Discover the remarkable archival resources available in the Rochester region at the 5th annual Rochester Archives Fair!

This year’s theme, “Living Through History: Movements, Milestones, and Moments of Impact,” will explore history in our everyday lives.

Area institutions will present Lightning Talks highlighting their unique collections and be available to discuss the archival treasures they preserve during the Virtual Archives Fair event on December 15 from 2-3pm. In addition, you can browse through highlighted Online Collections at any time.

Whether you are interested in history, genealogy, primary sources, or enjoy learning, this FREE event will introduce you to our area’s special collections, archives, libraries, and historians.

Featured Lightning Talks and Speakers:

• “History in Black & White: Why Rochester Needs an Archive of Black History & Culture”, Christine L. Ridarsky & Antoine A. McDonald, Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County
• “Playing with Others Thanks to Parker Brothers”, Julia Novakovic, The Strong National Museum of Play
• “Celebrating Women’s Anniversaries in 2020”, Autumn Haag, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, University of Rochester
• “Listening to the Past: Oral History in the Digital Commons”, Pam O’Sullivan, Drake Memorial Library, SUNY Brockport

By attending this event, you agree to our Code of Conduct.

We are committed to offering inclusive, diverse, and equitable services to all of our members. To request specific accommodations, including sign language interpretation, please contact RRLC at least five business days ahead of the event.

This event is presented by the Rochester Area Special Collections, Archives, and Libraries (RASCALs) group of the Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC).

Lightning Talk Descriptions

History in Black & White: Why Rochester Needs an Archive of Black History & Culture
As Rochester reckons with its history of white supremacy and racism, the past provides important lessons that can help explain how we got to this moment. Unfortunately, most of the archival materials housed in the community’s cultural institutions tell history through the white middle class lens that has predominated in traditional historical narratives. In order to develop a more inclusive understanding of the past, we need to ensure that the historical record reflects ALL of the city’s residents and their experiences by collecting materials that document the experiences and viewpoints of underrepresented people. Toward that end, the Rochester Public Library is working with community partners to interrupt racism by establishing an archive of Black history and culture. Presented by Christine L. Ridarsky & Antoine A. McDonald from the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County.

Celebrating Women’s Anniversaries in 2020
2020 is the year of Susan B. Anthony’s 200th birthday and the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment. Our department had an exhibit (Women Running Rochester) set to open in mid-March on these anniversaries and much more. The exhibit never opened to the public and is now online. My talk will cover the creation of the exhibit, some of the women it features, and its transition to an online exhibit. Presented by Autumn Haag from Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation at the University of Rochester.

Playing with Others Thanks to Parker Brothers
Peruse any American family’s board game collection and you’re bound to see some of the biggest hits from Parker Brothers: games such as Monopoly, Clue, Risk, Sorry!, and Trivial Pursuit. But, what do you know about the company itself, founded by George S. Parker more than 130 years ago? This talk will summarize the history of the Parker Brothers company using original materials from the archival collections at The Strong. You’ll learn about George S. Parker, the early days of the family company, its hit products, and of course, the impact of Monopoly on the games market for decades to come. Presented by Julia Novakovic from The Strong’s Brian Sutton-Smith Library & Archives of Play.

Listening to the Past: Oral History in the Digital Commons
Since the advent of sound recording, people have made use of it in a variety of ways. One way in which it was very relevant for archivists and historians is interviews with a variety of people, often retirees or “the first” to do or achieve something in their Town or institution. In some cases, the interviews were left on formats that have become obsolete. They can be difficult to impossible for researchers to utilize. Adding them to your institutional repository, with an accompanying transcript, makes these items far more accessible and useful to researchers. Presented by Pam O’Sullivan from the Drake Memorial Library at SUNY Brockport.

Explore Online Collections

Browse featured online collections that explore the central theme of “Living Through History: Movements, Milestones, & Moments of Impact”! These collections are just some of the rich resources available online to our community and to the world.

• Digital Collections from the Library & Archives of Play
• Epidemics, Economics, and Elections: The Editorial Cartoons of John Scott Clubb and Elmer Messner
• Rochester Black Freedom Struggle Online Project
• Rochester Churches Indexing Project & Church Records Preservation Committee
• The Yellow Fever Collection

Register @ RRLC