We think archives are important all year round, but every October we take time to advocate for archives, archivists, our work, and the many, many collections that exist in our repositories during Archives Awareness Month in the United States. Archivists in all kinds of archives across the country talk directly to people who use (or will use!) archives about what exactly it is we do as archivists, what exists in our collections, and how you can access them.
The Society of American Archivists traditionally designates one day each Archives Awareness Month to #AskAnArchivistDay, a public initiative where archivists solicit questions from the curious, usually through social media, and answer through the same channels. Questions run the gamut, from advice on preserving your family’s old materials, clarifying when you can visit the archives, highlighting specific collecting areas, explaining how we decide what to keep, or just giving the archivists an excuse to be silly.
@qc.archives 🎵 A-R-C-H-I-V-E, send your questions all to me! 🎶 have a question about archives, archivists, Queens College, or CUNY? #askanarchivist day is TOMORROW! #queenscollege #archives #archivistsoftiktok ♬ HOT TO GO! – Chappell Roan
This year, Queens College Special Collections and Archives participated once again across our Instagram and TikTok channels. Catch up on what you missed below, and be sure to subscribe throughout the year to see what we’re up to!
@qc.archives Asked from instagram: What events were going on at QC and CUNY during 1969? A pivotal year, 1969 was a hotbed of student activism in two major directives: anti-Vietnam War protest and SEEK uprising and rebellion. Our Campus Unrest Collection, Student Publications, and photographs show evidence of student power and how they prevailed. Remember: these were QC students, just like you. #askanarchivist ♬ For What It's Worth – Buffalo Springfield