American Archives Month Celebrated at the Byrd Center

By Jody Brumage

Each year, the month of October marks the observance of American Archives Month. Since 2006, American Archives Month has given the profession an opportunity to tell (or remind) people that items that are important to them are being preserved, cataloged, cared for, and made accessible by archivists.  We are excited that here at the Byrd Center, we are able to share our unique collections with you through this website, our traveling exhibit, and through special programs. 

A section of the Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers Collection in the Byrd Center Archives.

The Byrd Center Archives contain the records of Senator Robert C. Byrd, Congressman Harley O. Staggers, Sr., and Congressman Harley O. Staggers, Jr., as well as several other related collections detailing the history of congress and its role in representative democracy. These collections tell the story of West Virginia's leadership in congress throughout the latter half of the twentieth century and into the first decade of the twenty-first century, detailing the immense power the state's senators and congressmen have wielded throughout history. ​You can explore our collections here by viewing our finding aids and collection guides.

To celebrate American Archives Month at the Byrd Center, we offered two special tours of the archives and reading room to the community. Thanks to support from Shepherd University's Lifelong Learning Program, visitors explored the collections and learned about the processing of archival records. Afterwards, Byrd Center Archivist Jody Brumage gave a presentation on the unique role played by West Virginia's Senator Robert C. Byrd and Congressman Harley O. Staggers, Sr. in winning approval for the National Energy Act of 1978. Visitors got to hold and view original documents and photographs from the collections.

The celebration continues throughout West Virginia. Earlier this year, the West Virginia Caucus of the Mid-Atlantic Region Archives Conference launched a new website, Archiving West Virginia. The site offers information about archives and leads visitors to explore the rich collections held at repositories throughout the state. We are also excited for our friends at the West Virginia and Regional History Center at West Virginia University for the announcement of the opening of the John D. "Jay" Rockefeller, IV Digital Collections, including over 1,500 photographs from the senator's collection. 

As we continue on with American Archives Month, we encourage you to explore our digital collections and blogs which often feature stories from the archives. You can also visit the center now and view the exhibit Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian which features hundreds of documents and photographs from the collections. The exhibit is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm.

Click here to visit the Rockefeller Digital Collection at the WVRHC.