The Thomas R. and Anna Fay Williams AAVSO Archives
Note: In the Spring of 2022 the AAVSO downsized its footprint by selling its building and relocating to a much smaller space in Cambridge. This move did not allow us to keep with us the contents of the AAVSO Archives. To preserve them in a safe and appropriate environment and make them available to future researchers, they were transferred to the stewardship of the Harvard University Archives as a collection. Once they are integrated into the Harvard Archives catalogue of collections, they will again be available for research. This process is expected to take at least a year, in part due to the backlog of projects caused by the covid pandemic. In the meantime, if you have questions about materials in the Archives, please contact us at aavso@aavso.org and we will do our best to help you. - Elizabeth O. Waagen, 23 June 2022
The historical documents and archival records at the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) are for the first time being evaluated, arranged, and cataloged in a systematic and comprehensive way. The goals of this project are to establish an archive that is efficiently accessible, and to produce a descriptive catalog that will be useful both as a finding-aid and as a research tool.
The AAVSO Archive Project is a major first step towards preserving the AAVSO’s institutional memory. The continuing maintenance of the archive, using established rules and procedures, will ensure that our institutional memory will be dynamic, that it will be regularly exercised with additions and research, and that it will be available to many.