You are invited to the Archives Hashtag Party. On the first Friday of the month, archivists tweet or ‘gram about interesting, cool, or even strange items from their collections. Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of this archives outreach program.

Why Have an Archives Hashtag Party?

If you like research rabbit holes featuring primary sources (and what genealogist doesn’t?), then the Archives Hashtag Party is for you.

archives hashtag partyThe #ArchivesHashtagParty launched in August 2017 from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Over 600 archives, libraries, and museums around the world have joined the party on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about “why” from the Archivist of the United States.

How to Join the Archives Hashtag Party

NARA provides a new hashtag theme each month. To enjoy the party, simply show up on Twitter or Instagram tomorrow and follow #ArchivesHashtagParty to see what archivists are sharing.

The New York Times followed this monthly phenomenon in a recent article titled The Record Keepers’ Rave:

The parties unfold on Twitter, mainly, and they are more like frenzied show-and-tells than parties. On the appointed day, and concerning the appointed topic (for instance, “inventions”), participants unleash volleys of images and trivia from their records, tagged with a communal hashtag to facilitate mass perusal.

Follow the links below to see what previous parties looked like, or get ready to join the Archives Hashtag Party tomorrow. Happy research rabbit holes!