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Sources of Information on APTA and Physical Therapy History

PT—Magazine of Physical Therapy. This monthly magazine, published by APTA, often includes articles that are historical in nature. PT Magazine publishes author and subject indexes for the current year in each December issue. You can use these indices to identify articles on your topic. You may also search or browse the table of contents of PT—Magazine via the APTA Web site.

The Beginnings: Physical Therapy and the APTA. Alexandria, Va.: APTA, 1979. This book is out of print. You may be able to find it in your local college library. If they do not have the book in their collection, they may be able to borrow it for you through interlibrary loan.

A Historical Perspective. This fact sheet gives a brief overview of APTA's history. The document is available on the APTA Web site and includes black-and-white images from the APTA Archives.

The McMillan Lectures: The First 25 Years. Alexandria, Va.: APTA, 1992. This book includes the lectures from 1964 to 1991 and a 1992-1993 supplement as originally published in Physical Therapy: Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association. The McMillan Lectureship, APTA's most prestigious award, honoring a member who has made a distinguished contribution to the profession, was established in 1963 to pay tribute to Mary McMillan, the Association's founding president. This book is out of print. McMillan Lectures are published annually in Physical Therapy.

Historical Photo Collection. Alexandria, Va.: APTA, 1996. This CD collection of seven black-and-white photographs from the APTA Archives chronicles the spirit and evolution of the physical therapy profession. The packet includes display ideas, archiving tips, and more. Click here for more information about or to purchase this collection.

PubMed^®. Identify additional articles on your topic by using PubMed^® the database of the National Library of Medicine. Citations in PubMed^® cover the fields of medicine, nursing, and health and rehabilitation sciences, including physical therapy. PubMed^® includes citations from more than 4,800 journals, including Physical Therapy.

PubMed^® is free. You may use any Internet connection to access it. Visit your local public or collegiate library and ask the reference staff for assistance. One advantage to going to the library to do the PubMed^® search is that you are often able to obtain copies of the cited research articles from the library. A librarian may also be able to obtain copies for you through the library's interlibrary loan service (ILL).

For more information about the National Library of Medicine's resources, visit its homepage.

Additional sources of historical information on physical therapy research:

"How to Find Information in the Physical Therapy Literature"

The APTA Archives is open to APTA members and the public for historical research, by appointment. Contact the Information Resources Department at 703/706-8534 or 800/999-2782, x8534, to schedule an appointment.

The APTA Archives includes a collection of Oral Histories of physical therapists who have made important contributions to the profession. APTA members may borrow copies of these interviews by contacting the APTA Information Resources Department at 800/999-2782, x8534. The most recent list of oral histories is available on the APTA Web site.

Speak to a Reference Librarian or Archivist at your institution's affiliated health care library, academic library, or public library. Library staff can often recommend sources of information on your topic.

Sites of historical physical therapy collections:

History of Medicine Division
National Library of Medicine
6800 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Phone: 301/496-5405
Reference Desk: 301/402-8878
Fax: 301/402-0872
Web site: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/index.html
E-mail: hmdref@nlm.nih.gov

Historical Collections
Health Sciences and Human Services Library
University of Maryland
601 W. Lombard Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone: 410/706-5048
Web sites: http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/resources/historical.html,
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/directory/045.html.
Contact: Richard Behles, Historical Librarian/Preservation Officer.
E-mail: rbehles@hshsl.umaryland.edu

Notes: The Kendall Historical Collection in physical therapy is among the holdings. Comprised of over 100 volumes, this collection was donated by Dr. Florence P. Kendall, noted lecturer and author of works that have become core materials in the discipline of physical therapy.

Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation
6391 Roosevelt Highway
P.O. Box 1000
Warm Springs, Georgia 31830
Phone: 706/655-5616
Fax: 706/655-5630
TTY: 706/655-5176
Web sites: http://rooseveltrehab.org/, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/directory/079.html
Contact: Michael D Shadix, Librarian.
E-mail: SHADMIKE@GOMAIL.DOAS.STATE.GA.US

Additional resources for those interested in the preservation of history:

American Physical Therapy Association Guide to Oral History. This document includes helpful information about planning and recording an oral history. Suggestions for interview questions and topics are included. To request a copy, contact APTA's Information Resources Department at 800/999-2782, x8534.

Guidelines for the American Physical Therapy Association Component Archives. This document includes guidance on what type of materials should be kept in a component's archives, a list of archival suppliers, and additional information on the development of a component's archives. To request a copy, contact APTA's Information Resources Department at 800/999-2782, x8534.

Preserving Component History: Recommendations for Component Historians and History Committees. This four-page brochure gives an overview of the development of component archives, including criteria for retention, preserving photographs, and oral history interviews. To request a copy, contact APTA's Component Services Department at 800/999-2782, x3234.

[Last updated: 05/06/09| Contact: inforesources@apta.org]