Joni J. Floyd, left and Barbara Hays, right
Joni Floyd, Curator, Maryland and Historical Collections at the University of Maryland welcomes Barbara and Maryland NOW’s latest contribution of papers to our archives at the University of Maryland. These boxes include papers from several chapters, the files from the “Dolly” Packard papers, and some Maryland NOW papers.
Those old Maryland NOW papers from when you were an officer/council representative/committee or task force member can have a good home in the Maryland NOW Archives!
In the early 1990s, Maryland NOW signed a Deed of Gift with the University of Maryland-College Park to house our archives. Our efforts to make sure we got files from each retiring leader have fallen woefully short. We have huge gaps in our records of Maryland NOW’s work in the state and have been only marginally successful at finding people to ask them to let us take those boxes off their hands.
We hit the jackpot last summer when we – literally almost by accident – stumbled across boxes and boxes of papers saved by Dolly Packard who died in 2006. Dolly was active in the women’s movement from the early 1970s until her death in 2006, and had many kinds of records – old newsletters, correspondence, meeting agendas, minutes, and other reports. In addition, the Southern Prince George’s Chapter was very active, with regular newsletters, meetings, and photos.
We believe that, over the past 50 years, Maryland NOW has made a difference for women in our state. However, in order to show what we have done and how we’ve done it, we need your files, meeting minutes, newsletters from your chapter and other chapters, and photos.
We will help in any way we can to get your boxes to the University of Maryland-College Park into our Maryland NOW archived files. Please contact us and we’ll do all we can!
Barbara Hays
Chair, Maryland NOW Archives Committee
