SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARCHIVISTS
Congressional Papers Roundtable
Newsletter
November 1998
Table of Contents
Congressional Papers Roundtable Minutes
1998 Annual Meeting
Orlando, September 4
(Ed. Note: These minutes will be reproduced in the next print edition of the CPR Newsletter, to be distributed in Feb. 1999.)
Mark Greene (Minnesota Historical Society), CPR chair for 1997-1998,
called the meeting to order. He then introduced Naomi Nelson (Emory
University) and Beth Bensman (Thomas Jefferson University), who made a
presentation on electronic records in congressional offices.
Nelson began by describing the types of electronic documents that could be
found in a congressional office as it closes. These include various
standard office software files, such word processing files, spreadsheets,
and databases; email; voting and legislative databases or CD-ROMs;
reference materials on CD-ROM; campaign donor lists; correspondence
management systems (CMS); photo CDs; and digitization and indexing
projects. She then provided suggestions on electronic records appraisal.
Archivists may want to retain data files from the local area network (LAN)
because they provide a snapshot of the office as well as sampling of the
kind of files created. She recommended maintaining the data structure,
keeping different files separate from each other, converting
nonproprietary formats if possible, and keeping good documentation of
software used in the office. Nelson also talked about retaining CMS,
email, imaging and indexing files, as well as campaign contributor databases.
Nelson listed questions to ask the congressional office staff and concerns
for the repository to consider. The archivist collecting electronic
records should inquire about the types of hardware used, types of software,
how staffers stored files, when the system administrator will be leaving
her/his position and how she/he can be contacted afterwards, and can the
office send a preliminary set of files to test the archive's ability to
access the records. The archives must also resolve another set of
questions: is the information contained within electronic records
significant enough to retain? is the format/interface of integral value to
the information? what resources does the repository have to use for working
with electronic files, what formats can the repository access? and what
size of files can the repository's hardware and software handle?
For CMS files, Nelson presented a retirement checklist files that covered
system documentation, office procedure documentation, and information from
the Senate Computer Center or the House Information Service. System
documentation should include the name of the system(s), the date the system
was adopted, indication of switches from previous systems, manuals for the
system(s), information on file formats and data storage, and a list of
reports generated and who received them. Office documentation should have
topic/subtopic lists, mail handling procedures manuals (showing how the
system was used), item libraries, a list of staff members responsible, and
procedures for purging or downloading files from the system. The archivist
should contact the Senate or House systems offices to determine if they
have the member's electronic files, if they are planning to send anything
to the repository, and if they know what was done concerning electronic
records in the member's office.
Nelson talked about the data specifications for receiving electronic
records. She recommended the greatest granularity (number of fields) as
possible. She also recommended that data from different systems be put on
different files. Finally, she recommended that data be sent in ASCII and
fixed-field format and on CD-ROM or some other storage medium that the
repository can read.
Beth Bensman then discussed different types of electronic records that can
be found in members papers and their continuing viability. Punch cards and
seven-track tapes from the 1960s are now obsolete, as is paper tape from
the 1970s. Tape cassettes and nine-track tapes from the 1970s can still be
read if they are 1600 bpi. Compact disks, floppy disks, and data tape
cartridges from the 1980s and 1990s can still be read.
Because of the large file size, a repository may have to transfer data to
the mainframe of the parent university in order to work with it. First,
the archivist should move the data to a more stable medium. Next, she/he
needs to reformat the data. Third, she/he must determine whether to save
the data in ASCII delimited or fixed-field format. Delimited format will
expand or contract as needed and is an advantage for storage. Finally, the
archivist should create an archival copy containing the reformatted data.
In terms of accessing data, Bensman said data should be copied to
read-only CD-ROMs for research use. She also touched on using statistical
analysis software to re-sequence data, and the need to decide between SPSS
and SAS statistical analysis packages.
Nelson then brought up the issue of data irregularities. These can affect
whether or not the information can be used. Problems include variant
spellings (such as use of "case" and "casework" within a single database)
and incorrect addresses. Also, data may have been entered in wrong fields
or even deleted. She has discovered sometimes that the electronic record
may be only an index to paper records.
Bensman then talked about research use of congressional office electronic
records. Anticipated research use includes surveying constituent requests
for casework, comparing constituent correspondence and media coverage,
examining the politician's stance in relation to constituent
correspondence, track changes in the politician's point of view, and
theories or representation (who contacts representatives between
elections). Privacy issues are a concern with use because the data
contains names and addresses of constituents and the files are fairly
recent. Options are to either filter data or to have the user sign a
consent form indicating that names will not be published.
Nelson and Bensman concluded by stating that electronic records must be
taken care of soon after arrival at the repository or else it may be too
late. The biggest unknowns are their usefulness and the costs involved in
storing and maintaining. (Outlines of the presentation may be obtained
from Naomi Nelson and Beth Bensman).
After the conclusion of Nelson and Bensman's presentation, the CPR
business meeting began with the introduction of the Steering Committee.
Then Nelson and Jim Cartwright (University of Hawaii at Manoa) conducted
the election of new CPR officers. Candidates were, for vice chair: Pam
Hackbart-Dean (University of Georgia) and Ed Galloway (Carnegie-Mellon
University); for Steering Committee: Glenda Stevens (Texas Christian
University), Jeff Suchanek (University of Kentucky), Christopher Beam
(Bates College), Nancy Turner (retired from Ball State University), Saundra
Taylor (Indiana University), and Brian Williams (University of Michigan).
Twenty-six ballots were cast, and the winners were Hackbart-Dean, Stevens,
Suchanek, and Williams. (See below for a list of 1998-1999 officers.)
The next order of business was revision of the bylaws. The idea for revising
the bylaws arose last winter with the uncertainty of the future of the professional
archival position in the U. S. House Clerk's Office. According to the bylaws,
this person is an ex officio member of the roundtable; therefore, changes to
the bylaws were thought necessary. Greene announced, however, that the Steering
Committee was unable to propose any revisions so none were recommended to the
membership. CPR members interested in reviewing the bylaws can find them in
the March 1996 newsletter or at the Web site http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/cpr/bylaws.htm.
Next, roundtable members discussed the need for a survey of
preservation/conservation needs with congressional papers. A draft of the
survey was distributed, and members were asked to provide feedback by
September 30 to Greene or Suchanek. Ben Primer (Princeton University)
asked about the intended function of the survey, and Greene responded that
the Steering Committee wanted to determine if congressional papers are
treated differently or have different problems than other collections.
Suchanek, who had initiated the issue of a survey over the summer, said
that his repository at the University of Kentucky has a new library
building but the political collections are slated to be housed in the old
library. He wanted to compare Kentucky's preservation/conservation
treatment of its political collections with that of other repositories, and
he hoped to do so in a national survey. Various concerns were raised by
the membership on the length of the survey, the usefulness of information
that it would provide, the funding for distribution, the application to
closed collections. Karyl Winn (University of Washington) indicated that
the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) was conducting a similar
survey, and there was discussion as to whether or not the CPR survey should
be tied to that one. The survey will probably be distributed to CPR
members through the newsletter in 1999.
Also discussed was a proposed survey of electronic records in
congressional papers. No draft was ready for the membership to review.
The idea was raised of having a forum on electronic records at a future SAA
meeting. There was general agreement that CPR members would be able to
spend an extra day at an SAA meeting in order to attend such a forum.
Herb Hartsook (University of South Carolina) reported on the CPR workshop.
He stated that the one in May in Atlanta was the best yet. Attendance was
good. A number of archival administrators attended. Attendees came from a
broad geographic range. SAA has no real interest in the workshop anymore,
so CPR has free reign on where and when to offer it. The idea of offering
it next year in California was raised. Also, it was stated that the
workshop would be held at MARAC meeting in 2000. Any person or group
interested in cosponsoring the workshop should contact Hartsook.
Additional announcements: Leah Uhre (U. S. House Clerk's Office) announced
that Cynthia Pease Miller was working on a Web site that merges the
BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS with A GUIDE TO
RESEARCH COLLECTIONS OF FORMER MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES and a selected bibliography of publications by and about
members. Mike McReynolds (National Archives) said OUR MOTHERS BEFORE US:
WOMEN AND DEMOCRACY, 1789-1920, a documentary source book of petitions to
Congress from women and women's groups, is available for $55.95 plus $5.00
shipping. He then asked if members were interested in the Center for
Legislative Archives establishing a clearinghouse of all congressional oral
history; there was general agreement. Burt Altman (Florida State
University) indicated that the Claude Pepper Library received funding to
create a Web site for finding aids to and digital images from the papers of
Rep. Claude Pepper (D-FL). Sheryl Vogt (University of Georgia) announced
that the published guide to the Richard Russell (D-GA) papers had been
distributed but copies were still available. Bryan Culp of the Robert Dole
Archives (University of Kansas) introduced himself. Ed Galloway
(Carnegie-Mellon University) discussed the HELIOS project. He said the Web
site now gets 100 hits per month. He also commented that it cost $417 per
c. f. to process and convert the collection to electronic format.
Processing has reduced the original 1200 c. f. Sen. John J. Heinz
Collection to 588 c. f. Three-fourths, or about 425 boxes, will be
converted to electronic format when the project is completed. Greene
commented that the Minnesota Historical Society has been approached by
three congressional offices who believe that donating a collection with
restrictions can be taxed because it is not considered a charitable
donation. None of the membership had heard of such before, and the general
consensus was that members donating collections could not be taxed.
The meeting was then adjourned.
Congressional Papers Roundtable Officers for 1998-1999
Steering Committee:
Claudia Anderson, Chair (1998-1999)
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
2313 Red River
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 916-5137 ext. 259
Pam Hackbart-Dean, Vice-Chair (1998-1999)
Russell Library
University of Georgia Libraries
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-0627 Fax: 706 542-4144
James Cartwright (1997-1999)
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2550 The Mall
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-7923 Fax: (808) 956-5968
Naomi Nelson (1997-1999)
Woodruff Library, Special Collections
Emory University
Atlanta, GA 30322-2870
(404) 727-6871 Fax: (404) 727-0360
Glenda Stevens
Texas Christian University
TCU Box 298400
Fort Worth, TX 76129
(817) 257-7595
Jeffrey Suchanek
Special Collections and Archives
University of Kentucky Library
Lexington, KY 40506
(606) 257-8634
Brian Williams (1998-2000)
Bentley Historical Library
University of Michigan
1150 Beal Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
(734) 764-3482 Fax: (734) 936-1333
Ex Officio Members:
Mark A. Greene, Past Chair
Minnesota Historical Society
345 Kellogg Blvd., West
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 296-2620 Fax: (651) 296-9961
Mike McReynolds
Center for Legislative Archives,
National Archives
Washington, DC 20408
(202) 501-5350
Cynthia Pease Miller
Legislative Resource Center, U. S. House of Representatives
B106 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 226-5200 Fax: (202) 226-5207
Karen Paul
U. S. Senate Historical Office
SH-201
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6900 Fax: (202) 224-5329
Todd Kosmerick, Newsletter editor
Carl Albert Center
University of Oklahoma
630 Parrington Oval, Rm 101
Norman, OK 73019
(405) 325-5045 Fax: (405) 325-6419
CPR pages maintained by Robin Reeder,
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