New York State Archives Sponsors Basics of Archives Workshops

ALBANY - The New York State Archives is sponsoring an all-day Basics of Archives workshop at three locations throughout the state during May and June. The workshops are designed for people who work or volunteer in organizations that deal with the past -- whether it's a museum, historic house, the city clerk's office, the library's local history room, a historic site, or a college archives.

The first two Basics of Archives workshops will be held on Friday, May 19th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Genesee Country Village, 1410 Flint Hill Road, in Mumford and Thursday, June 1st from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), 57 East 11th Street, 4th Floor, in New York City The cost for attending is $10. Registration information is available by contacting Raymond LaFever of the New York State Archives at 518-474-6926 or email at [log in to unmask]
 
The third Basics of Archives workshop will be held on Thursday, June 29th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Ulster Community College, Cottekill Road in Stone Ridge. There is no charge for attending. Registration information is available by contacting Phyllis Darrah-Scheriff of the New York State Archives at 518-485-6233 or email at [log in to unmask] 

Workshop participants will be introduced to basic archival principles and practices so they can collect, protect, and help people use the historical treasures in their care. Some of the topics covered during the workshop include:

* Determining what documents are historical records
* Deciding what records to keep 
* Making sure an organization has legal title to its collections
* Protecting collections from theft
* Dealing with copyright issues
* Creating basic finding aids to help users find the information in the collections
* Preserving historical records
* Getting people excited about using the collections.
* Where to go when help is needed

The New York State Archives, in partnership with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), the Michigan History Center and the Ohio Historical Society developed the Basics of Archives workshop over a three-year period with a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library services (IMLS). The workshop provides archival training for the non-archivist.  In addition to the workshop, a moderated on-line course is available from AASLH and takes about six weeks to complete.  It costs AASLH members $85 and non-members $95. Further information about the on-line course is available at http://www.aaslh.org/ 

The State Archives is a program of the State Education Department. At its facility in the Cultural Education Center in Albany, the Archives cares for more than 200 million archival records of New York State government dating from the 1630s to the present. Through its nine regional offices and its support of the Documentary Heritage Program, the State Archives also provides services to help 4,300 local governments and 3,000-community organizations care for their records.