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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 social media on October 16.
This October, take steps (big or small) to reach out to your communities, make connections, and show others the significance of archives.
Center for Brooklyn History, Brooklyn Public Library
The Center for Brooklyn History is hosting a bookplate-making event on October 18 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET. Drawing inspriation from their latest exhibit, "Bookplates at the Center for Brooklyn History," participants will view a selection of bookplate books in the Othmer Library before concluding in the Great Hall to make bookplates of their own.
Dallas Municipal Archives
The Dallas Municipal Archives is hosting two events for American Archives Month. The first is the sixth annual Dallas-Fort Worth Archives Bazaar on October 20. The event will feature over thirty Texas libraries, archives, and other cultural institutions offering fun and interactive ways to learn about historical resources in North Texas. The Dallas Municipal Archives is also sponsoring a Home Movie Day on October 27 in partnership with the Dallas Public Library, the Kimbell Museum, and the Oak Cliff Film Festival.
George Blood LP
George Blood LP in Fort Washington, PA, is hosting its second Open House on October 25. Attendees will tour the 41,000 square foot facility and learn how they transfer video, audio, film, and data to digital files. In addition to the tour, the Open House will include a buffet lunch and discussions with staff. Registration for this free event is required in advance.
Library of Virginia
In honor of American Archives Month, the Library of Virginia has created a zine on fair use. The zine can be downloaded on the Virginia Archives Month 2024 webpage, which also includes links to events being hosted by participating institutions throughout the month.
Margaret Walker Center
The Margaret Walker Center is hosting an event on October 3 in honor of the 60th Anniversary of Freedom Summer. This free event features two panels: "A Scholarly Analysis of Voting Rights Activism in Mississippi" and "Voices of Civil Rights Activists in Mississippi." The event begins at 11:00 a.m. CT and includes a luncheon and reception, in addition to the presentations.
NYC Department of Records and Information Services
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) is hosting a tour of the Municipal Archives’ storage and research location in Industry City, Brooklyn on October 17 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. ET. Opened in October 2021, the $22 million state-of-the-art facility is the city's most significant investment in its Archives since the establishment of DORIS in 1977. Space is limited, and registration is required in advance.
Portland City Archives
The Portland City Archives is hosting an open house on October 12. Building Bridges: A City Archives Open House will feature repository tours, an oral history booth, family archives digitization, Portland History trivia, and more. Other Portland-based community archives such as Don't Shoot PDX, Oregon Queer History Collection, and Vanport Mosaic will also be present, and Albina Music Trust will host a live storytelling event to amplify the legacy of Albina's musician community.
Portsmouth Athenaeum
Archivist Katy Sternberger of the Portsmouth Athenaeum in New Hampshire produced a video on Spiritualism with a local filmmaker. Sternberger selected objects that help illuminate the history of three Portsmouth women and their connections to the Spiritualist Movement in the nineteenth century. View the video here.
Rockefeller Library at Colonial Williamsburg
The Rockefeller Library at Colonial Williamsburg is hosting a joint Open House with the William & Mary Libraries' Special Collections Research Center on October 16. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore artifacts, manuscripts, and historic materials dating from the seventeenth-century to the modern day. The event aims to teach visitors what an archives can be and how archivists preserve materials for future generations.
San Diego City Clerk Archives
The San Diego City Clerk Archives, in collaboration with the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center, opened a new exhibit that honors both American Archives Month and Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month. Titled "Telling Our Stories and Preserving Our Histories: The Chicano Movement in San Diego," the exhibit runs from September 16 to October 18 at the City Administration Building on C Street in San Diego.