Mission Statement 

The New School Archives and Special Collections collects, preserves, and transmits knowledge, culture, and history for present and future generations.

Our mission is:

  • To promote knowledge and understanding of The New School by collecting, preserving, contextualizing, and making publicly accessible a rich array of records that document the histories of The New School and its communities of students, faculty, alumni, and staff.

  • To collect and make accessible primary resources representing a range of subjects of importance to faculty and students.

  • To serve as a resource that encourages and contributes to teaching and learning at The New School and facilitates primary source scholarship. The Archives seeks to foster critical thinking, the exchange of ideas, the production of knowledge, and the creation of art and design work.

  • To furnish public access to The Archives’ collections by providing multiple means of discovery to, and rich description of, these collections.

  • To collaborate on, develop, and deliver instructional services and tools for New School students, faculty and staff that enhance historical understanding,  information literacy, and primary source research skills.

  • To provide reference service that furthers archival research beyond The New School Archives, supports archival preservation beyond the collections in its care by sharing knowledge with colleagues and external organizations, and promotes personal archiving practices. 

Adapted from mission statements of the Museums Association and Barnard College Archives.