Image from Meagan Connolly's article "Just Above Midtown (JAM) Archives at The Museum of Modern Art." Performance photograph of Blind Dates, a collaborative performance by Blondell Cummings, Senga Nengudi, and Yasunao Tone from November 2–20, 1982. Just Above Midtown Archives, [II.A.45]. The Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York.

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) is excited to share the Summer 2024 issue of the Metropolitan Archivist, (Comm)unity/Division, which highlights a variety of collaborative partnerships, explorations of new technologies, and two exhibition reviews.

Link to issue: https://medium.com/metropolitan-archivist 

Please stay tuned for the next call for submissions for our winter issue. Anyone who has suggestions for a theme, article, or review, or who would like to get involved in editing the next issue, should contact metropolitanarchivist@nycarchivists.org. 

Each year the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (ART) presents five awards during New York Archives Week. The awards celebrate distinguished work and lasting achievements in our profession. We invite members to submit nominations for worthy colleagues, archival organizations, and innovative projects in the following categories:

OUTSTANDING SUPPORT OF ARCHIVES

Recognizes an individual or organization for notable contributions to archival records or archives programs through political, financial or moral support.

INNOVATIVE USE OF ARCHIVES

Recognizes an individual or organization for use of archival material in a meaningful and creative way, making a significant contribution to a community or body of people, and demonstrating the relevance of archival materials to its subject.

ARCHIVAL ACHIEVEMENT

Recognizes an individual or archival program that has made an outstanding contribution to the archival profession, or a notable achievement of value to the archives community, its patrons or constituents. 

AWARD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE OF ARCHIVES

Recognizes and celebrates an individual or organization who utilizes primary source materials to create engaging and informative learning experiences for diverse audiences.

ART VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Recognizes an individual who has made a remarkable contribution to the Archivists Round Table.

Submission Guidelines:

• Nominees must be an ART member or operate within the New York metropolitan area.

• Explain why this individual or organization deserves to be recognized with this award.

• Provide links that illustrate or highlight the work and contributions of your nominee (if applicable).

DEADLINE: Please send nominations through this Google Form by Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 11:59 PM (ET)

Awards will be presented at this year's New York Archives Week Symposium, taking place on Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at The Gotham Center for New York City History.

Please send any questions regarding the Awards Ceremony to veep@nycarchivists.org. 

Date: Thursday, October 17, 2024 – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location:
Gotham Center for New York City History,
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.) is organizing a one-day symposium during the 2024 New York Archives Week. The day will focus on presentations and panel discussions, studies, strategies, research, analyses, and use studies with the aim of bringing together archivists, records managers, librarians, museum professionals, scholars, and the general public.

This year's topic, Archives and Technology, will explore ways in which technology and archives intersect. We welcome submissions that examine technological theories and practices in the evolving archives landscape.

What technological challenges do Information institutions and archives face? What theories and practices are currently employed?  How might technology best support existing processes? What benefits might emerging technologies bring to the information management field?   What would the archiving landscape look like within new technological parameters?

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Digitization Technologies
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
• Advancements in Preservation and Conservation
• Advocacy, Social Justice, Anti-Racism, Public Policy, and Activism
• Digital Humanities and Digital Scholarship
• User Experience
• Security Principles: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
• The Digital Divide
• Privacy and Access
• Storage Solutions
• Artificial intelligence and its impacts and opportunities
• Blockchain Applications

Submission Guidelines

• All individual presentations will be a maximum of 30 minutes long (10–15-page paper).
  
• Presenters may submit as part of a group. The maximum group size is three speakers.
  
• Submissions must include title, name of author, and institutional affiliation (if applicable)
  
• Email address, phone number, abstract (250 words max), and indication of technological requirements to support the presentation.
  
• Individual papers or entire panel proposals are accepted.

Proposal Submission Deadline

Proposals for the 2024 New York Archives Week Symposium are due by 11:59 PM (ET) on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Please submit your proposals through this Google Form.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact president@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, June 14, 2024. 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 Thursday, June 20, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 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. 

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 (ART) is pleased to announce its Annual Business Meeting, which will be held via Zoom on Thursday, June 20, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm (EST). Please join us to learn about the past year's activities, upcoming programming, professional development opportunities, and community initiatives with the A.R.T Board. We will also introduce the new members of the A.R.T Board of Directors.

The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for members to meet, ask questions, and hear from current, incoming, and outgoing board members.

This is a free, virtual meeting hosted via Zoom. Advance registration is required. Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation via email with a link to join the meeting. Register here: https://bit.ly/3Vb2KNO 

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Please note that by registering and attending this event/webinar, you automatically grant your consent to be photographed and/or video-recorded and to the release, publication, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. and its initiatives, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news, newsletters, Metropolitan Archivist, and advertising.

Are you interested in serving as a Director on the A.R.T Board or becoming a committee volunteer?

Join us for a Town Hall meeting on May 21st at 6:30 pm via Zoom to learn how you can get involved.

Our current Board of Directors will be available to answer questions regarding these upcoming open positions:

• Vice President 

• Director of Advocacy

• Director of Communications 

• Director of Development 

• Director of Education 

• Director of Membership 

• Director of Outreach 

• Director of Publications 

• Secretary 

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.

This is a free, virtual conversation hosted via Zoom. Advance registration is required. Upon registering for the webinar, you will receive a confirmation via email with a link to join the webinar.

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Please note that by registering and attending this event/webinar, you automatically grant your consent to be photographed and/or video-recorded and to the release, publication, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. and its initiatives, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news, newsletters, Metropolitan Archivist, and advertising.

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.) is currently accepting nominations for its 2024 Board election. Terms shall commence at the conclusion of the A.R.T. Annual Meeting, to be held on Thursday, 20 June 2024, 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, 31 May 2024.

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

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.

This year, the following positions are up for election:

• Vice President (1-Year Interim Term)

• Director of Advocacy (1-Year Interim Term)

• Director of Communications (2-Year Term)

• Director of Development (2-Year Term)

• Director of Education (1-Year Interim Term)

• Director of Membership (2-Year Term)

• Director of Outreach (2-Year Term)

• Director of Publications (2-Year Term)

• Secretary (2 Year Term)

Committee descriptions can be found here.

All positions are two-year terms, with the exception of the Vice President, Director of Advocacy, and Director of Education, which are one-year interim terms. The individuals in these positions will have the opportunity to run for a full two-year term in the 2025 election.

Please direct any questions to Deidre Dinnigan, at president@nycarchivists.org.

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

Link to nomination form: https://forms.gle/S4xHMLn3G2RPMnR69 

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) welcomes contributions for the summer 2024 issue of the Metropolitan Archivist, ART’s online digital publication featuring short- and long-form articles, reviews and interviews, and collection spotlights.

The forthcoming issue of the Metropolitan Archivist is organized around the theme of (Comm)unity/Division - considering the value of collaboration and the challenges inherent in archival work, as well as exploring how these themes are present in the personal lives and institutional histories documented within our archival collections.

We want to hear about projects you’ve worked on across and within institutions; opportunities that you’ve seized to make your collections more accessible or to connect with the communities whose histories you preserve; competing interests related to working on sensitive collections, those with ties to current political or social events, and the trade-offs between privacy and access to information; and the role of archives during times of political strife.

Other questions to ponder include:

• How can archivists balance their roles as “neutral” stewards and active community members?

• What are some misconceptions about archives and archivists that you would like to dispel through collaboration?

• What are the benefits and drawbacks of leveraging new technologies like machine learning to share and reinterpret archival collections?

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

Please send a brief pitch (maximum 500 words) or select an exhibition/publication to review via this form by Friday, March 8th for consideration. Selected authors will be notified by Friday, March 15th, and final drafts with cleared images permissions are due by Monday, April 22nd.

This letter originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of the Metropolitan Archivist

Dear A.R.T. Members:

I hope this notice finds you all well and settling into the routine of the new year!

The beginning of a new year can bring with it an opportunity for change and growth, and the Executive Board looks forward to continuing the good work we started at the beginning of the 2023-2024 term.

Thus far, we have adopted a minor restructuring of board positions to better align with our organizational needs, increased annual membership dues to keep pace with our growing operational costs, and added a donation page to our website to facilitate funding possibilities. We continue to bring you engaging programming events that provide opportunities for education and connection among and between colleagues, and we look forward to new engagement opportunities and exciting growth possibilities as we move through 2024.

In order to grow in the ways we envision, we need your active participation in all things A.R.T — not only by making a tax deductible donation on our website, which we strongly encourage, but also by donating your time by becoming a Board Director or volunteering to be on one of our open committees. We currently have a few open Director positions, and others will become available in the upcoming June 2024 election cycle.

Serving as a Director or committee volunteer is an opportunity to invest your time and energy to the work of aligning our organizational structure with our mission. We are grateful for our members who can come together in community and help move us through this needed process, and we welcome all interested voices to be involved directly, constructively, and tangibly in sustaining and growing the organization that so many of us care deeply about and believe in.

As we move forward in the actualization of our mission, the Board will continue to take a deep look into our work, both philosophically and operationally, in order to better the organization as a whole, and to best serve the needs of you, its members. We thank you for your continued patience and trust in the executive team and encourage you to always reach out with your issues and concerns.

I wish you all the best both personally and professional for this new year!

Best Regards,

Deidre Dinnigan

President

Image from Kirsten Larvick's article "Community Testimony: Gathering Veteran Performer Histories During a Pandemic." Portfolio pages, photographs of showgirl Bernadette Brookes in costume, various Latin Quarter nightclub productions, Latin Quarter program, Maid in Paris production, portrait, Bernadette Brookes in the wings, Latin Quarter nightclub, New York, NY, c. mid-1960s.

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) is excited to share the Winter 2024 issue of the Metropolitan Archivist, It's So Over/We're So Back, which highlights a variety of projects that our community has worked on during and "after" Covid, as well as some broader reflections on the world of archives and an exhibition review. Link to issue: https://medium.com/metropolitan-archivist 

Please stay tuned for the next call for submissions for our summer/fall issue. Anyone who has suggestions for a theme, article, or review, or who would like to get involved in editing the next issue, should contact metropolitanarchivist@nycarchivists.org.