FSU Libraries Celebrates Ask an Archivist Day with Social Media Takeover

The month of October here at FSU doesn’t just mean cooler weather, macabre décor, and bulk-buying candy. It’s also a time to celebrate and appreciate those who work directly with primary sources, collecting, organizing, and preserving them for public use: archivists. FSU Libraries is proud of the archivists it employs and is especially excited for the annual American Archives Month social media takeover on October 16, 2024.

It’s important to appreciate the work archivists do, as without their specialized knowledge and skillset, many important documents, books, art, photographs, and so much more would be lost or nigh inaccessible. For many scholars, this inaccessibility would viciously stunt their research, and progress in their respective fields would slow to a crawl.

Maggie Nye, doctoral student here at FSU, was inspired by and incorporated real archival materials into her historical novel, The Curators: “…the letter at the end of the novel was inspired by a postcard I found in the archives of the Breman Museum—from Mary Phagan to her cousin.” Accessibility to materials such as Mary Phagan’s postcard is only thanks to hard working archivists who strive to help researchers like Maggie Nye find the pieces they need to further their own intellectual and creative endeavors.

And so, on October 16, FSU Libraries is observing Ask an Archivist Day! FSU archivists will answer questions about all things archives (and archives-adjacent), be it serious or silly. Historically, FSU Special Collections & Archives staff have used Instagram’s Stories feature to show footage of their work while providing educational narration. The ultimate goal of Ask an Archivist Day is not just to extend appreciation however, but to “Break down the barriers that make archivists seem inaccessible,” the official website says.

Archivists and other observers of Ask An Archivist Day are encouraged to use the hashtag #AskanArchivist to help spread the word, learn more about archival practices, and to show their appreciation for archivists everywhere!