To the Editor:

The article “Taming Your Desk” (January 1998) discussed the ever-present need to manage the paperwork mountain in an office and gave sound advice.

I am concerned, however, that readers eager to clean out their files might inadvertently destroy archival material. The Archives for Family Practice devotes a lot of time, effort and space to preserving the history of our specialty and encourages contributions from anyone involved in the history of family medicine. It is important that we preserve our past to help improve the future and to furnish reference points for our progress.

Response:

The Archives for Family Practice was established in 1992 to serve as the historical repository for the specialty of family practice. Its collecting focus includes records of individual family physicians, particularly materials that document how a family physician's office operates at a given point in time.

If you think you might have important materials or would like more information, please contact the Archives, 8880 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64114; 800-274-2237, ext. 3310. Or send an E-mail to acurran@aafp.org.