In early 1982, a group of local archivists, historians, librarians, and others met informally in Chicago to discuss common concerns, to share information, and to get acquainted with persons and programs in the area. From this initial meeting, the Chicago Area Archivists (CAA) was formed…

— From the Constitution of Chicago Area Archivists, 1985

• December 1981 - Robert Marshall of the Chicago Public Library sends out the first call for a local archivists meeting, to be held in January

• January 21, 1982 - the first meeting of the Chicago Area Archivists is held at the Chicago Public Library (now the Cultural Center)

• • 34 archivists attend and the Steering Committee is formed, comprising: Robert Marshall (CPL), W. T. Covington (Illinois Institute of Technology), and Tom Dorst (Northwestern University)

• July 25, 1982 - the first CAA social event is held: a picnic on Northwestern’s lakefront

• December 1982 - the first holiday party—a potluck at University of Illinois Chicago—is held

• August 1985 - the summer picnic is held at the Evanston home of Mary Janzen and Patrick Quinn, which becomes a long-running tradition

• January 1986 - CAA incorporates as a not-for-profit

• July 1986 - CAA publishes Archival and Manuscript Repositories in Metro Chicago and the Calumet Region of Northwest Indiana, which includes information on 183 repositories

• April 1988 - membership has risen to 46 people

• October 1988 - dues are raised from $3 to $4

• April 1990 - CAA prints a brochure, as a “more formal marketing instrument”

• Late 1990s - the group experiences a slump in leadership and participation, although picnics and holiday parties continue

• 2001/02 - CAA rises again!

• July 2001 - the listserv is established, at a time when many people still don’t have email

• 2002 - the first website is created, hosted by the VanderCook College of Music

• October 2002 - the first CAA Archives Week takes place, Mayor Richard M. Daley issues a proclamation in recognition

• Spring 2003 - membership has risen to 70, the listserv has 130 subscribers

• 2004 - dues are raised from $5 to $10

• 2010 - the CAA website gets its own domain name: www.chicagoarchivists.org

• 2013 - CAA has 162 members, dues are raised from $10 to $15

• March 2014 - CAA’s new logo—designed by member Laura Berfield—is revealed at the annual meeting and Janet Olson becomes the inaugural winner and namesake of the Janet Olson Award

• October 2015 - the inaugural Chicago Open Archives takes place, with 21 sites and over 350 visitors

• 2017 - CAA’s first Interest Groups are created

• 2020 - in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, CAA begins to host virtual meetings and events, including the first Chicago Open Archives Unconference

• March 2025 - the Annual Meeting is held in person for the first time in 6 years

Sources:

Chicago Area Archivists archives

The Rise & Fall & Rise of the CAA (excerpted from a 2003 MAC presentation), courtesy of Janet Olson

Early CAA newsletter headers