Community Service Society records, 1842-1995
Summary Information
At a Glance
- Call No.:
- MS#0273
- Bib ID:
- 4079675 View CLIO record
- Creator(s):
- Community Service Society of New York
- Repository:
- Rare Book and Manuscript Library
- Physical Description:
- 423 linear feet (718 boxes; 123 bound volumes; 9 packages; 1 crate; 4 framed items (shelved at end of original collection and end of series II))
- Language(s):
- English .
- Access:
- You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
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This collection is partially located off-site (2015 accession, boxes 1-102), earlier materials are on site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
General Director, Evaluation of His Performance (box 489); "Joey" Admission Records (box 494); Supplemental Security Income (box 509); Trustees, Study Data (box 541); and Special Administration Committee Meeting, Dec. 1951 (box 549) are: closed.
Readers must sign a special agreement form, kept in a folder at the Reference Center.
Description
Summary
Correspondence, reports, memoranda, case records, photographs and printed material. The archive include central and district administrative records; cammittee correspondence and minutes; and files on the various programs--such as sheltered workshops, tuberculosis sanitariums and health centers, public baths and employment bureaus--run by the two organizations. The archive also contains hundreds of photographs, including works by Lewis Hine and Jessie Tarbox Beals; extensive casework files from the beginning of social work (originally referred to as "friendly visiting among the poor"); and copies of masters and doctoral theses from the New York School of Sociel Work and other schools. Much of the research for these theses was based on the CSS files
Among the major correspondence are: Jane Addams; Cornelius N. Bliss; Robert W. DeForest; Edward T. Devine; Irving Fisher; Homer Folks; Harry L. Hopkins; Florence Kelley; Paul U. Kellogg; Fiorello La Guardia; Josephine Shaw Lowell; Frances Perkins; Lawson Purdy; Jacob Riis; Beardsley Ruml; Alfred E. Smith; Lawrence Veiller; Lilliam Wald; and Alfred T. White.
Series XIV continues the files from the time of the merger in 1939 until 1960, and contains the same types of materials as the original gift; similarly, Series XV covers primarily the period from 1960-1970. Series XVI contains the additions to the files for the years 1970-1984, but there are also files for the period ca.1935-1969. Series XVII contains additions primarily for the period 1970-1986, but also contains some files for ca.1945-1969. Series XVIII contains legal and financial additions primarily for the period 1970 & following, and the files of H. Dogue.
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Series IV: Association For Improving The Condition Of The Poor
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(Includes some material for the period, ca.1945-1969 also)
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Series XVIII:Legal and Financial Matters, and H. Dogue Materials
Note: For a detailed list of contents of these Folders, see the following section "Folder Conte
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This large addition comprises 103 record storage cartons (shelved off site); 11 document boxes (shelved off site); 4 card file boxes (shelved off site).
Accession 2015.2016.M036
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in 18 series, with one addition.
- Series I: Catalogued Correspondence
- Series II: Catalogued Manuscripts And Documents
- Series III: Catalogued Photographs
- Series IV: Association For Improving The Condition Of The Poor
- Subseries IV.1: Classified Files
- Subseries IV.2 Alphabetical Files
- Subseries IV.3: Annual & Monthly Reports
- Subseries IV.4: Committees
- Subseries IV.5: Robert M. Hartley Correspondence, manuscripts and documents
- Subseries IV.6: Fund-Raising Literature
- Subseries IV.7: Bound Volumes
- Subseries IV.8: Pamphlets and reprints; Bulletins
- Series V: Charity Organization Society
- Subseries V.1: Alphabetic Files
- Subseries V.2: Annual reports
- Subseries V.3: Bulletins
- Subseries V.4: District Committee Minutes
- Subseries V.5: Pamphlets and Reprints
- Subseries V.6: Consultatives
- Subseries V.7: Central Council Minutes and Reports
- Subseries V.8: Executive Committee Minutes and Reports
- Subseries V.9: Miscellaneous Volumes
- Series VI: CSS Press Releases and Scrapbook, 1944-1970
- Series VII: Masters Theses
- Series VIII: Casework Files
- Subseries: Casework sample files, chronological, 1882-1918
- Subseries: Casework sample files, alphabetical, 1935-1940
- Series IX: Photographs
- Series X: Printed Materials
- Series XI: Memorabilia and Miscellaneous Items
- Series XII: Bound Volumes
- Subseries XII.1: Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor
- Subseries XII.2: Charity Organization Society
- Subseries XII.3: Miscellaneous volumes
- Series XIII: Oversize Materials
- Series XIV: Files, 1939-1960
- Subseries XIV.1: Files, Alphabetic
- Subseries XIV.2: Reports, Pamphlets, Pictures, 1939-1960
- Subseries XIV.3: Photographs, Oversize Materials, Books
- Series XV: Files, 1960-1970
- Series XVI: Historical Data, 1970 & Following
- Subseries XVI.1: Historical Data
- Subseries XVI.2:Reports, Pamphlets, Clippings
- Subseries XVI.3: Minutes, Bulletins, Annual Reports
- Subseries XVI.4: Case records and Group Therapy
- Series XVII: Files, 1970-1986
- Series XVIII:Legal and Financial Matters, and H. Dogue Materials
- CSS Addition (August 2015):
Using the Collection
Restrictions on Access
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
This collection is partially located off-site (2015 accession, boxes 1-102), earlier materials are on site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
General Director, Evaluation of His Performance (box 489); "Joey" Admission Records (box 494); Supplemental Security Income (box 509); Trustees, Study Data (box 541); and Special Administration Committee Meeting, Dec. 1951 (box 549) are: closed.
Readers must sign a special agreement form, kept in a folder at the Reference Center.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
CSS strictly forbids the citing or quoting of the real names or addresses of family and individual cases, which appear in the casework files and throughout the entire collection.
Community Service Society photographs are restricted. Readers must use photocopies available at the Reference Desk. For the originals, consult the Curator of Manuscripts.
Material from casework files may not be photographed or photocopied.
No photographs or photocopies may be made of images in the Community Service Society Records.
Readers must use microfilm of materials specified above.
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Community Service Society records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Related Material
Community Service Society Photographs, digitized photographs from the collection.
Online Exhibition: Photographs from the Community Service Society Records, 1900-1920
Accruals
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Alternate Form Available
Josephine Shaw Lowell letters; Interview book (Box 180); and Handbook for friendly visitors (Box 182); Index of New Cases, 1906-1908 (leger book) are on: microfilm.
Ownership and Custodial History
Gift of the Society, 1979, 1981, 1986& 1988.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source of acquisition--Community Service Society. Method of acquisition--Gift, 1979-1988; Date of acquisition--1979. Accession number--M-1979-1988.
8 annual reports: Source of acquisition--CSS. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--12/04/1996. Accession number--M-96-12-04.
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Processing Information
Entered in AMC 09/10/1990.
8 annual reports Processed HR 10/08/1998.
Revision Description
2009-06-26 File created.
2012-03-13 EAD created by PTL
2019-03-06 Description of bound volumes and oversize materials (Series XII and XIII) revised by Celeste Brewer.
2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.
2021-12-10 Expires restriction on box 424 lifted. kws
Biographical / Historical
The Community Service Society, a large, private, New York City social service agency. The society was established in 1939 from a merger of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor and the Charity Organization Society, whose separate files make up most of the collection.
Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
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