By John Hunter, author of the Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog (since 2004).
Much of Dr. Deming’s work is housed and available at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. The Library of Congress made a formal request for Dr. Deming’s professional papers soon after his death. They were donated by The W. Edwards Deming Institute and are available from the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress.
It is a large collection that contains notes, correspondence and the drafts of Out of the Crisis and The New Economics.
The Manuscript Reading room is located in the Madison building of the Library of Congress. The Jefferson building, which is right across the street, is an amazing building (where the two photos in this post were taken); don’t miss the historic building if you go to see the Deming collection.
To access the Deming papers see the policies and procedures for the Manuscript Reading Room. Note, the Deming Papers are stored offsite. A researcher must identify the containers they would like to consult, then state the dates of their visit to the Library. Please contact the Manuscript Reading Room in advance of your planned visit at 202-707-5387 or by email at mss@loc.gov. Please allow a week for delivery.
The W. Edwards Deming Institute makes five travel grants available each year for study of the Deming Collection at the Library of Congress. Contact us if you are interested in taking advantage of a grant.
In addition, The Recorded Sound and Motion Picture Reading Room at the Library of Congress has a collection of over 500 audiotapes and videotapes featuring Dr. Deming that was donated by The W. Edwards Deming Institute. Many films show him at seminars, delivering lectures, accepting awards, meeting with clients and in informal conversations. Please contact the Library at 202-707-7833 for information.
Remember that the Deming Research conference is at Georgetown University in Washington DC next year (23 and 24 March 2015). If you wanted to add a day or more to your trip you could take advantage of the material at the Library of Congress. Remember to contact the Library of Congress in advance, if you wish to do this.
Related:
Speech by Dr. Deming to Japanese Business Leaders in 1950 – The Development of Deming’s Management System –
Sourced Quotes by W. Edwards Deming