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.