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| New England Archivists | |
|---|---|
| Name | New England Archivists |
| Formation | 1968 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Region served | Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; Rhode Island; Vermont |
| Membership | Archivists; librarians; records managers; conservators; historians |
| Leader title | President |
New England Archivists is a regional professional association serving archival practitioners, library specialists, records managers, conservators, and historians across the six-state New England area. Founded in 1968, it promotes standards, education, and collaboration among institutions such as state archives, university libraries, historical societies, museums, and private repositories. The organization fosters connections among practitioners from entities including the Massachusetts Historical Society, Yale University, Harvard University, Brown University, and the Maine Historical Society.
The organization was established in the late 1960s amid parallel developments at national and regional bodies like the Society of American Archivists, the American Library Association, and the National Archives and Records Administration. Early leaders drew on experience from institutions including the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian Institution, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the association engaged with initiatives involving the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Massachusetts State Archives, the Connecticut State Library, and the Rhode Island Historical Society. During the 1990s and 2000s it adapted to changes catalyzed by digital projects at places such as the Digital Public Library of America, the HathiTrust, the Internet Archive, and institutional repositories at Columbia University, Princeton University, and the University of Vermont.
Governance follows a volunteer-led model with an elected Board and committees resembling structures found at the Society of American Archivists, the Council on Library and Information Resources, and regional groups such as the Midwest Archives Conference and the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists. Officers have included professionals who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries, Dartmouth College, the University of Connecticut, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, and the New Hampshire Historical Society. Committees and sections coordinate with partners such as the Council of State Archivists, the Association of Records Managers and Administrators, the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, and state historical records advisory boards in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Membership draws staff from major repositories including Yale University Library, Harvard University Archives, Boston Public Library, Brown University Libraries, Colby College Special Collections, Bowdoin College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Professional development offerings align with best practices from the Association of College and Research Libraries, the American Association for State and Local History, and the International Council on Archives. Workshops and webinars address topics relevant to practitioners at the New England Medical Center, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Boston Athenaeum, and the Phillips Exeter Academy Archives, and engage trainers from institutions such as the Getty Conservation Institute and the Northeast Document Conservation Center.
Annual meetings bring together presenters and attendees from institutions including the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Connecticut Historical Society, the Maine Folklife Center, the Vermont Historical Society, and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission. Past conference themes have paralleled dialogues at the Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure, the Digital Library Federation, and regional gatherings hosted by the New England Museum Association. Keynote speakers have come from universities and organizations including Brown University, Harvard Business School, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the Newberry Library, and the American Antiquarian Society.
The association produces newsletters, listservs, and occasional monographs reminiscent of formats used by the Society of American Archivists, the American Archivist journal, and the Archival Outlook magazine. Communications often highlight projects at repositories such as the Schlesinger Library, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Boston College Archives, and the Tufts University Digital Collections. Outreach leverages partnerships with the Digital Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Libraries, the Vermont Digital Newspaper Project, and state cultural agencies for publicity and resource-sharing.
The organization administers awards and scholarships recognizing work at institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Harvard University, Brown University, and regional historical societies. Honors parallel those offered by the Society of American Archivists, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, and the American Association for State and Local History. Recipients have included archivists, conservators, and project teams from the Peabody Essex Museum, the Boston Public Library, the Maine Historical Society, the Rhode Island Historical Society, and university archival programs.
Collaborative efforts involve coordination with the National Archives and Records Administration, the Council of State Archivists, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Library of Congress, and the Digital Public Library of America. Advocacy work touches on issues affecting repositories such as state archives, academic libraries, museums, and historical societies including the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Connecticut State Library, and the Vermont Historical Society. Partnerships have supported grant-funded projects with organizations like the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Knight Foundation, and regional initiatives with the Northeast Document Conservation Center and local university presses.