A briefing circulated to all new VAAs, signed by the Head Archivist, Dr. Alethea Acevedo.

Greetings.

I would like, first of all, to extend my thanks to you for signing up to become a Volunteer Assistant Archivist. Without people such as yourself, the Archive would be a shadow of its current form – and, more importantly, this is a vitally important position, which can never have too many occupants. After all, this is a role in which you will contribute to the furthering of the limits of human comprehension.

So, what does this position involve?

Your primary task is simple: be curious. This is a wide and wonderful world, with so much to explore and discover. Whatever interests you, interests us. Record it. Share it. And, in so doing, teach the rest of the world to be interested, too – even, perhaps, those who have not yet been born. We accept submissions of any and all kinds – traditional documentary evidence such as diaries, letters, and charters, yes; but also videos, photographs, audio recordings, sketches, artefacts ancient and modern, and anything else that comes to mind. Some of our most notable collection items include electrical wires and a recording of waves on an empty beach.

While we hope that you will feel encouraged to contribute frequently to the Archive, the benefit of the voluntary role is that it is low-commitment, and a position that you will be able to hold alongside any other current obligations, no matter what they might be. There is no need to search, to push past the limits of convenience: simple observations are more than enough. However, this does not mean that we expect you to be passive in this role, solely focused on the past. If you witness an event of interest, then record it – as objectively as possible – and submit that, too. Always remember that you are not only working for the Archive in the here and now, but also for the Archive that is to come. Even the simplest of happenings – a shift in the wind, a new dish at a restaurant – may someday prove the key of a groundbreaking new study, and it is our duty to facilitate such work. Whether you know it or not, your life will have been enriched by engagement with Archival materials: our primary documentation stands behind pioneering research in fields from history to meteorology, and religious studies to business studies. Whenever you investigate a question online, you are drawing on our resources. Archival information is everywhere, much of it collected by ordinary people such as yourself, of all ages and calling many diverse places home.

And now, ordinary people including yourself.

Welcome to the team.