Here is an example of the fragile condition of the YWCA documents. The binding of this scrapbook is broken, the paper is yellow and crumbling and some of the scrapbook items are torn.
The Plan of Brooklyn College Library and the Brooklyn YWCA to save these records
Brooklyn College and the Brooklyn YWCA have embarked on a fundraising campaign to raise the money needed to organize, preserve, and make the records of the Brooklyn YWCA available to the public. As of today, $1,770 was raised at a fundraising event on September 24, 2013 and Brooklyn College has received a $5,000 grant from the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation to process the YWCA records from the 1920’s and the 1930’s.
Our knowledge of history has a direct impact on how we view ourselves, shape our present, and see the future. The historical records of the YWCA present a unique opportunity to share with the residents of Brooklyn an inspiring tale of an organization that despite economic difficulties and cultural oppression contributed positively to the lives of thousands of women. For example, by studying these records researchers would not only learn the historical facts about the unequal treatment of women, the suffrage struggle for both women and African Americans, and about segregation, but would also understand the value of community service, collective action, and the establishment of non-profit organizations in pursuit of the public good. The history of the YWCA can be used as a model to both approach and solve the economic, political, and social problems which our borough is struggling with today.
To donate money towards the preservation of the Archives of the YWCA of Brooklyn, click here.
For more information on the YWCA of Brooklyn, visit ywcabklyn.org@CUNYBrooklynArchives 
For more information on the YWCA of Brooklyn, visit ywcabklyn.org
@CUNYBrooklynArchives
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