SERVICE THROUGH ARCHIVES Whenever

a society or civilization perishes there is always one condition present; they forgot where they came from. —Carl Sandburg Like any other A.A. service, the primary purpose of those involved in archival work is to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous. Archives service work is more than mere custodial activity; it is the means by which we collect, preserve, and share the rich and mean-ingful heritage of our Fellowship. It is by the collection and sharing of these important historical elements that our collective gratitude for Alcoholics Anonymous is deepened. A.A. members have a responsibility to gather and care for the Fellowship’s historical documents and memorabilia. Correspondence, records, minutes, reports, photographs, newspaper and magazine articles from the past and the present should be collected, preserved, and made available for the guidance and research of A.A. mem-bers and others (researchers, historians, and scholars from various disciplines)—for now and for generations to come. Many areas, districts, intergroup/central offices, and groups have elected to develop archives collections to preserve their own local history. These guidelines have been developed to assist with these efforts. GENERAL SERVICE OFFICE ARCHIVES In 2006, the trustees ’ Archives Committee revised the mission and purpose applicable to the Archives of the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, which can serve as a foundation from which each local and area A.A. archives collection can develop its own principles according to its group conscience. The G.S.O. Archives’ mission and purpose read as follows: MISSIO