Are you a new archivist or Archives Chair? Start Here!

Welcome to the Western Washington Area 72 Archives Standing Committee webpage.  We have resources for all of your Archives needs, and hope after reading the information, you will be ready to start your journey, in what many of us have found an extremely rewarding form of 12th Step work. The Western Washington Area 72 Archives Committee is composed of District Archivists, District Archives Chairpersons, and members of the Archives Steering Committee (ASC) which includes the Area Archivist and Area Archives Chairperson.  Our Archives Repository is at 3905 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, WA 98499.

Here is a quick summary of what Archives servants do: We collect and preserve material relevant to the Western Washington Area, your District, and items of general A.A. historical interest.  These items include, but are not limited to, meeting minutes, trusted servant reports and records, correspondence, literature and artifacts considered to have historical importance to Alcoholics Anonymous in our Districts or Area.  Our job is to collect and preserve such material, making access possible, as determined by the Archivist. Access to the Area Repository is provided by the Archivist. Appointments for the Area Archives Repository may be scheduled on a case-by-case basis.  To inquire, please contact archivist@area72aa.org.  For information regarding your District Archives, reach out to your District Archives Chair and/or District Archivist.

Welcome!

First, welcome to A.A. Archives service.  We hope this page helps provide you with all the information you need to begin your Archives service journey. There are a variety of resources for new committee chairs. Here are some suggestions to help you make the most of your rotation as an Archivist or Archives Chair:

  • Fill out the Area 72 District Trusted Servant Update form & submit. You will be given an Area 72 Google archives email address that will give you access to all our Archives Share Drive resources.
  • Feel free to contact your Area Archives Chair at archiveschair@area72aa.org
  • or archivist@area72aa.org and let them know you are the new Archivist or Archives Chair. ***
  • The Archives Chair or Archivist will help you with accessing your area72aa.org email, the Archives Standing Committee Googled Shared Drive, other resources, and notify you of upcoming Archives events. The Archivist can help you with your archival tasks in working with your collection.
  • Other important information:
    • The Area’s Archives Quarterlies are held every first Saturday in February, May, August and November.
    • Information is available on the National Alcoholics Anonymous Archives Workshop (NAAAW) https://www.naaaw.org/. There are many informative videos available to help you learn about archival practices and procedures. After watching them, you may have questions — and that’s where we come in. Our Archives Committee Members are here to support you and would love to hear from you.
    • Review the Learning Section of https://www.naaaw.org/ it provides videos, audio and downloadable documents on various topics and tasks.
    • The Archivist and ASC members are a great resource for suggestions on how to approach Archiving in your district and how to discern what to keep. Reach out to the archivist at archivist@area72aa.org.
    • Order your A.A. Archives Workbook online here: https://onlineliterature.aa.org/Archives-Workbook.
    • Don’t be concerned about feeling overwhelmed or needing help; we are here to help!

Feel free to reach out by email at asc@area72aa.org with your questions, or to get connected with A.A. members in your community who are already involved in Archives service work.

Resources Links

GSO Resources

Historical Area Handouts

Area Archive Working Tools

Other Area 72 Archives Related Links