In April 2020 the Archivists of Central Texas (ACT) will host the fourth biennial Austin Archives Bazaar, a one-day festival showcasing the collections, work, and staff of archives in Austin and central Texas. The Bazaar brings together over twenty archival repositories that are preserving and sharing stories of women, marginalized communities, local organizations, local and state government, political organizers and activists, national and international artists, and religious and ethnic groups under one roof for the public to discover and enjoy. This year’s Bazaar will be held at Trinity Hall on April 19, 2020, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

At its core, the Bazaar exposes the history of human experience in the region by highlighting the wealth of historic cultural materials from various repositories including booths from the Austin History Center, University of Texas collections, the Harry Ransom Center, and the LBJ Presidential Library, as well as smaller repositories like Huston-Tillotson University, the Catholic Archives of Texas,  the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, and the George Washington Carver Genealogy Center. The Bazaar features multiple speakers who will showcase their work as historians, preservationists, technologists, students, genealogists, and more. Other activities at the Austin Archives Bazaar include: a preservation station (where the public can get advice on preserving family history material), a historic photo booth, an oral history recording booth, and an interactive A/V booth featuring recordings from local repositories. New this year is an “Art Inspired by the Archives” contest and exhibition. Regional artists will select an archival collection or item and interpret it as a creative work.