Your utility probably doesn’t have a person dedicated to keeping track of history, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your past.
My 135-year-old newspaper is moving to a different office after about 20 years at its current location, and I’ve sorted through a fair amount of history (and plenty of junk) in preparing for the transition. That includes hoping the bound volumes holding the initial 1887 newspapers don’t turn into dust.
So, why should you keep track of history? There are a few reasons.
For one, it fosters a sense of pride. Your utility likely has done some interesting things over the years that should be remembered. Things that seem mundane today may have been revolutionary back in the day.
Second, you learn from your mistakes (and triumphs). Plenty of “new” ideas are really just variations of existing stuff.
Third, you’d be surprised by the public relations value your history might have.
Old photographs are often a hit, especially those that depict antiquated equipment and people wearing dated clothes – where it’s 1970s-era leisure suits or work crews from the 1920s dressed like something out of “Downton Abbey.”
The same is true with utility promotional materials, including old logos and letterhead.
In fact, historical materials can make for a nice offbeat media pitch, especially if your utility has been around for a long time. “Compare and contrast” articles are popular, even more so if you can include a look to the future. The summer, when news tends to slow down, is a great time to make a pitch.
Storing historical materials can be tricky. Original documents are nice, but paper decays, so you might want to digitize as much as you can as a backup. Any older materials should be stored in a climate-controlled room that doesn’t receive direct sunlight.