#AskAnArchivist Day - October 14, 2026

What Is #AskAnArchivist Day?

It's an opportunity to:

• Break down the barriers that make archives and archivists seem inaccessible.
• Talk directly to the public—via outreach and social media—about what you do, why it’s important and, of course, the interesting records with which you work.
• Join archivists around the country and the world to make an impact on the public’s understanding of archives while celebrating American Archives Month!
• Interact with users, supporters, and prospective supporters about the value of archives.
• Hear directly from the public about what they’re most interested in learning about from archives and archivists. 

How Does It Work?

On October 14, archivists around the country will take to social media to respond to questions, discuss their archives, and share photos and details about their repository using the hashtag #AskAnArchivist. Take this opportunity to engage via your personal and/or institutional accounts and respond to questions, talk about your collections, and share the work of the archives.

Questions and topics will vary widely, from the silly (What do archivists talk about around the water cooler?) to the practical (What should I do to be sure that my emails won’t get lost?), but each question is an opportunity to share more about our work and and advocate for our profession. 

Between now and October 14:

PROMOTE #AskAnArchivist Day among your users and constituents via your institution’s website, social media accounts, blog, newsletter, and any other mediums available to you. Beyond social media, some other ideas to consider are:

• Reddit AMAs
• Profile archivists at your institutions
• Live "Ask the Archivist" virtual events

For additional inspiration on what your promotion of #AskAnArchivist Day might look like, check out what your peers have done in the past:

• Indiana State Archives
• Florida State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives
• Queens College
• University of California Los Angeles Film & Television Archive
• Highland Park Historical Society

Examples of possible social media promotion:

• Happy #AskAnArchivist Day! Our archivists are waiting for YOUR questions. Tag us at @ACCOUNTHANDLE and use #AskAnArchivist.
• On #AskAnArchivist Day, we invite students, researchers, history enthusiasts, records professionals, and the public to ask questions about archives and the work archivists do every day. Use #AskAnArchivist to join the conversation and connect with archivists who are ready to share their expertise. We can't wait to hear from you!
• Archivists at @ACCOUNTHANDLE are gearing up for #AskAnArchivist Day on October 16! Literally—documents and photo boxes stacked and waiting!

ENCOURAGE the public to use #AskAnArchivist and your institution’s social media handle (e.g., @smithsonian) when asking questions so you won’t miss any that are intended for you.

TALK to your staff and colleagues to develop a plan for participating and responding to questions throughout the day. Will one person respond to all questions? Will you share the task? Will individuals sign up for time slots and let the public know who will be available when? What are you sharing on your own social media to promote archives?

Here’s one example:

• During #AskACurator Day, one person at the Indianapolis Museum of Art was selected to monitor both the general hashtag and tweets sent directly to @imamuseum. When direct questions came in or interesting general questions were posed via the hashtag, the designated monitor sent the questions to participating curators via email. The curators (and their archivist!) replied with their answers, and the monitor posted all answers from the @imamuseum Twitter/X account. 

CREATE an institutional social media account if you don’t already have one. #AskAnArchivist Day and American Archives Month are both great opportunities to start one!

And if an institutional social media account is not an option for you, answer questions from your personal account(s)! If your institutional affiliation and job title are not already listed on your profile, be sure to add that for the duration of #AskAnArchivist Day.

SHARE and GREET! Take advantage of this opportunity to join with archivists from around the country to talk to and hear directly from the public on October 14.

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