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Since 2006, American Archives Month has given the profession an opportunity to tell (or remind) people that items that are important to them are being preserved, cataloged, cared for, and made accessible by archivists. To help you participate in American Archives Month, SAA has provided members with practical information and great ideas to help make your archives program more visible. Or check out our #AskAnArchivist Day page, which details how you can participate in an opportunity to engage with the public via Twitter on October 4.
This October, take steps (big or small), to reach out to your communities, make connections, and show others the significance of archives.
Dallas Municipal Archives
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawling proclaimed October 2017 as Archives Month in Dallas, thanks to the outreach and advocacy efforts of Dallas members of the Metroplex Archivists. Representatives from the Dallas Public Library's Dallas History and Archives division, the Dallas Municipal Archives, and the City Secretary's Office met with the mayor on October 11, 2017.
Iowa State University
The Special Collections and University Archives will participate in #AskAnArchivist Day, October 4 and host a Bomb Transcribe-a-thon October 25, featuring university archivist Brad Kuennen who will talk about the history of the The Bomb. The Homecoming Pop-up Exhibition October 27 will showcase unique items on Iowa State history and student life in the 1960s. Finally, the Halloween Exhibition and Trivia event October 31, will display “chilling and thrilling items,” feature trivia questions, and offer prizes.
Louisiana State Archives
Secretary of State Tom Schedler and the staff of the Louisiana State Archives invite the public to join them on Tuesday, October 24, at the Wade O. Martin Auditorium to celebrate American Archives Month 2017. The following speakers will be featured: Yvonne Lewis Day, on the Basics of Genealogy Research; Charlene Bonnette, MLIS, CA, on Historic Preservation; and Liz Williams on "Louisiana Cuisine: How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going?" Read the press release for more information.
National Archives
This year the National Archives is celebrating American Archives Month with the theme, "Archives Across America." The Pieces of History blog will feature a series of guest blogs from staff around the country and staff will also join #AskAnArchivist Day October 4 on Twitter. Each Tuesday will include mini #AskAnArchivist sessions on Twitter from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT. Find the full schedule under the events section of the American Archives Month website. The National Archives will hold a special #AskAnArchivist session on electronic records on October 10, starting at 1:01 p.m EDT, in honor of #ERecsDay. On October 25, the National Archives will host a live Virtual Genealogy Fair via webcast on YouTube, which offers advice on family history research in federal records. Follow the National Archives on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram to find more information and to share your favorite archives story.
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
On October 4, in conjunction with #AskAnArchivist Day, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, hosted a staff Archives Open House—featuring recent acquisitions, manuscripts, rare books and corporate history items. Prior to the event, archivists sent out flyers to all staff via email and then, following the event, they sent out thank you notes to those who attended. Throughout October, their Facebook page will feature archives posts related to the theme of education, and archives-related materials will be prominently displayed in the organization's Research Library.
Society of Florida Archivists
Archives Month is also Florida Archives Month. Every year, the Florida Archives Month Committee places a call for submissions for "Found it in the Archives" and "Archives Spotlight" posts. These submissions of 100 words or so and an image are shared on social media throughout the month. This year, the Florida Archives Month Committee is encouraging members to take advantage of a free class for libraries, archives, and cultural heritage organizations through the Florida Division of Library and Information Services. The committee suggested the class, Promotion and Outreach for Preservation.
Rochester Archives Fair
The Rochester Area Special Collections, Archives, & Libraries (RASCAL) and the Rochester Regional Library Council are celebrating Archives Month with the second annual Rochester Archives Fair. More than a dozen area institutions will host exhibit tables highlighting their unique collections and have staff on hand to discuss the archival treasures they preserve. The fair also includes a series of Lightning Talks on stories from the archives and a tour of the Rochester Medical Museum and Archives, housed at the venue, the Rochester Academy of Medicine.