Reflections from Executive Director Joy Banks on CoSA's 2026 organizational theme.

For the last several years, CoSA has used a guiding word to focus our activities related to fulfilling our mission of providing leadership to strengthen and support state and territorial archives leaders and staff in their work to preserve and provide access to government records. In 2024, we took a broad approach to accessibility, especially of electronic records collections for the general public and to think ahead to implementation of federal mandates for websites. In 2025, we approached storytelling from a number of angles, particularly how archivists can share more about their work and profession and prepare for America250 activities. This intentional grounding helps us hone our educational endeavors, set our priorities for the annual meeting, and guide pursuits for grants and research.

As leadership met at the end of 2025 reflecting on the last twelve months and looking ahead towards the next twelve, resilience rose to the top as a descriptor for the 2026 guiding word for our organization. The word is sufficiently broad and yet also intentional, aligning with plans already in the works from our Webinar and Advocacy Working Groups, SERI STEER Planning Committee, and Board of Directors. The word has applied to both reactionary states - waiting for change before acting - and proactive preparation for the inevitable pressures placed upon us. There is value gained from shared understanding, so I want to share three ways I consider our approach to this new year of resilience.

Resilient State and Territorial Government Archives

Several years ago, CoSA’s Advocacy Committee updated our longstanding Importance of State Archives booklet into a more approachable brochure: Government Archives Are Essential. Framing for both resources is built on three core principles of the field of government archives: documenting government, promoting history, and securing rights. Unlike archives in the private or educational sectors, government archives have responsibilities, authorities, and directives that frequently stem from the constitutions in their states and territories. Laws, policies, and guidelines dictate the work of our members. What can often be a challenge, though, is execution of these mandates in environments where funding is being cut, staffing is being limited, and broad participation in the process is questioned.

The attention around the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States shines a spotlight on the institutions, collections, and workers who steward our country’s history. As legislative sessions and budget hearings progress across the country, think about the ways that each of you serve in capacities that support this work. Use times of relative quiet to be proactive and make plans for leaner budget years, prioritizing projects, documenting procedures, and analyzing functions. Practice and refine emergency management plans. Hone the story of your archives and its collections so you are always ready to share the critical nature of the agency. Government archives and records management programs are pillars of democracy, and there is no time like 2026 to think about the acquisition, preservation, and access of today’s history for the next 250 years.

A Resilient Government Archives Workforce

Central to CoSA’s mission is the nurturing of our 56 member institutions by supporting the individuals who work in and with government archives and records management every day. As our Webinar Working Group, volunteers, and staff have planned for this year, we are developing high quality educational content alongside ample opportunities for gathering. Attendees to our recent Annual Meetings consistently share the value of the roundtable affinity group discussions. One priority, then, is replicating those - as best we can - in a virtual environment to keep the conversations going. Though separated by distance, those who work in state and territorial government archives have a unique link given the nature of their work. Isolation in the workforce can lead to a sense of defeat or burn-out. Lean into the resources offered by CoSA and the support of your colleagues to seek the encouragement you need for the tasks at hand. 

Though the work often feels isolating, CoSA’s strength is its community - the opportunity to connect with a peer several states away who shares the same challenges and may have creative solutions. Those who are working on documentation or navigating contracts can ask for model documents and resources from their peers created with vetted recommendations and information. The growing number of Affinity Groups prompts practitioners to put time on their calendar to work through a question in real time. CoSA can also provide a space of escape and creativity where we can learn more about each other as human beings, our likes and interests, remembering that ultimately everything that we do is about people.

A Resilient CoSA Community 

CoSA exists for our members as a space for both institutions and individuals to seek peer support to connect with mentors, explore resources, and to contribute to the field in meaningful ways. For the last several years, CoSA has built on strategic funding opportunities. We’ve invested in exploring electronic records through direct support to our members and articulating the challenges of our territorial members' institutions. We are in the midst of a multi-year project focused on rebuilding our popular Resource Center to reflect the variety of resources the field relies upon to do its work. We are looking ahead to a new strategic planning process as our current plan sunsets. As a commitment to maintenance, we are investing in a refresh of our seminal Intergovernmental Preparedness for Essential Records (IPER) curriculum. Though the landscape for non-profits holds many uncertainties, CoSA is well placed now to pause and reflect on building a more resilient CoSA for our members.

Building resilience as a community should bring growth and embrace change. Within the often rigid structures of government archives and records management programs, CoSA offers the space to regain shape, to restore, to rebuild, to renew. Change is a constant that we can all rely on, and the pressures that it causes often create stronger institutions. I hope in this new year that you see the possibilities, that there is a project that can shine hope into your work, that the purpose of government archives and records management is clear, and that you are empowered through CoSA to own your expertise and work towards a more resilient future.