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!

The Archivists Round Table is pleased to announce a brilliant slate of talented candidates for our open positions on the Board of Directors. This year the election will be conducted electronically, with the results announced at our Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

Register to attend here: Annual Business Meeting & Board Elections

Read the candidates' bios and statements and cast your vote!

In light of the recent events that have sparked much discourse, activism, and solidarity within the New York archives community, the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.) is extending the nomination period for the 2020 A.R.T. Board elections to Thursday, 18 June 2020, midnight EDT.

Serving on the A.R.T. Board is a unique opportunity to cultivate leadership skills and contribute to the advancement of important conversations within the profession. Read testimonials from our outgoing directors and consider nominating yourself or a colleague using this form: https://nycarchivists.wufoo.com/forms/x8jhs2x0wkzih8

The Board of Directors of the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) unanimously stands against the violence inflicted upon persons of color, historically and in the present day, and supports actions designed to identify and counter the causes of injustices perpetuated by our political and social systems. We acknowledge legacies of structural racism and white supremacy in our institutions that have contributed to marginalization and disenfranchisement, and are committed to anti-racist values and practices towards a more inclusive archival record and equity within our profession.

Read the full statement: Human Rights & Anti-Racism Statement and Resources

The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (ART) is formally accepting nominations for the ART Board for the 2020 election year. To learn more about the open positions for Vice President, Secretary, Membership, Publications, Outreach, and Communications Directors read testimonials from our outgoing board members and visit our online candidate submission form. 

The board of the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York invites you to join us in breaking up the isolation by checking in with colleagues, sharing tips for remote work and maintaining emotional well-being, and discussing how we can navigate these new challenges and support each other. We will convene for an afternoon break on Zoom and Twitter via #ARTCommunityHours during our Weekly Community Hours. We welcome archival workers from throughout the area - regardless of membership status - to join us in connecting with community with a respectful and supportive circle of colleagues.

More details and registration: https://www.nycarchivists.org/events