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AIDS Library (Philadelphia, Pa.) Records
Notifications
Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Since 1987, the AIDS Library has been the premier source for AIDS-related information for researchers, doctors, the general public, and those with HIV/AIDS in the Philadelphia area. In 1987, a group of volunteer librarians and AIDS activists created the AIDS Library in Philadelphia. At the AIDS Library, people could find information on treatments (both medical and alternative), nutrition, legal issues, social services in the Philadelphia area, and how to live with HIV, as well as on the history of the pandemic, referrals to regional and national resources, and connect with other HIV/AIDS activists around the world.
The AIDS Library was founded to improve access to health and support services, prevent HIV transmission, and raise the public awareness of HIV/AIDS related issues. Serving the Delaware Valley area, the Library provides information and support to those infected by HIV/AIDS; shares HIV/AIDS information with caregivers, other AIDS service organizations, medical practitioners, case managers, hospitals, family members, partners, and friends of those infected with and affected by the virus; and offers education for the community at large to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
AIDS Library information is provided through a variety of media including books, periodicals, medical journals, government reports, videos, audiocassettes, CD-ROM, and the Internet. All materials are accessible for free, and the Library also provides free computer access to the Library's HIV/AIDS Resources Online, the Online Catalog, the Internet, and word-processing—a service that started in the 1990s. The AIDS Library also has a presence in the community: events for students, case managers, and support groups are held in the Library and off-site. Topics are HIV related and for people living with HIV, HIV service providers, and the general public.
In 1993, the organization expanded and changed its name to the AIDS Information Network. In 1999, the AIDS Library, joined Philadelphia FIGHT, along with the Critical Path AIDS Project and the Youth Health Empowerment Project (Y-HEP). The AIDS Library, renamed the Critical Path Learning Center, continues to operate with Philadelphia FIGHT.
List of AIDS Library and Philadelphia FIGHT Directors
AIDS Library of Philadelphia
Lee Mooney, Director, AIDS Library of Philadelphia, 1989-1990
Jean Hofacket, Director, AIDS Library of Philadelphia, 1991-1992
Jean Hofacket, Director, AIDS Information Network (Library), 1993-January 1996
Nicole Sloan, Director, AIDS Information Network (Library), September 1996-1998
Philadelphia FIGHT
Jenny Pierce, Director, AIDS Library, 1999-2000
Jenny Pierce, Director, AIDS Library and Critical Path AIDS Project, 2001- March 2005
Allie Fraser, Coordinator, AIDS Library and Critical Path AIDS Project, April 2005-April 2006
Maura Sostack, Director, AIDS Library and Critical Path AIDS Project, May-June, 2006
Allie Fraser, Coordinator, AIDS Library and Critical Path AIDS Project, July 2006-August 2006
Juliet Fink Yates, Director of Education (AIDS Library, Critical Path Project, Project TEACH, Y-HEP, CTR, AIDS Education Month), September 2006 -present
This collection contains administrative records that have accumulated over the course of the Library's history, as well as materials withdrawn from the library's general collection (monographs, serials, pamphlets, collections of article and newspaper clippings, collections of community newsletters, and information files). These materials include primary source materials about the AIDS Library and the AIDS Information Network, secondary articles and reports, and documents and records of related organizations in the Philadelphia area. The majority of the collection covers the early years of the AIDS epidemic and early activist and political activities, around 1986-1996. This collection includes preserved versions of the organization's website, available through Archive-It.
The collection is arranged into 12 series as follows:
- Series 1: Administration, 1986-2005
- Subseries 1.1: Board of Directors, 1988-1996
- Subseries 1.2: Committees, 1989-1996
- Subseries 1.3: Correspondence, 1987-2003
- Subseries 1.4: Operations, 1987-2003
- Subseries 1.5: Outside committees, 1988-2003
- Subseries 1.6: Staff, 1988-2003
- Subseries 1.7: VIP, 1992-2000
- Subseries 1.8: Volunteers, 1987-2005
- Subseries 1.9: Miscellaneous, 1986-1996
- Series 2: Financial, 1988-2005
- Subseries 2.1: Grants, 1988-2005
- Series 3: Outreach programs and events, 1983-2003
- Subseries 3.1: AIDS Library/AIN, 1989-2003
- Subseries 3.2: Other Organizations, 1983-1998
- Series 4: Conferences, 1988-2003
- Subseries 4.1: International Conference on AIDS, 1988-2000
- Subseries 4.2: International, 1988-1997
- Subseries 4.3: Local, 1994-2003
- Subseries 4.4: National, 1990-2002
- Series 5: Other Organizations, 1974-2003, bulk 1989-1998
- Subseries 5.1: Care Committee, 1996-1998
- Subseries 5.2: City of Philadelphia, 1988-2003
- Subseries 5.3: Community Planning Group, 1994-1997
- Subseries 5.4: Montgomery County AIDS Consortium, 1974-1991, bulk 1989-1991
- Subseries 5.5: Philadelphia AIDS Consortium, 1989-1994
- Subseries 5.6: Philadelphia EMA HIV Commission, 1996-1998
- Subseries 5.7: Miscellaneous, 1986-1997
- Series 6: Publications, 1984-2004
- Subseries 6.1: Academic, 1986-1994
- Subseries 6.2: Books, 1985-2002
- Subseries 6.3: Government, 1985-2000
- Subseries 6.4: Government: AACO, 1987-1998
- Subseries 6.5: Government: CDC, 1987-2001
- Subseries 6.6: Government: Department of Justice, 1987-1989
- Subseries 6.7: Government: Pennsylvania Department of Health, 1991-2002
- Subseries 6.8: Magazines, 1985-2001
- Subseries 6.9: Newsletters: International, 1990-1999
- Subseries 6.10: Newsletters: Local, 1987-2004
- Subseries 6.11: Newsletters: Medical, 1985-2000
- Subseries 6.12: Newsletters: US and Canada, 1987-2000
- Subseries 6.13: Reports, 1987-2000
- Subseries 6.14: Miscellaneous, 1987-1996
- Series 7: Resources, 1976-2003, bulk 1987-1994
- Subseries 7.1: AIDS Library Subjects, 1985-1997
- Subseries 7.2: Directories/Guides, 1987-2003
- Subseries 7.3: Fact Sheets & Reference, 1984-2003
- Subseries 7.4: Medical, 1988-1999
- Subseries 7.5: Montgomery County AIDS Consortium (MCAC) clippings, 1976-1992, bulk 1987-1990
- Subseries 7.6: Montgomery County AIDS Consortium (MCAC) subjects, 1984-1990
- Subseries 7.7: Other organizations, 1992-2003
- Subseries 7.8: Pamphlets, undated
- Series 8: Ephemera and oversized, 1985-2000
- Subseries 8.1: Photographs, 1995
- Subseries 8.2: Pins, undated
- Subseries 8.3: Publications, 1985-2000
- Subseries 8.4: T-shirts, 1991-1997
- Series 9: Accession 2014-49, 1990-2008 (PORTIONS RESTRICTED)
- Series 10: Accession 2015-45, 1990-2014 (RESTRICTED)
- Series 11: Accession 2017-20, 1980s-2010 (RESTRICTED)
- Series 12: Website versions in Archive-It, 2016-2017
Additions to this collection are expected. Websites are captured using Archive-It periodically, and the latest additions may not yet be included in this finding aid. For information on material–physical and digital, including captured websites–that may have been added since the last finding aid update, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.
Donated by the AIDS Library, February 2007, December 2014, and September 2015.
Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Certain digital files may also be inaccessible. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
Before donation to Temple University, the AIDS Library Historical Collection had been processed by the following individuals: Tiffany Smith, MLS (Monographs: July 2005 – September 2005); Rachel Linstead (Videos: July 2005 – September 2005; Information Files: September 2005 – November 2005; Serials: November 2005 – January 2006; General Historical Archives: January 2006 – February 2006); Marc Miller (General Historical Archives: February 2006 – November 2006); Jennifer Brank, MLS (General Historical Archives: July 2006 – October 2006); and Katie Ingersoll (General Historical Archives: October 2006 – November 2006). A finding aid was created in 2006 by Jennifer Brank and Marc Miller and included with the donation.
In 2009, a complete inventory of the collection was conducted by Byron Lee, a student worker at Temple University Libraries, noting items that were not actually donated as well as listing additional items included in the donation. The collection was then re-processed by Byron Lee from 2009-2013. Original order and original folder names were maintained as much as possible. The collection's finding aid was prepared in July 2014 by Byron Lee, and revised in February 2015 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services.
The finding aid was updated to include inventories for two recent accruals in April 2016, and again to include an inventory for accession 2017-20 in June 2017 by Courtney Smerz, Collection Management Archivist.
Organization
Subject
- AIDS (Disease)--Information services
- AIDS (Disease)--Prevention
- AIDS (Disease)--Social aspects
- Community health services--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Health education--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- HIV infections
- HIV infections--Information services
- HIV infections--Prevention
- HIV infections--Social aspects
- Libraries and gays
- Sexual minorities--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- 2024
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research. Some records in Series 9 are restricted from use, as noted into the inventory. Records in Series 10 and 11 have not been cataloged or organized for use. They have not yet had any necessary preservation actions taken on them. There may be restricted files to protect third-party privacy issues. There is a box level inventory. Interested patrons must contact the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) prior to their visit to see if materials can be made available.
- Use Restrictions
-
The AIDS Library (Philadelphia, Pa.) Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1: Administration is divided into nine subseries: Board of Directors, Committees, Correspondence, Miscellaneous, Operations, Outside committees, Staff, VIP, and Volunteers. This series also includes documents about the AIDS Library's incorporation and its annual reports from 1989-1991.
Subseries 1.1: Board of Directors contains agendas, minutes, and general planning documents.
Subseries 1.2: Committees contains minutes and documents about committees within the AIDS Library.
Subseries 1.3: Correspondence contains correspondence of the AIDS Library board and staff members.
Subseries 1.4: Operations includes documents pertaining to the running of the AIDS Library, such as sign-in materials, collections holdings, and tracking statistics. This subseries also contains the blueprints and designs for the AIDS Library.
Subseries 1.5: Outside committees contains minutes and notes for committees on which AIDS Library board and staff members represented the AIDS Library.
Subseries 1.6: Staff contains folders from staff members as well as human resources information, such as job postings and job descriptions.
Subseries 1.7: VIP contains memorial items about Jonathan Lax and Kiyoshi Kuromiya, prominent AIDS activists in Philadelphia, including memorial programs and obituaries.
Subseries 1.8: Volunteers contains information for volunteers, policies, and procedures.
Subseries 1.9: Miscellaneous includes press releases, press coverage of the AIDS Library and AIN, and documents about miscellaneous projects.
Series 2: Financial contains financial documents of the AIDS Library, including ledgers, budget reports, and its IRS Non-Profit Status letter. This series also contains one subseries, Subseries 2.1: Grants.
Subseries 2.1: Grants contains grant postings, proposals, applications, and reports. For related materials see Series 8: Ephemera and Oversized. Subseries 8.1: Photographs contains an image of a donation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1995.
Series 3: Outreach programs and events is divided into two subseries: AIDS Library/AIN, and Other organizations. This series contains planning documents and promotions of AIDS-related events, fundraisers, lectures, and social services.
Subseries 3.1: AIDS Library/AIN contains items about events produced by the AIDS Library, the AIDS Information Network (AIN), and Philadelphia FIGHT.
Subseries 3.2: Other organizations contains documents and promotions for AIDS-related events in the Philadelphia area that were produced by other organizations. These documents include posters and signs that were posted in the AIDS Library.
Series 4: Conferences is divided into 4 subseries: International Conference on AIDS, International, Local, and National. This series contains programs and information about various AIDS conferences.
Subseries 4.1: International Conference on AIDS contains information on the International Conference on AIDS, the most prominent AIDS conference in the world. Conference XI in Vancouver in 1996 is when anti-retrovirals were announced as a treatment method.
Subseries 4.2: International contains information about international AIDS conferences.
Subseries 4.3: Local contains information about conferences held by Philadelphia area organizations which target locals as their participants.
Subseries 4.4: National contains information about national AIDS conferences held in the United States. For related materials see Series 9: Audiovisual.
Series 5: Other organizations contains administrative documents such as annual reports and meeting minutes for organizations outside of the AIDS Library, AIN, and Philadelphia FIGHT. For non-AIDS-specific organizations, this series contains items related to the organizations' AIDS-related activities. This series is divided into 6 subseries: Care Committee, City of Philadelphia, Community Planning Group, Montgomery County AIDS Consortium, Philadelphia AIDS Consortium, Philadelphia EMA HIV Commission, and Miscellaneous.
Series 6: Publications contains publications containing information about AIDS issues, including medical and alternative treatments. The first folder of this Series contains publications published by AIN: Network News, Inside FIGHT, AIDS Nutrition Committee Newsletter, and AIN Voice. The remainder of the series is divided into 14 subseries: Academic, Books, Government, Government: AACO, Government: CDC, Government: Department of Justice, Government: Pennsylvania Department of Health, Magazines, Newsletters: International, Newsletters: Local, Newsletters: Medical, Newsletters: US and Canada, Reports, and Miscellaneous.
Series 7: Resources contains files from the AIDS Library collection or educational materials that could be given out to the public. The series is divided into 8 subseries: AIDS Library Subjects, Directories and guides, Fact sheets and reference, Medical, Montgomery County AIDS Consortium clippings, Montgomery County AIDS Consortium subjects, other organizations, and Pamphlets.
Subseries 7.1: AIDS Library subjects contains the subject files of the AIDS Library. The following codes note what kinds of materials are in the folders: (NC) - Newspaper Clippings; (A) - Articles; (R) - Resource. The order and folder categories are as organized by the AIDS Library.
Subseries 7.3: Fact sheets and reference includes information that could be handed out to the public. Some of these materials originally were kept in "quick reference" binders.
Subseries 7.5: Montgomery County AIDS Consortium clippings and Subseries 7.6: Montgomery County AIDS Consortium subjects contain the resource subject files of the Montgomery County AIDS Consortium. These subseries maintain the original folder names and original order.
Subseries 7.7: Other organizations contains resource materials produced by other organizations, including fliers promoting educational events and job postings that were posted at the AIDS Library.
Subseries 7.8: Pamphlets contains pamphlets about AIDS. This subseries includes non-English materials.
Series 8: Ephemera and oversized contains documents that do not fit in regular sized boxes and objects. There are 4 subseries: Photographs, Pins, Publications, and T-shirts.
3 copies
Subseries 8.3: Publications contains oversized publications. This subseries also includes a Braille copy of Understanding AIDS.
4 copies
2 copiesVol 24, No. 31
2 copiesvol. 1; no. 1
vol. 16
Series 9: Accession 2014-49 includes administrative records of the AIDS Library and related projects and programs dating from 1990 to 2008. Researchers will find records documenting planning of AIDS Education Month and the associated Prevention and Prison Summits, resource guides compiled on HIV/AIDS related organizations and services in the Philadelphia area, and programs focused on providing computer training and access to the internet for patrons. There are also records documenting the Critical Path AIDS Project. There is documentation of funding from the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, National Library of Medicine, and other granting agencies. There is a small body of audiovisual materials, which include coverage of Library events, public service announcements, and related topics.
Some materials in Series 9 are restricted from use as indicated in the folder-level inventory.
Vol 2
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