The Western Archives Institute (WAI) is co-sponsored by the Society of California Archivists and the California State Archives.
Offered annually, WAI is an intensive, two-week program that provides integrated instruction in basic archival practices to individuals with a variety of goals, including:
WAI also features site visits to historical records repositories and a diverse curriculum that includes history and development of the profession, theory and terminology, records management, appraisal, arrangement, description, manuscripts acquisition, archives and the law, photographs, preservation administration, reference and access, outreach programs, and managing archival programs and institutions.
Core sessions of the Institute are taught by leading archival educators, and additional sessions are taught by adjunct educators selected because of their knowledge based on a particular subject and professional recognition.
The first WAI was held in July 1987 at UCLA.
Revision history: 4/10 jmw, 10/2017 llc, 04/2019 llc