Archives Month is an annual week-long observance of the importance of archival and historical records to people's lives. The observance of Archives Month began in New York in the late 1980s when groups of archivists in various regions of the State decided to hold special events and activities at a particular time each year to increase public awareness of the relevance of archives to modern life.
We encourage museums, archives, and other historical records repositories to plan events that highlight their own historical records holdings. Over the past several years different organizations have celebrated Archives Week in a variety of ways, both big and small. Types of activities have included:
• Displays & Exhibits
• Dinners, Banquets, & Awards Presentations
• Family History or Genealogy Days
• Lectures, Film or Slide Shows
• Open Houses or Special Tours
The reasons for participating in Archives Week are substantial. Increased public awareness of historical records can translate into increased financial support. Outreach activities can also help the general public and resource allocators such as trustees, administrators, and local and state legislators appreciate and understand the true importance of historical records.
To help you plan your activities, the State Archives has published an Archives Week Action Guide, available on-line at www.archives.nysed.gov
If you are holding an Archives Week event, we encourage you to submit the information to us for the Statewide & South Central Events Calendars. To register an event, please send us the following information: Date of event, Time, Location (with complete address), Sponsoring Organization(s), Organizational URL, Contact Name & Address, Contact Telephone Number, Type of Program, and Description of Program (1-3 lines only please).
