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.

The University of Wisconsin - Madison SAA-SC Thanks You!

The University of Wisconsin - Madison SAA-SC would like to thank all the participating repositories for their time and effort in helping us put together entries for this project.

We'd also like to extend a big thanks to our visitors for taking the time to stop by. We've had visits from as close as next door in Madison to as far away as Japan, Macao, and Kazakhstan!

We hope you've learned a bit more about archival institutions throughout Wisconsin - we certainly did. We also got to dabble with some Web 2.0 tools and got a hand at reaching new audiences. From our perspective, this project was a resounding success.

What did you think? Please feel free to leave feedback about what we've done and what you'd like to see in this blog in the future. Your comments can go under the "Comments" section of this post.

Again, thank you! We'll see you again next October for American Archives Month!

Image courtesy of Dr. Ciaran Trace.
Seated, left to right: Greg Kocken, Casey Coleman
Front row, left to right: Simone Munson, Christina Johnson
Second row, left to right: Lisa Muccigrosso, Rachel Pieper
Third row, left to right: Tyler Kennedy, Becky Julson, Sarah Mueller, Katie Scanlan
Fourth row, left to right: Dr. Ciaran Trace, Meredith Lowe, Heather Heckman, Anna Cianciara

October is American Archives Month!

In celebration of American Archives Month, the Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will present a Wisconsin archives repository each week day in October. Beginning October 1, we will post entries about the various institutions around the state that act to preserve and make available for use the records of Wisconsin's rich heritage. These repositories include state and local governments, religious and medical institutions, colleges and universities, libraries, historical societies, museums, and businesses. Our goal is to make the public aware of the wide array of historical materials that are available to them, whether for scholarly research, genealogical study, or just for fun.

Please check back early and often to help us celebrate Wisconsin's archives!