Archives Blogs: Ode to an Addiction

I'll come right out and say it: I'm addicted to blogs. I write a blog of my own and I follow 78 blogs of varying topics and themes. You heard right: SEVENTY-EIGHT. I really should get some help. Now I know that, like me, you've been following the Archives Month blog avidly this past week, but there are many other archives blogs out there to add to your blogroll. The archives blogs I follow introduce me to new issues and debates within the archival community, or just give me a fun story for the day. While I follow quite a few archives blogs, I'm going to highlight just a few of my favorites today.

1.  ArchivesNext.

This is the NBC newsroom of the archival world, chock-full of breaking news and ongoing debates and discussions. It also features a lot of guest posts from archivists, archival students, and professors, which broadens the blog's horizons. Recent headlines include: "Dramatic Change to NARA's Mission in New Strategic Plan?", "Spontaneous Scholarship for 2013 SAA Annual Meeting: How to Give, How to Apply", and "Gauging Interest in Group for 'Mid Career' Archivists." I can't help but feel up-to-date when I read this blog.

2. ArchiveGrid Blog.

So..... I love ArchiveGrid. Easy to search, easy to explain to patrons, and just fun to explore. And this blog is a lot of fun too. It provides updates and news about ArchiveGrid (like a post last week about Archival Descriptive Standards) but most of the time, it focuses on the collections and contributors to ArchiveGrid. Last month, a post about lunchboxes. Last week, a post about civil rights. This week, the George Washington Presidential Library. You never know what story you'll find on ArchiveGrid.

3. NARAtions. (Clever name, or what?)

Although the NARA blog is currently down (thank you, Congress), it should be back up and running when this temper tantrum is over. Aside from the politics, NARAtions is worth checking out. Like ArchiveGrid, it contains news about their institution, but also includes stories about particular collections or manuscripts, often with pictures. As someone who assists patrons with a lot of genealogy research, I also appreciate the updates about new records available on their website or tips on researching specific record groups. Thanks NARA!

4. Found in the University Archives.

I have to give a plug to UW-Madison here, and it's a plug I don't mind giving. Found in the University Archives is a fun blog, full of pictures, videos, and lots of really unique stories, all related to our fantastic school. It's a little off the wall (Oompa Loompas, anyone?), but that's what makes it catchy and exciting to follow. You never know what is going to be posted next. The blog is also an excellent example of how to use social media to promote archives and get people excited about "the old stuff."

There are many more I could prattle on about, but then I might be here all day. However, here are some other blogs you shouldn't miss: Off the Record (SAA's blog), Derangement and Description (check out the post they did when Disney acquired LucasFilm last year), the Smithsonian Collections blog, and Conservators Converse (the blog for the American Institute for Conservation.) A lot of archives and special collections do their own blogs as well, so if you have a favorite archive or library (mine is the National Library of Ireland), see if they have a blog to follow! Now if you'll excuse me, I have some blogs to read.