Edited by Tal Adler and Sharon Macdonald. Bielefeld, Germany: transcript Verlag, 2026. 208 pp. ISBN 978-3-8376-6553-6. Print €35.00. PDF open access. https://www.transcript-publishing.com/978-3-8376-6553-6/artistic-provenance-research/?number=978-3-8376-6553-6.
Reviewed by Cheryl Oestreicher [PDF Full Text]
Archivists are very familiar with provenance. When acquiring collections, knowledge or documentation of who, what, where, when, and why are important both for acquisition and research...
This post is part of the Intergenerational Conversations series.
Review of Carolyn Heald, “Is There Room for Archives in the Postmodern World?”American Archivist 59, no. 1 (1996): 88–101, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.59.1.u854130x02844653; and Mark Greene, “The Power of Meaning: The Archival Mission in the Postmodern Age,” American Archivist 65, no. 1 (2002): 42–55, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.65.1.l914668v881wv19n.
By Patrick McGee, CUNY Queens College [PDF Full Text...
Madison Modeszto is an archivist at the National Corvette Museum. She carries a certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists and is an early career archivist.
Doreen Dixon is the Digital Collections Archivist at Clemson University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives. She is a member of the SAA’s Electronic Records Section (ERS) Steering Committee, as well as the BitCurator Consortium (BCC) the Forum Committee, and the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)...
This post is part of the Intergenerational Conversations series.
Review of James M. O’Toole, “On the Idea of Permanence,” American Archivist 52, no. 1 (Winter 1989): 10–25, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.52.1.3x85283576r43387.
By Sara Ludewig, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]
In his 1989 article “On the Idea of Permanence,” James M. O’Toole traces the history of the idea of permanence in the archival profession and...
Coming Home
The summer of 2009, I was fresh out of college, back at home, and working on a very part-time basis at Gap Kids/BabyGap in the St. Louis Galleria. Unexpectedly, this included the occasional hazard of being karate-chopped by toddler-sized mannequins. It was not an occupational hazard I wanted to deal with much longer, but I didn’t know what came next. I no longer had a parent-directed path.
I had enjoyed working in the archives in college, but I wanted some kind of proof that...
By Amy Cooper Cary (Editor, American Archivist), Rose Buchanan (Reviews Coeditor, American Archivist), and Stephanie Luke (Reviews Coeditor, American Archivist) [PDF Full Text]
Archivist, historian, and educator Dr. Richard James Cox recently passed away on July 11, 2026.[1] A prolific scholar with dozens of books and articles to his name, Dr. Cox was a frequent contributor to American Archivist and published several books and book chapters through the Society of American Archivists (SAA). A...
Laura Frizzell, SAA Host Committee, Archives Manager, The National WWII Museum
New Orleans is a small city with a big name that instantly conjures images of colorful, historic homes, swaying Spanish moss, packed jazz clubs, and simmering pots of gumbo. And rightly so, these things certainly contribute to the city’s famous charm. But upon arriving here, it becomes obvious that there is so much more to experience than expected. The culture is rich, the history is deep, and life is lived very...
Getting Around
Streetcards, Buses, and Ferries
Most people have seen the iconic images of New Orleans streetcars beneath oak-lined avenues. While they are part of the city’s charm, they are also one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to get around for locals and visitors alike.
Streetcars, buses, and ferries are operated by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), which provides service throughout much of the city. You can learn more about routes, schedules, and destinations on...
Review of Elizabeth Hamer Kegan, “A Becoming Regard to Posterity,” American Archivist 40, no. 1 (1976): 5–15, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.40.1.n1705547v12x802v.
Reviewed by Bradley J. Wiles, Northern Illinois University [PDF Full Text]
Reading and rereading the opening sentences of Elizabeth Hamer Kegan’s 1976 presidential address to the Society of American Archivists (SAA), delivered during the US Bicentennial, I feel a strange mix of jealousy, exhaustion, and resolve. Kegan writes...
As you stroll the blocks surrounding the conference hotel, you’ll see plenty of national chains and fast-food joints available in Anywhere, U.S.A. These serve their purpose, but if you’re interested in branching out while not breaking the bank, check out these local spots within walking distance.
Bearcat CBD: https://cbd.bearcatcafe.com/. Good variety of breakfast and lunch, with lots of vegan and GF options. 8:00 – 2:00 daily (open til 3:00 on...
Registration Closed
Registration FAQ:
Registration Via Google Form on a first come first serve basis
Please contact members of the Host Committee at GNOARCHIVISTS@gmail.com for questions about Registration
Please contact point of contact for the repository for questions specific to that repository, i.e. accessibility, directions
Yes, you can register for more than one tour
As tours fill up they will be marked as “FULL” both here and on the individual tour pages,...
This post is part of the Intergenerational Conversations series.
Review of Helen Willa Samuels, “Who Controls the Past,” American Archivist 49, no. 2 (Spring 1986): 109–24, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.49.2.t76m2130txw40746; and Anke Voss-Hubbard, “‘No Documents—No History’: Mary Ritter Beard and the Early History of Women’s Archives,” American Archivist 58, no. 1 (1995): 16–30, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.58.1.hr300127g3142157.
By Melissa Smith, Church History Library, The Church...
The Office of Archives and Records at the Archdiocese of New Orleans (AANO) serves as the official repository for the records of the Archdiocese. AANO collects, maintains, protects, and provides access to material related to the Catholic Church in Louisiana. The collection at AANO spans three hundred years, documenting Louisiana’s past as a colony of the French and the Spanish prior to its entry into the United States in 1812. The Archdiocese oversees the Roman...
We are a busy Special Collections Department located on the second floor of the beautiful East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library at Goodwood. We are a two-sided department with Genealogy (est. 1941) and the Baton Rouge Room Archives (est. 1980) as its components. We are a very dynamic department not only focusing on physical items, but digital (born and digitized) as well. We digitize our content in-house, have a robust outreach program, many community partnerships and wonderful working...
The Xavier University of Louisiana Archives & Special Collections maintains and preserves a unique collection of manuscripts, university records, photographs, ephemera, and rare books. In support of Xavier University’s mission “to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society,” our collections are comprised of a wide range of formats, with a focus on African Americans, Black Catholics, New Orleans Communities, Louisiana History, and the Gulf Coast Region. Our finding aids...
The Southern University Archive, Manuscripts, and Rare Books Department is the designated custodian of the historical records of Southern University and A&M College. The Archive Department is dedicated to the systematic acquisition, preservation, and facilitation of access to materials that chronicle the evolution of the University, the comprehensive narrative of the African American experience, and the enduring legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This...
Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC) is located in Jones Hall on Tulane’s Uptown campus. Formerly the home of both Howard-Tilton Memorial Library and Tulane’s Law School, Jones Hall now houses many of the materials in Special Collections – including the Louisiana Research Collection, the Hogan Archive of New Orleans Music and New Orleans Jazz, the Southeastern Architecture Archives, and the Tulane University Archives. Our open house will display highlights from our manuscript and Rare...
This site is the storage warehouse for holdings of Tulane University. The Annex houses the overflow book collection from the Tulane Library, Archival collections from Tulane Special Collections and the Latin American Library, as well as the Newcomb College Archives. The Newcomb Art Museum’s fine art and object collection is also housed here, as well as records from the Amistad Center. The Annex also has a book and paper conservation lab, and a reading room for researcher...
The Louisiana Historical Center houses a wealth of primary- and secondary-source materials in a wide range of media. Its extensive holdings include French- and Spanish-colonial records, manuscripts, maps, sheet music, newspapers, books, scrapbooks, and microfilm.
When: Wednesday July 29, By Reservation, 2PM
Where: 400 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70116
Point of Contact: Greg Lambousy, gLambousy@crt.state.la.us
Tour will take 30 minutes and can have no more than 8 people at one...
Loyola’s Special Collections & Archives emphasize the importance of collecting original materials related to the university, the city of New Orleans, and specific fields in which Loyola faculty and alumni have excelled or in which Jesuit values have found expression. The collection is especially strong in the following areas: communications and mass media, social justice, performing arts, New Orleans writers, the Society of Jesus, and the archives of Loyola University New Orleans....
In 2013, a group of people interested in queer history met the home of the late Stewart Butler. At that meeting, Butler, who was 83 at the time, showed us dozens of boxes of papers and other items he had collected and saved throughout his 35 year career as an LGBT+ activist. After briefly describing what was in the boxes—newsletters, agendas, and meeting minutes from organizations to which he belonged, personal letters, etc.—he looked at us and asked, “What’s going to happen to all this stuff...
The Amistad Research Center is the oldest and largest independent archive specializing in the history of African Americans and other ethnic minorities. ARC has more than 900 collections of manuscripts and organizational records, as well as a library comprised of over 33,000 books, journals and newspapers, plus a fine art collection. https://amistadresearchcenter.org/
When: Wednesday July 29th, by Reservation [Registration Link Coming Soon], 3PM-5PM
Where: 6823 St. Charles Ave., Tilton...
Spanning thirteen states and three hundred years, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience’s core and rotating exhibitions explore the diverse relationships, experiences, and environments encountered by Jewish communities in the American South from the Colonial era to today. Enjoy our current special exhibition during your visit: “Holocaust Survivors in a New Land: The New Americans Social Club of New Orleans” tells the story of Holocaust survivors who made new lives in the South, becoming...
The City Archives & Special Collections serves as the official repository for the records of the New Orleans city government. The Archives is charged with preserving, organizing, and providing equitable access to municipal records transferred to the City Archives’ collection. The Archives were originally established in 1773 by the Spanish Government. Our municipal records begin with the formation of the Spanish Government in 1769 and continue thru to the present. In addition, the City...
The archives at the National WWII Museum consists of war-era correspondence, diaries, photographs, rare books, maps, artwork, and more. Additionally, we have a vault dedicated to our institutional archives. This tour could potentially include the Museum library and/or 3D artifact vaults as well. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/
When: Wednesday July 29, tours will be by reservation (link coming soon!) from 2pm-3pm. Please note that this tour will be capped at 12 attendees
Where: 945...
The Historic New Orleans Collection is a free history museum and research center devoted to the people, places, and traditions of New Orleans and the Gulf South. This repository visit will take place at HNOC’s archive and research facility, the Williams Research Center. Attendees will enjoy a “Treasures from the Vault” display of some of HNOC’s holdings that are not currently on public view. Please note that the WRC (410 Chartres St.) is in a building separate from HNOC...
New Orleans & A Confederacy of Dunces
At 811 Canal Street in New Orleans, one can find a statue of a portly and slobbish man wearing clothing that would make most Louisianans sweat profusely, not to mention look ridiculous. This man is one of New Orleans greatest literary heroes: Ignatius J. Reilly from A Confederacy of Dunces. John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel captures the hedonistic and quirky spirit of 1960s New Orleans, where one never knows what adventures are...
While there’s no shortage of world-famous restaurants for white-tablecloth Creole cuisine in the French Quarter, it can be a little trickier to avoid the tourist traps when it comes to more affordable meals. This list of centrally located and local-approved spots won’t cost an arm and a leg and will fill you up. But don’t take my word for it, be sure to ask around for other ideas – every local has their favorites and will be...
By Rose Buchanan and Stephanie Luke, Reviews Co-Editors [PDF Full Text]
“If anything troubles archivists, it is change. Our days are devoted to minimizing the effects of change upon the materials we care for. . . . We pay homage to permanence, to constancy, to stability, and to structure. . . . but in the occupational concern with gaining stability and control, we often forget that the most constant condition in our lives is change.”
—Edward Weldon, “Archives and the...
Eight walkable spots for your caffeine fix
District Downtown Diner – 611 O’Keefe Avenue (.2 mile walk) Open 7AM-3PM Daily
Funny Library Coffee Shop (Inside Virgin Hotel) – 550 Baronne Street (.3 mile walk) Open 7AM-2PM Daily
All Good New Orleans (Inside Barnett Hotel) – 610 Carondelet Street (.4 mile walk)
PJ’s Coffee – 1515 Poydras Street (.4 Mile walk) Open 7AM-3PM Monday-Friday
Ding Tea Downtown – 337 Baronne Street (.5 mile walk) 11AM-9PM Monday-Saturday, 11AM-7PM Sunday...
New Orleans is known by many nicknames: the Big Easy, the City that Care Forgot, the Crescent City, and the Birthplace of Jazz. For me, New Orleans has always simply been home, and I am excited to welcome you here for ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2026!
When welcoming someone into your home, it is polite to give them the lay of the land and point out a few of its more interesting features—what to pay attention to and what not to miss. In this first article from the Host Committee, I’ll do just that....
