The board of the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) has released a statement condemning the attack on the United States Capitol by those seeking to block the certification of electors in the recent presidential election and the violence that resulted in five deaths.

We are well aware that the events that unfolded on January 6th are not without precedent; archives of the United States bear witness to many instances of violence perpetrated by those with white supremacist views seeking to wield political power. As an organization representing a diversity of cultural and governmental institutions, collections, and archivists in the New York metropolitan area, ART affirms our commitment to upholding democratic values towards the promise of a more just and free society.

Please read the full statement on our Advocacy page: ART Statement on January 6th Attack on the Capitol

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) welcomes contributions for its winter issue of the Metropolitan Archivist, ART’s online digital quarterly featuring short- and long-form articles, digital exhibitions, and collection spotlights.

The forthcoming issue of the Metropolitan Archivist is organized around the thematic of Participant/Observer, in contemplation of how individuals experience history–as actors and witnesses–and the myriad motivations that catalyze historical subjects across the threshold from observation to participation.

More details and submission instructions are available via this form. Please submit by Friday, February 5th for consideration. 

Image: "Little Rock, 1959. Mob marching from capitol to Central High," 1959. Photograph shows a young African American boy watching a group of people, some carrying American flags, march past to protest the admission of the "Little Rock Nine" to Central High School. Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Photo: John T. Bledsoe

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.) is accepting nominations for the newly vacant position of Director of Education on the A.R.T. Board. The six-month term will commence immediately at the announcement of the election results; the successful nominee will serve until the next A.R.T. Board Election. 

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

The ART Publications Committee is pleased to announce the publication of the Metropolitan Archivist's inaugural issue as a digital quarterly on Medium. The Fall 2020 issue, Invisible City, reflects on the many ways in which visibility does and does not manifest in the archives, explored through articles, multimedia interviews, reviews, and a digital exhibition.

Follow the Metropolitan Archivist on Medium to read and share: https://medium.com/metropolitan-archivist

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) invites submissions of events to our 2020 New York Archives Week calendar. This years programming is being held online and professional Zoom conferencing support will be available for a limited number of events. Sign up via the 2020 New York Archives Week Event Submission Form today!

The Archivist Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) is pleased to announce the launch of its expanded Mentorship Program. The program will take two forms: the return of our popular Speed Networking events and a 1-1 Mentorship program. The Speed Networking events will take place virtually over Zoom. Modeled on “speed dating” format, these events rotate pairings of emerging professionals, students and those re-entering the job market with established archival professionals. The 1-1 Mentorship program will run from October 2020 - April 2021. The program will match interested individuals with an experienced archive professional based on the mutual interests and needs. Mentors will meet with their assigned mentee, by phone or video conference, and provide guidance on any professional concerns they may have. Applications are open for both mentors and mentees for our 1-1 Mentorship Program. Mentors interested in participating in an upcoming Speed Networking event should also fill out a form. 

• Mentor Application Form
• Mentee Application Form

Please submit your form by Thursday, September 17th for first consideration. Matched mentors and mentees will be notified in advance and are invited to join an orientation gathering to commence the program. Any questions or concerns, please contact the Director of Membership, Colleen Daw, at membership@nycarchivists.org.

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) welcomes contributions for its fall issue of The Metropolitan Archivist, ART’s online publication which is currently being redesigned as a digital quarterly with short- and long-form articles, digital exhibitions, and collection spotlights.

The forthcoming issue of The Metropolitan Archivist is organized around the thematic of the Invisible City, in recognition of the various ways in which the historic events of the past six months have made visible that which has failed to register in the mainstream consciousness for far too long. The COVID-19 pandemic transformed our daily lives and made way for the groundswell of public demonstrations over the loss of Black lives. These seismic events have revealed aspects of our culture and society, both historical and present day, that rightfully demand to be seen and transformed. As archivists and special collections librarians performing cultural heritage work and with firsthand knowledge of the gaps and silences that profoundly shape the historical record and the narratives it supports, we ask:

How can efforts to archive lost or marginalized aspects of the historical past and to center ethics of care in contemporary practice move us towards a more ethical and equitable future?

When we think of the historical footprint of New York City, what image comes to mind now and into the future? What stories will records created during this pandemic tell? Of whom and for whom will they be?

The Metropolitan Archivist invites articles and visual essays that reflect on the many ways in which visibility does and does not manifest in the archives. We are particularly interested in archival subjects and archival labor that have historically been rendered invisible, how lost aspects of history may be recuperated,  and how past and recent historical events manifest in the increasingly predominant digital sphere of a socially distant present.

For more details, please see visit our submission form and submit pitches (500 words max.) by Tuesday, September 15th for consideration. 

Image: "Waterfront, South Street, Manhattan," 1935. Courtesy New York Public Library Digital Collections. Photo: Berenice Abbott / Federal Art Project

The Archivists Round Table is excited to announce a new member program aimed at helping our community adapt to evolving work challenges and pick up new skills during this socially distant time. Our Skill Share program will offer a forum for sharing expertise by inviting archivists and allied professionals with specific skills to host an afternoon “in residence” on the ART Slack channel, where they will be available to answer questions and share their experiences. Members are invited to join in to ask questions and to share their own workflows, tips, and expertise.

To pilot this new program, ART Vice President, Nicholas Martin will host a Skill Share on “Using Airtable to Manage Reference Workflows.”

Learn more and register to participate on our event page: ART Skill Share: Airtable for Reference Workflows

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York is accepting proposals for our forthcoming annual New York Archives Week Symposium, which will take place online on Thursday, October 22nd, 2020. This year’s symposium will address urgent topics surrounding the interplay between the increasing technological complexity of the born-digital historical record and remote work, issues of precarity in archival labor, and the necessity of addressing structural racism in our institutions and individual practices.

We invite presentations from archivists, records managers, curators, historians, special collections librarians, and allied professionals that highlight the value that archival collections and archivist expertise have in this unprecedented moment of uncertainty and global solidarity. 

Call for Proposals: https://www.nycarchivists.org/resources/NYAW/2020%20NYAW/2020_NYAW_CFP.pdf

The Archivists Round Table is delighted to announce the results of our 2020 Board Elections.

Nicholas Martin, Vice President/President-Elect

Stephanie Neel, Secretary

Emily Andresini, Director of Publications

Cristina Fontánez Rodríguez, Director of Outreach

Anne Boissonnault, Director of Communications

Colleen Daw, Director of Membership

Please get to know the new members of our Board of Directors and reach out if you'd like to volunteer on their respective committees!