ALA GODORT’s 2007 Conference Program is entitled ‘What Difference Does It Make What Congress Published? American History in the Earliest Congressional Documents’
2007 ALA Annual
GODORT Program
Washington, D.C.
Monday, June 25, 2007
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
It is not known, for certain, what Congress published during the early years of the Republic, especially prior to the 15th Congress (1817).
Although many Congressional publications from the period 1789-1817 are reproduced in the American State Papers, an indeterminate number are not included, some of which are known from scattered individual library collections. Others appeared with historically significant textual variations from the officially reprinted versions in the American State Papers, or are known through contemporary newspaper or later secondary bibliographic citations. Still others remain undocumented, scattered in individual library collections, unbeknownst even to their collection managers. As a result of the burning of Washington by British armed forces on August 24, 1814, which resulted in the complete destruction of the Library of Congress as it existed at that time, this problem is all the more acute for these very early documents. Due to the pre-eminent importance of Congressional publications as primary sources of information concerning the early history of the United States, establishing a complete inventory of all Congressional publications from this period is a task of basic importance.
The 2007 GODORT Program, co-sponsored by the RUSA-History Section and the ACRL - Rare Books and Manuscript Section, will examine the origins of this state of affairs, the mystery concerning what Congress published prior to the 15th Congress, the variability in the text of individual surviving publications, the consequences for librarians and scholars, and the implications for an understanding of the earliest American history. A presentation by August A. Imholtz, Jr., will address “pre-Serial Set” publications which are not included in the Gales and Seaton American State Papers, and the importance of examining individual library collections, to locate and identify otherwise unknown fugitive early publications of Congress. A presentation by Fred Beuttler will focus on one significant early Congressional publication concerning the “John Jay Treaty,” and the historical repercussions for the longer term of the debate which it inaugurates. Finally, a presentation by Jessie Kratz will discuss early archival material and its implications for an understanding of early Congressional publications and related issues in the early history of the United States. These will be preceded by a Keynote Address by U.S. Congressman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen.
List of Speakers
Hon. Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, United States House of Representatives Keynote Address
Mr. August A. Imholtz, Jr., Vice President, Readex Digital Documents Division “The American State Papers: The Incomplete Story, or What Was Selected and What Was Omitted”
Dr. Fred Beuttler, Deputy Historian, United States House of Representatives “The Early House and the Early Presidents: Conflict and Compromise”
Ms Jessie Kratz, Archives Specialist, National Archives and Records Administration “Recovering the People’s Voice: Unpublished Petitions and Their Impact on Publications, Legislation, and History”
Update, June 7, 2007:
I am afraid that I have some bad news - Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen will not be able to speak at the annual GODORT Program, co-sponsored by the RUSA/History section and the ACRL/Rare Books and Manuscripts section, “What Difference Does It Make What Congress Published? American History in the Earliest Congressional Documents.” The Congressman has business back in his district that requires his presence and will not be in town.
However, as every cloud has a silver lining ours is the exciting news that Professor Charlene Bickford, director of the First Federal Congress Project has agreed to step into the breach.
In addition to her work as Director of the First Federal Congress Project Dr. Bickford is affiliated with The George Washington University’s History Department, has been an editor on 17 volumes of the Documentary History of the First Federal Congress, 1789-1791. She is he co-author with Kenneth R. Bowling of Birth of the Nation: The First Federal Congress, 1789-1791 and the curator of an exhibit of the same name. She has authored several articles and lectured on many topics relating to the First Federal Congress. Known as an advocate for history programs and funding at the federal level, Bickford has also served on the Congress’s Committee on Congressional Records and as president of the Society for History in the Federal Government and of the Association for Documentary Editing.
I hope that you will join us on Monday, June 25th (10:30-12:30 p.m.) in the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel for the GODORT annual program: “What Difference Does It Make What Congress Published? American History in the Earliest Congressional Documents.”
