Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Population Council
- Extent:
- 48.88 Cubic Feet
- Language:
- English .
Background
- Scope and Content:
The records of the Population Council document its day-to-day operation as an organization that, among other activities, evaluated and administered grants, sponsored conferences of scholars in the field of demography, and provided advice to individuals, private institutions, and governments concerned with population. There is some material relating to major policy decisions of the Council. There are also letters and reports from scientists involved in medical research and from Council staff members and representatives involved in family planning activities abroad.
The Council records are divided into two accessions. Accession 1, most of which is dated before 1967, consists of material received by the Archive Center in September, 1976. Accession 2, most of which is dated after 1966, consists primarily of material received by the Center in April, 1977.
The records of Accession 1 and Accession 2 have been kept separate because the Council evidently employed different filing systems in each of the two units and because the existence of the different filing systems sheds light on the manner in which the Council was organized and run. The use of this approach has meant that the files are organized in such a way that material relating to a given topic may appear in several different parts of the collection under either identical names or titles, or under different names or titles. For example, in the case of some institutions whose proper names are in a foreign language, records may have been filed under both the foreign name and under an English rendering of the name. The files also contain many carbon copies and there is duplication throughout the collection, so that copies of the same item may appear in several places.
To conduct a thorough search for records on a given topic, it is essential to look for material in as many different sections of the collection and under as many different names or titles as possible. For example, material relating to a given organization may be listed under the name of the organization, under the name of important figures in the organization, or under a title reflecting a study or type of work done by the organization.
- Processing information:
The description of the records of the Population Council was written in 1978 when the described records, designated as Accession 1, were initially processed and opened to researchers. In accordance with the criteria developed at that time, certain documents and files were closed from access.
In January 2001, those criteria were reevaluated. Subsequent to the review of all the closed files, new guidelines for the continued closure of Accession 1 records were established. The revised criteria specified that continued closure was warranted only for records that revealed names of patients or participants in medical studies. Additionally, all personnel files were to remain closed.
The new, less stringent closure guidelines allowed for the opening of dozens of files that had previously been closed to research. These files are easily identifiable throughout the collection. The word "CLOSED," which had been written in red pencil at the top of the folder, now has a red line through it. Furthermore, these previously closed folders have been stamped "Open as of July 2001."
Those files that have remained closed are no longer intermingled with the open records. They are, instead, filed at the end of Accession I in boxes 129 and 130.
- Arrangement:
Accession I is arranged in five series.
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
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Open for research. Brittle or damaged items are available at the discretion of RAC. Researchers interested in accessing digital media (floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.) or audiovisual material (audio cassettes, VHS, etc.) in this collection must use an access surrogate. The original items may not be accessed because of preservation concerns. To request an access surrogate be made, or if you are unsure if there is an access surrogate, please contact an archivist.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
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The Population Council retains title, copyright and literary rights in the collection, in so far as it holds them.
The Rockefeller Archive Center has authority to grant permission to cite and publish material from the collection. The Population Council retains the right to prior consent with respect to any reproduction or extensive quotation of the records for publication.
Reproduction/duplication of archival items is routinely provided in accordance with "fair use". If the RAC does not hold copyright for an archival collection, or items within a collection, it is the users responsibility to contact the copyright holder, or make a fair effort to do so, prior to publication.
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
- CONTACT:
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