About the Archives

The Baltimore City Archives — in conjunction with the Maryland State Archives– is the central depository for city government records of permanent value. The duties of the City Archivist and the management of the Baltimore City Archives are assigned to the Maryland State Archives under a memorandum of understanding with the City of Baltimore in which the State Archivist is the acting City Archivist.

The duties of records management are assigned to the Records Administrator who supervises the transfer, appraisal, retention, and disposition of non-permanent government records.

A grant from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission assists in placing the catalog of the collection on line with enhanced descriptions.

Volunteer Program – In order to better serve the public and bring its collections under better management control, the Baltimore City Archives is in need of people willing to volunteer to clean, shelve records, and provide reference assistance at the new facility on Mathews Street. If you would like to volunteer, please write to bcavolunteers@gmail.com providing contact information and an idea of when and how much time you might be able to volunteer.