It’s that time of year again! It’s October, which means it is not only autumn, but also American Archives Month! From the Virginia Archives Month website:
“Though Virginia Archives Month arrives every autumn, there is truly no season of the year where you cannot find an archival item or collection to satisfy your research needs or pique your curiosity. Whether you’re heading to the Tidewater or Eastern Shore for summer vacation, Fall apple picking in the Valley or the piedmont, heading over the snowy Blue Ridge to visit the old home place for the holidays, or spring strawberry picking in Southside, somewhere nearby is an archive with interesting, informative collections. That is why this year’s theme for Archives Month in Virginia is ‘An Archive for All Seasons: Virginia’s Archives & Special Collections.’
“Every year during October, the archival community in the commonwealth celebrates American Archives Month to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving and sharing cultural and historical documents from families, communities, states, and the country at large. Archivists reach out to their communities during this month to make connections and educate the public about the value of archives and their work in caring for and making them accessible. Archives are unique assets that allow society to tell its story, hold governments accountable, and safeguard the rights of its citizens.
“That said, archives do not always have to be places of serious research—they can be about serious (or not so serious) creativity, too! This 2020 Virginia Archives Month webpage contains links to coloring pages and jigsaw puzzles that even the casual or first–time archival user can hopefully find fun and informative. Also, the 2020 Archives Month album (along with past albums and posters) can be found on our Flickr page.
“We welcome you to explore Virginia’s diverse cultural heritage by delving into an archives collection near you during the month of October or any time of year. Find out about events during Archives Month below or contact your local repository for events in your area.”
Follow SCRC on Social Media and look out for future posts on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. To search the collections held at Special Collections Research Center, go to our website and browse the finding aids by subject or title. You may also e-mail us at speccoll@gmu.edu or call 703-993-2220 if you would like to schedule an appointment, request materials, or if you have questions. Appointments are not necessary to request and view collections.
