Welcome to MARAC

Organized in 1972, MARAC is a volunteer, regional consortium of archivists who live and work in the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, and in the District of Columbia.

Announcements

On behalf of the DC Caucus, the Steering Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) submitted a letter to the DC Government Operations Committee to advocate for a new, state-of-the-art Archives; significantly more staff and upgraded facilities for the current Archives; and comprehensive records management for the DC Government.

MARAC joins in supporting the Bowser Administration’s commitment to a modern, state-of-the-art District Archives and to move the Archives to a new facility at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC).  You may view the letter in its entirety at Letter to DC Government Operations Committee.pdf

MARAC Statement in Support of Full Online Access to Hollins University Yearbooks

The Steering Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference supports and affirms the recommendation of the Hollins University Working Group on Slavery and Its Contemporary Legacies and the Wyndham Robertson Library that Hollins should immediately restore full online access to their yearbook (The Spinster). Dr. Pareena G. Lawrence, President of Hollins University, recently directed the temporary removal of yearbooks from Hollins Digital Commons containing images of students in blackface along with other racially insensitive content.

MARAC respects President Lawrence’s effort to limit the pain these appalling depictions might cause but we will never condone the removal of materials from the archival record. MARAC upholds the Society of American Archivists Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics, cited in their own recent response to the removal of the Hollins yearbooks: “Archivists may not willfully alter, manipulate, or destroy data or records to conceal facts or distort evidence.” As the SAA statement notes: “Removing offensive material that was produced and distributed by the University is, de facto, an alteration of the archival record.”

In her April 2, 2019 letter to the Hollins community, President Lawrence acknowledges, “Grappling with such issues from the past is difficult. But, if we are to evolve as a society and institution of higher learning, we cannot ignore or hide from our past. Indeed, we must learn from it.” Removing archival materials, even temporarily, hides the institution’s history and delays the crucial work of learning from past injustices.

The Spring 2019 edition of the Mid-Atlantic Archivist (MAA Vol.48 No. 2) is now available online!

Time to renew your membership for the 2018-2019 membership year!  To renew your membership or to join MARAC, simply complete the online form at Membership 2018-2019 or download a membership form to submit through the mail.  Contact [email protected] with any questions. Thank you!