]> MSS-138 MENANDS BOOK CLUB RECORDS, (MSS-138), 1881-2009 Ashley Purvis M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives
1400 Washington Avenue / Albany, New York 12222
© 2012 By the University at Albany, SUNY. All rights reserved. Jodi Boyle2012 English MENANDS BOOK CLUB RECORDS, 1908-2008 M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives 2012

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 Descriptive Summary Menands Book Club Records 1881-2009 .67 cubic ft. M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University at Albany, SUNY The majority of the Menands Book Club Records consists of meeting and treasurer notes and program schedules. There also is correspondence, club histories and an information packet of the village of Menands, NY Anniversary. The materials in the collection are in English. The materials are located onsite in the department. Access

Access to this record group is unrestricted with the exception of one folder noted below.

Copyright

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Acquisition Information

The Menands Book Club donated the records to the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives in 2011.

Biographical Sketch

The Menands Book Club was formed by Mrs. Edward A. Kelly, Mrs. Frank Dunn, and Mrs. Claude C. Nuckols about 1908. It was originally known as The Literary Club of Menands, NY. Members held informal meetings at a different member home each week.

As the literary club grew, members decided to create a more formal structure in 1910, including having club officers. The first president was Miss Alice M. Darbe. Along with assigning officers, members wrote a constitution and by-laws. The purpose of the Club as stated was to enlighten and fulfill intellectual needs. Meetings were now held every two weeks and the Club charged membership dues of 5 cents per member per meeting for attendees and 10 cents for those absent. Programs were printed for members with the meeting dates and topics. Members were required to share a reading on their assigned topic. The Club also selected books to reflect an overall theme in some years, including current events, women, New York State history, islands, far away places and American people and life.

The organization continued to evolve over time. The name changed to the Menands Book Club for the 1923-1924 program year. In 1954 and 2007 members revised the constitution and by-laws. The Club currently has about a dozen members and meets from September through June. Its meetings still cover a variety of topics.

 Scope and Content Information

The collection predominantly consists of paper-handouts and mini-booklets. In addition, there are some newspaper clippings and both ledger and composition notebooks to record meetings. There are guidebooks to the village of Menands anniversary celebrations in the collection as well. Please note there are gaps in the collection record in the 1940s and then again in the 1960s and 1970s, with the meeting program guides.

Series one contains administrative records. In the records there are meeting minutes and treasury information. Correspondence pertaining to administration of the Club and membership directories are also in this section. Series two contains materials related to programs and events. Within this series is correspondence regarding the history of the Club, program guides and newsclippings. There also are items retained by Club members that relate to the history of Menands, but pre-date the The Literary Club.

These records were located in the homes of members and members' families and collected by the Menands Book Club several years prior to the donation of materials to the University at Albany.

 Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Series 1 - Administration, 1908-2008, Undated Series 2 - Programs and Events, 1881, 1898, 1910-2009, Undated

Both series are arranged alphabetically.

 Subject and Genre Headings Menands Book Club Book clubs (Discussion groups)--New York (State) Women--Societies and clubs. Menands (N.Y.) Programs (documents) Clippings Correspondence Bylaws (administrative records) Schedules (time plans) Histories Financial records Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Menands Book Club Records, 1881-2009. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Menands Book Club Records).

 Container List Series 1: Administration .43 cubic ft. 1908-2008, Undated

Arranged alphabetically.

This series contains correspondence pertaining to book club business, organizational history, laws, and membership information.

1 1 Account Statements-RESTRICTED 1985-1989 1 2 Club Laws 1921 2007 1 3 Correspondence 1963-1965 1968-1969 1 4 Correspondence 1970-1977 1 5 Correspondence 1980 1982-1984 1986 1988-1989 1 6 Correspondence 1991 1994-1996 1999 1 7 Correspondence 2001-2003 2008 1 8 Correspondence Undated 1 9 Dues 1981-1985 1 10 History 1974 2007-2008 Undated 1 11 Meeting Minutes 1996-1999 1 12 Meeting Minutes 2000-2003 1 13 Meeting Minutes 2004-2007 1 14 Meeting Minutes 1998-2007 1 15 Membership Cards for Red Cross 1949-1951 1955 1 16 Membership Lists Undated 1 17 Receipts 1964-1965 1975 1980 1989 1991 1 18 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1908-1914 1 19 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1948-1950 1 20 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1948-1955 1 21 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1955-1965 2 1 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1965-1972 2 2 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1972-1982 2 3 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1982-1993 2 4 Secretary and Treasurer Notes 1993-1996 Series 2: Programs and Events .24 cu. ft. 1881, 1898, 1910-2009, Undated

Arranged alphabetically.

This series consists of calendars of events, newspaper clippings, histories of the village of Menands, meeting schedules and annual programs. Initially these programs were bound volumes listing such information as the meeting dates, book to be discussed, hostess for each meeting and presenters and topics. Eventually they became less elaborate and frequently were one sheet of paper featuring a typed meeting schedule.

2 5 Calendar of Events 2007-2009 2 6 Early Menands Historic Documents Retained by Club Members 1881 1898 2 7 Menands Anniversary 1974 1979 2 8 Menands History Undated 3 1 News Clippings 1984-2007 3 2 News Clippings on Menands Book Club 1931-1932 3 3 Programs 1910-1914 3 4 Programs 1914-1919 3 5 Programs 1919-1925 3 6 Programs 1926-1932 3 7 Programs 1932-1939 3 8 Programs 1944-1950 3 9 Programs 1950-1959 3 10 Schedules 1962-1963 3 11 Schedules 1969-1971 3 12 Schedules 1986-1990 3 13 Schedules 1992-2000 3 14 Schedules 2001-2007