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Let's Celebrate American Archives Month!

By Anne Ackerson posted 10-17-2022 04:09 PM

  



Throughout the month of October, state and territorial archives use American Archives Month to raise awareness about their work and the importance of that work on the lives of residents across the country. Many archives choose a theme to highlight such as music, women’s rights, climate change, transportation, or architecture and then showcase related materials during the month as part of exhibits, tours, and special events. Here are a few examples of American Archives Month themes for 2022:

The State Archives of Florida is exploring how citizens engage in shaping government and how historical records illustrate that engagement with its theme, Your Archives, Your History, Your Government

 

All month, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is using its records collections to analyze primary resources in the classroom by offering tools, tips and resources to help teachers and students identify primary resources and how to approach various formats of archival materials.

 

The California State Archives is celebrating a variety of ‘California Firsts’ this month, including those related to medicine, aviation, electrification.

 

Water is theme for the Utah State Archives this year, noting that “Archival records can provide a unique glimpse into the history of our human relationship with water over time, from local government irrigation projects to water rights litigation, the diaries of famous river runners and western explorers to your grandmother’s account of a historic flood.”

 

In Hawai’i, the state archives’ theme centers on the pāʻina, a Hawaiian word that means a small party over a meal. Throughout the month the archives will be releasing thousands of pages of newly digitized materials, including a fabulous array of dinner invitations, menus from parties hosted by Nā Mōʻī (Kings) and Nā Mōʻī Wahine (Queens) of Hawaiʻi, historic photographs of dinner celebrations, and the Records of the Chamberlain, Keeper of Royal Household, to learn more about what it took to put on the fancy dinner parties, balls, and inaugurations.


Of course, these posters tell just part of the story, but they do provide a glimpse into the diverse holdings of state and territory archives. Check out their websites to learn more about their American Archives Month programming, then make a plan to visit and discover for yourself!
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