Dear A.R.T. Members,

You may have seen recent headlines claiming that Mayor Mamdani has restored library funding in his recent updated proposal for the city's FY27 budget. Unfortunately, while the new proposal has increased library funding from the Mayor's original FY27 financial plan, the new budget is still short (by $97 million) of meeting his campaign promise of allocating .5% of the city budget to its public libraries. You can read a more detailed breakdown of the numbers from our colleagues at the NYC Public Library Action Network (PLAN).

What you can do:

1. Send a letter (or two) to your NYC Council Member 

NYC PLAN has set up a campaign that allows you to send an email to your Council Member in just a few seconds: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/city-council-we-demand-half-a-percent-of-the-overall-city-budget-for-libraries.

You can also send a letter through Urban Librarians Unite’s campaign to support NYC Libraries with additional funding: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/help-support-nyc-libraries-with-additional-funding/ 

2. Give your Council Member a quick call

NYC PLAN has a webpage that makes it easy to look up your Council Member, along with a script you can reference during your call: https://nycplan.org/actions/call-your-city-councilmember/

3. Testify before City Council on June 10th 

When the City Council's Committee on Finance meets on June 10th, the public has the opportunity to testify either:

• in person at City Hall or over Zoom. 
  
• By submitting a written testimony 

NYC PLAN has a document with instructions on how to sign up, along with recommendations on how to testify effectively: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QWwqgrv0SfajB-BKVsym5b6nedhSuA_TqznbN1hLcWg/edit?tab=t.0 

- A.R.T. Advocacy Committee

Please feel free to reach out to the Advocacy Committee with questions, comments, and suggestions at advocacy@nycarchivists.org. 

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (A.R.T.) is delighted to announce the slate of candidates for our open positions on the Board of Directors. Take a moment to read the candidates' bios and statements, and cast your vote here.

Members may vote via this online form until 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, May 29, 2026. Please note that you must enter the email address registered with your A.R.T. membership account.

The results of this election will be announced at the A.R.T. Annual Business Meeting, which will be held online on Friday, June 12, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM (EST). We invite you to join us to learn about the past year’s activities, as well as forthcoming initiatives and volunteer opportunities with the A.R.T. Board. Register here!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact president@nycarchivists.org.

Thank you for your participation and commitment to the A.R.T. community. Happy voting!

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.) is formally accepting nominations for the A.R.T. Board for the 2026 election year. Terms shall commence at the conclusion of the A.R.T. Annual Meeting, to be held in early June, with the announcement of the election results. The election will be conducted by electronic ballot, and the Annual Meeting will take place virtually (more details forthcoming).

The deadline for nomination submissions is Friday, May 15, 2026.

All current A.R.T. members are eligible for nomination. Nominations from colleagues and self-nominations are both welcome.

The following positions are up for election:

• Vice President (1-Year Interim Term)

• Secretary (2-Year Term)

• Director of Communications (2-Year Term)

• Director of Development (2-Year Term)

• Director of Membership (2-Year Term)

• Director of Publications (2-Year Term)

• Director of Outreach (2-Year Term)

Committee descriptions can be found here.

All positions are two-year terms, with the exception of the Vice President. The individual in this position will have the opportunity to run for a full two-year term in the 2027 election.

Serving on the A.R.T. Board is a unique volunteer opportunity that goes beyond the boundaries of your current professional commitments. As an A.R.T. Board member, you'll have the chance to develop valuable skills in local leadership, project management, and networking. Most importantly, you'll act as a representative for your colleagues and all A.R.T. members. Board members also receive a waiver of membership fees for the duration of their term.

Please direct any questions to Stephanie Neel, at president@nycarchivists.org.

Thank you for your generous participation and good luck to all the nominees!

Link to form: https://forms.gle/6wEBM2FfG3NzwhnbA  

Dear A.R.T. Members,

We have good news and bad news regarding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the state of federal funding for libraries, archives, and museums. 

The good news: On Monday, April 6, the Trump administration withdrew its appeal of a federal judge’s earlier ruling in Rhode Island v. Trump. The withdrawal means that the 21 Attorneys General who filed the lawsuit to protect IMLS have prevailed. The federal government cannot dismantle IMLS or take further steps to eliminate the agency. 

The bad news: Despise this legal victory, the administration is once again seeking to eliminate the agency by submitting an FY2027 budget proposal to Congress with no funding for IMLS or the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

What you can do:

1. Call or email your Senators to show support for funding IMLS and NEH

Please participate in the American Library Association's (ALA) campaign to Show Up For Our Libraries. ALA has set up forms that make it easy to call and email your representatives. Senators only have until April 17 to add their signatures to letters asking Senate budget leaders to support funding priorities (like library services), so we all need to act this week.

2. Sign your organization onto AAM's field-wide letter supporting federal funding for museums

We encourage all history organizations (not individuals) to sign on to a field-wide letter in support of federal funding for these agencies. The letter is being organized by our colleagues at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). The deadline to sign on is April 30. 

Please note that this letter is NOT for individuals to sign. If you do not have the approval or authority to sign on your organization, please forward this letter to an appropriate representative at your organization.

This administration's ongoing assault on the cultural heritage field can only succeed if we become demoralized or complacent. We must be relentless in advocating for the vital role of libraries, archives, and museums in our communities. 

- A.R.T. Advocacy Committee

Please feel free to reach out to the Advocacy Committee with questions, comments, and suggestions at advocacy@nycarchivists.org. 

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York will publish the next issue of our quarterly newsletter, The Paper of Records, in mid-May 2026. The Publications Committee invites A.R.T. members to share any news that would be relevant to our community of archivists and related professionals: accomplishments, publications, job postings, volunteer opportunities, new initiatives or projects at your institution, or anything else of interest!

Please share your submission to newsletter@nycarchivists.org by Friday, May 1st. Submissions should be under 300 words and can include embedded links. You may also submit 1-2 images for consideration.

Please contact the Director of Publications at newsletter@nycarchivists.org with any questions!

Read the proceedings from the latest New York Archives Week Symposium, organized by the A.R.T. Education Committee and hosted at the Center for Brooklyn History on October 17, 2025. Links to presenters' slides and papers are available through this document, which can also be found on our Publications website page.

The Publications Committee of the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York is excited to share the second issue of our quarterly newsletter, The Paper of Records! 

Follow the link to read recaps of recent programming, including the A.R.T Holiday Party; news items from the A.R.T. community; interviews with the Treasurer and Director of Communications; a letter from our Managing Editor; a list of open funding opportunities for archivists; announcements regarding the upcoming Board of Directors elections, joining our listserv, and participating in the summer 2026 Metropolitan Archivist; and a list of archives-related arts and culture recommendations. 

Please submit news items for future issues, or direct any questions, to newsletter@nycarchivists.org.

Link: https://www.nycarchivists.org/resources/Publications/ThePaperOfRecords/ThePaperOfRecords_2026_Feb.pdf

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (A.R.T.) welcomes contributions for the Summer 2026 issue of the Metropolitan Archivist, A.R.T.’s online digital publication featuring articles, reviews, interviews, and collection spotlights.

The forthcoming issue of the Metropolitan Archivist is organized around the theme of Taking Care of Business - spotlighting institutional archivists and records managers, as well as thinking about archival labor more generally and the many forms it can take.

We want to hear about your work in corporate, organizational, religious, and other institutional archives, whether as an archivist, records manager, digital asset manager, or other related position; the challenges and opportunities found from balancing multiple jobs, working for grant-funded or term positions, or making a living as a freelance archivist; partnerships and collaborations across institutions; and advocating for archival goals and standards among stakeholders less familiar with archives within your organization.

We also seek reviewers for New York-area museum and gallery exhibitions, as listed on the submission form. Additional suggestions welcome, particularly those which relate to this issue’s theme.

Please submit pitches via this form by Friday, March 6th for consideration. Selected authors will be notified by Monday, March 9th, and final drafts with cleared images permissions are due by Friday, April 17th. Authors will receive feedback from our team of editors over the following weeks, and can expect to see their articles published in mid-July 2026.

Please contact Elizabeth Kobert, Director of Publications, with any questions: metropolitanarchivist@nycarchivists.org.

A.R.T. stands in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis, Minnesota and joins the nationwide calls demanding an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) occupations in America's cities. We also demand accountability for ICE and CBP’s agents, and the federal officials who have emboldened their violence and lied on their behalf. Below is our full statement on federal immigration violence and misinformation.

Interested in becoming more involved with A.R.T.? Join a committee! The leadership and operation of A.R.T. depends on dedicated volunteers, and there are many ways to get involved – from planning events and workshops to helping educate the public about archival collections and the professionals who care for them. To volunteer, please complete the Volunteer Interest Form, or contact the director of the committee you’re interested in joining. Descriptions of each committee can be found here.