Archives Week in New York City
It’s Archives Week in New York City 2019! Many people are aware that the Society of American Archivists (SAA) has deemed the month of October as #ArchivesMonth. Recently, they’ve used the day to do archival advocacy and outreach. For example, on the first Wednesday of the month they promote the #AskAnArchivist Day. On that day, archivists from institutions around the country, schedule time on twitter to answer questions. It’s a good way for archivists (or #archivists) to play around with social media, SEO and hashtags. Plus, it’s always nice for archivists to share knowledge.
Later in the month, on 10/10, the Council of State Archivists promote #ERecsDay aka Electronic Records Day. It’s got a great name for us digital archivists because 1010 is equal to ten in binary.
Archives Week in New York City
Meanwhile, New York City also celebrates archivists for one 9-10 day week in the month of October. We call it #ArchivesWeek. For the past two decades (or so), the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) has promoted Archives Week in New York City. This usually involves a community of archivists and archival institutions opening their doors to visitors and tours. In some years, the City also hosts Open House New York (OHNY) Weekend. This year, they do it again this weekend. In fact, the Municipal Archives is opening its doors and offering docents.
In addition to all of the other activities, ART, an indispensable organization, host a gala awards show complete with paparazzi and hors d’oeuvres and plaques. You can only imagine what happens when archivists gather with nearly 100 professional archivists!
For me, though, the highlight of #ArchivesWeek is always the academic symposium. I’ve been attending this for years and have on occasion moderated or participated in panel discussions. Though I’m not participating this year, I’m excited that the whole day is devoted to Rebels in the Archives! The description is provocative:
“…it is important for us to be cognizant of the fight against the accepted pieties and to sometimes take an active role in that fight ourselves. This symposium will help us to think about our role in the construction of future histories and when we need to join the rebellion.”
And, I have lots of ideas on it. However, I will be there only to enjoy listening to all of the archivists and historians. I admit that I am eager to hear and see the Columbia University archivists discussing the materials from the 1968 protests. Hope to see you there!
If you have questions about some of the great archives week in New York City, contact our Contacts page.