- About Archives
- About SAA
- Careers
- Education
- Publications
- Advocacy
- Membership
SAA’s Committee on Public Awareness (COPA) is pleased to announce the return of its storytelling event with a special 2025 Valentine’s Day edition, “A Finding Aid to My Soul: For the Love of Archives.”
When did you decide that you wanted to be an archivist? What was your first encounter with an archives? How did you handle a challenge in your work? What is a unique, serendipitous, moving, mysterious, special, or humorous experience you've had as an archivist? We want to help you share your story!
During "A Finding Aid to My Soul: For the Love of Archives," archivists from a variety of institutions and experience levels will share 5-minute true, personal stories of their connections to archives they have encountered. The virtual event—on Friday, February 14, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CT—will be hosted by award-winning storyteller and educator Micaela Blei (The Moth, Risk).
We're looking for a wide range of voices to share their experiences. Absolutely no storytelling or performance experience necessary. Bonus: Micaela will be available to support you as you practice your story.
You may think that your story is not "dramatic" enough. We beg to differ! We want to hear stories with high stakes as well as small, intimate stories of the work you do and the personal ways it connects to your life. If it matters to you, it will matter to us, too. (If you need some inspiration, listen to selections from past “Finding Aid to My Soul” events on the Archives in Context podcast.)
Please note: If you participated in the Master Storytelling Workshop in October, we especially invite you to submit!
Submit your story for consideration. In 100 to 200 words, tell us about your archives story. (No cliff-hangers, please! Summarize the whole story.) Great pitches will include what happened, what changed for you (or the world!), and what was at stake.
Story submissions are due by December 18. Selected storytellers will be notified in January.