Mission

The SAA Business Archives Section adopted the following mission statement at its business meeting in August 1984. The statement was drafted in 1983 by a sub-committee consisting of Jane Gibbs (Chair), Linda Edgerly, Manuel Jimenez, Bara Levin, Richard Lynch, and Gary Saretzky.  Statement adopted 2004.

Mission Statement

The mission of the SAA Business Archives Section shall be to promote the interests of business archivists and others concerned with the preservation and use of business records, and to encourage the establishment and growth of business archives in both profit-making and non-profit organizations in the United States and Canada.

To fulfill this mission, the SAA Business Archives Section pursues goals in three broad categories: membership services and growth; development of information and communication; and education. The section has as its goals the following:

Membership Services and Growth

1. Promote SAA membership among business archivists and others concerned with business records, and encourage professional development.
2. Foster active participation on the part of business archivists in the affairs of the Section and of SAA. Participation may include office-holding, policy, program, and publications development, research and Task Force membership.
3. Develop leadership through Section government, committee and Task Force membership, and project management.
4. Maintain contacts with professional organizations with similar interests, such as ARMA, the Business Archives Committee of ICA, and the Business History Conference.

Development of Information and Communication

1. Identify and promote communication about areas of particular concern of the Section members.
2. Serve as a forum for discussion.
3. Encourage mutual assistance among archivists that have similar goals, problems and publics to serve.
4. Represent within SAA the needs and interests of business archivists, including making recommendations on positions, programs and policies to Council.
5. Act as an information resource for the public, other archivists, and individuals in the corporate world who seek to establish, improve, and/or utilize business archives.
6. Survey the section membership as needed to determine the state of business archives.
7. Exchange information concerning business archives with professional organizations that have similar interests (see A-4).
8. Sponsor, write, and edit publications and articles of interest to business archivists and others concerned with business records.

Education

1. Promote and help arrange SAA Business Archives Workshops in the United States and Canada; encourage the use of well-qualified speakers and instructors.
2. Encourage corporations and other institutions to establish and maintain effective, well-managed archives, including recommending the hiring of archivists and consultants whom have professional credentials.
3. Each year, contribute to the SAA Program Committee suggestions that address the issues and information needs of business archivists.

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