Posts tagged with: Archives
Be a Friend in 2013!
It is common to begin a new year with a pledge to better oneself. Many of us decide we will give more to worthy causes, but wonder how and when! We, at the Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA), are excited by this season of inspired giving because we need you! Your time, talents, and treasure are so incredibly important.
- We ask for your time. We need your help reaching out into your community, building networks, and identifying other potential SIA friends. Help us expand our reach and impact by hosting an intimate social on our behalf, identifying individuals or organizations that can partner in moving our mission forward, or sharing your story with us about how SIA has benefited your work.
- We ask for your talents. We are always looking for volunteers with archival skills to help our archivists and conservators preserve our cherished collections. Your talent is a resource to making our collections available to the public.
- We ask for your treasures. Your fiscal support will allow us to continue preserving the legacy of the Smithsonian Institution and making its rich resources available to students, researchers, enthusiasts - everyone, everywhere. We are excited about our ability for you to support SIA via our website. Your support allows us to train the next generation of archivists and conservators through internships, maintain the latest technology to offer you a better experience, and preserve our one-of-a-kind collections.
We enthusiastically invite you to share our vision and combine your expertise with ours. Together we can make 2013 a landmark year in making the history and rich resources of our unique institution a benefit to everyone, everywhere.
To offer your time, talents and treasures – please contact Mamie Jackson Williams at the Smithsonian Institution Archives by phone (202) 633-5882 or by email at williamsmj@si.edu .
Click here to make a quick, easy financial gift of any amount, on our NEW Online Donations page!
You Ask, We Answer
Blogs across the Smithsonian will give an inside look at the Institution’s archival collections and practices during a month long blogathon in celebration of October’s American Archives Month. See additional posts from our other participating blogs, as well as related events and resources, on the Smithsonian’s Archives Month website.
As October is American Archives month, archivists specializing in audio/visual material, photos, and digital objects (or electronic records), together with a paper conservator will be gathering tomorrow, Wednesday, October 17, 2012 from 10 am to 5 pm on the Smithsonian's Facebook page to field questions posted on the Smithsonian's "wall". From questions about how to preserve family history to how do I make sure my great-grand kids will be able to see my awesome wedding video, we'll answer it all. So come join us tomorrow, we'll see you on Facebook.
Hot Topics at the Smithsonian Institution Archives
October is American Archives Month, and to celebrate, the Smithsonian is hosting a month-long blog-a-thon, an online Q&A with Smithsonian archivists and conservators, a lecture series, film series, and an opportunity to consult with archives experts at Ask-the-Smithsonian. For schedule and details, please visit the Archives Fair website.
When asked what the Smithsonian Institution Archives collects, I say we hold records about the history of the Smithsonian and its people, programs, research, and activities. While accurate, it doesn’t really give anyone a clue about what is actually in those records.
Recently, in updating a webpage, I turned to our reference team to find out what people have been researching at the Archives recently. I got some pretty interesting responses. Although not comprehensive, it gives you a snapshot of the diversity of the collectionss, and in turn, the history of the world’s largest museum complex!
- The historical architectural records of the Arts & Industries Building to inform its restoration
- The changing views of feral animals by Smithsonian and Department of Interior biologists
- The Smithsonian during the Civil War
- Portrayal of disability and accommodation of disability in Smithsonian exhibits
- Alice Pike Barney and her efforts to transform Washington, D.C., into the nation's cultural capital in the early 20th century
- The Columbian Institute (1816-1838), an institution dedicated to the diffusion of information about agriculture, manufacturing, and natural resources (the collection includes correspondence from John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson)
- The intersection of field naturalists, commerce and tourism in the Caribbean in the early 20th century
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