Editor’s Note: (Comm)unity/Division
by Elizabeth Kobert
Director of Publications, Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York
For the summer 2024 issue of the Metropolitan Archivist, we asked archivists to consider the role of community in their work. This resulted in a mix of collection and project highlights, explorations of partnerships, and exhibition reviews that draw attention to the materiality and creative potential of libraries and archives.
A major theme that repeats throughout this issue is the relationship between archivists and technology (coincidentally, or perhaps not, this is also the theme of this year’s upcoming New York Archives Week Symposium). While tools like AI can be used to foster creative collaboration or to free up our time from monotonous tasks, they can also present steep learning curves and ethical considerations. New digital platforms can unify physically disparate collections and knowledge workers, as well as promote awareness of previously inaccessible records, while also raising concerns about privacy and introducing new challenges related to digital preservation.
Our authors have also highlighted the communities documented in their collections and made strong arguments for the importance of archives in telling the stories of underrepresented groups. As these beautifully illustrated articles show, primary sources are a powerful tool to advocate for the preservation of community archives and to promote their inclusion in physical or digital exhibitions.
Thank you to our Publications Committee, a team of volunteer editors who took a set of excellent articles written by our community of archivists and made them even better: Rachel Garbade, Rudie Hurwitz, Dani Stompor, and David Walker. Thank you to our authors for their hard work, patience, and generosity of time and spirit.
I am thrilled to share that after serving as the interim Director of Publications for these last two issues, I have been elected to serve a full two-year term. I look forward to continuing to showcase the incredible work of the ART community and giving archivists a platform to share their accomplishments, grapple with ideas, and inspire new collaborations.
Feedback, suggestions, and volunteer interest can always be directed to metropolitanarchivist@nycarchivists.org.
