Documenting New York: Identifying and Saving New York's Primary Sources

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Broad public access to primary sources is critical to ensure a balanced, equitable, and comprehensive understanding of our history. These sources are not always saved or accessible for research, and their absence leaves a gap in the documentation. The New York State Historical Records Advisory Board and the State Archives provide leadership to ensure that the records documenting the major themes in New York's history are identified, preserved in a professionally run repository, and accessible for public use. New York's strategy involves setting priorities for what will be documented and working with creators and managers of records to ensure that these will be saved. This article provides an overview of New York's documentation process and an analysis of the results of twenty years of work toward a fuller documentation of New York's past.