Rehousing the Records of the Boynton Beach Women's Club

FAIN: PG-51875-13

City of Boynton Beach (Boynton Beach, FL 33435-3838)
Janet M. DeVries (Project Director: May 2012 to September 2014)

The purchase of preservation supplies for rehousing the records of the Boynton Beach Women's Club, documenting the role of women in the history of southern Florida from 1908 to the 1980s. Comprising 30 cubic feet of photographs, prints, publications, yearbooks, memorabilia, and artifacts, the collection provides information on the urbanization of the South Florida region in the 20th century and the involvement of the Women's Club in the women's suffrage movement, the American Red Cross, and the United Service Organization. The collection also depicts the club's efforts in sponsoring cultural events and raising money and awareness for area schools, recreational facilities, hospitals, and libraries.

The goal of the Boynton Beach City Library is to continue with the preservation of the Library's archival collection, focusing on 20th century history of a seaside community in southeastern Florida. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funded a report prepared by a LYRASIS Consultant in 2009-2010. The consultant's recommendations included a re-housing of much of the collection into archival quality storage containers following the preservation guidelines outlined in her report. The summary of the consultant's report is included as Appendix A. This request for funding is the second step in the Library's effort to preserve the history of Boynton Beach, specifically the oft forgotten women's history.