Documenting nursing and health care history in the mid-Atlantic region

The records of health care institutions can be of great value to library patrons. Yet, librarians rarely provide these unique resources because records must be collected, arranged, and described before they can be useful to patrons. The University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Study of the History of Nursing conducted a survey of health care agencies in the mid-Atlantic region to locate records created by area health care institutions. The goals of this project were to develop a database of primary source materials, to place organizational records with enduring value at suitable repositories, and to assist in the development of in-house archival programs at agencies keeping records. In-house programs provide health care institutions with a systematic way to preserve their records for administrative, legal, fiscal, and research use. Such programs also facilitate access to information, reduce cost through records management, and promote an institution through preservation and use of its historical records. The survey demonstrated that record keeping is not coordinated in most institutions, and that institutional awareness of the organization or content of records is minimal.