{"id":2098,"date":"2025-12-18T15:52:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T15:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/?p=2098"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:52:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T15:52:34","slug":"reflecting-on-2025-how-we-connected-with-history-and-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/alumni\/reflecting-on-2025-how-we-connected-with-history-and-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflecting on 2025: How We Connected with History and Art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we wrap up 2025, we\u2019re taking a moment to look back at how you\u2014our researchers, students, and curious visitors\u2014interacted with the Academy\u2019s collections over the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These patterns are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet; they offer a window into our community&#8217;s evolving needs and help us map out our future. It\u2019s important to note that these figures focus specifically on <strong>research and resource requests<\/strong>\u2014things like deep dives into our archives, library services, and access to works of art not currently on public display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2025: A Year of Purposeful Research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2024, the Academy recorded 923 total research requests. As of mid-December 2025, that number stands at <strong>892<\/strong>. While this is a slight 3.4% dip, the story behind the data is one of resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This minor decrease was expected as the Academy transitioned away from degree-granting programs, leading to a smaller student population this fall. However, demand remains remarkably robust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Breakdown of Requests:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>External Requests (63%):<\/strong> 562 inquiries came from the research community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Internal Requests (37%):<\/strong> 330 inquiries supported our faculty, staff, and students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Digital Frontier: Global Reach, Human Connection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While our physical halls have seen shifts, our digital presence is exploding. The Academy\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/pafaarchives.org\/s\/digital\/page\/home\">Digital Archives<\/a> recorded over <strong>100,000 unique human visitors<\/strong> this year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A standout star of our digital offerings remains the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/johnrhoden.pafaarchives.org\/\">Rediscovering John Rhoden Digital Archives<\/a><\/strong>, which drew over 3,100 unique visitors. We are honored to continue stewarding Rhoden\u2019s incredible legacy for a global audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New to the Digital Collection this year:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve added 2,475 new items across three collections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pafaarchives.org\/s\/digital\/item-set\/29807\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PAFA Course Catalogs<\/a>:<\/strong> A journey through our institutional history.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pafaarchives.org\/s\/digital\/item-set\/175232\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blanche Dillaye Drawings<\/a>:<\/strong> Exquisite works now available to all.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pafaarchives.org\/s\/digital\/item-set\/165269\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chester Springs Student Registration Cards<\/a>:<\/strong> A treasure trove for genealogists and historians.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A &#8220;New Normal&#8221; for In-Person Visits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How you visit us is changing. While email remains the primary way researchers start their journey, we\u2019ve seen a &#8220;hybrid&#8221; rhythm emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Archives are Booming:<\/strong> In-person use of the Archives <strong>surged by 122%<\/strong> (111 visitors).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The &#8220;Walk-In&#8221; Surprise:<\/strong> We saw an unexpected rise in walk-in service, largely driven by our new cohort of certificate students seeking hands-on support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Shift in Scale:<\/strong> Total in-person interactions dropped from 885 to 428. This 52% decline was anticipated following the school&#8217;s transition, but it has paved the way for more focused, scholarly engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Top 3 Reasons People Use the Archives:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Academic Research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Curatorial Research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provenance Research<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What These Shifts Mean for Our Future<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The data tells us three important things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Demand is High:<\/strong> Projects like the <em>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pafa.org\/news\/philadelphia-museum-art-pennsylvania-academy-fine-arts-middleton-family-present-landmark\">A Nation of Artists<\/a>&#8220;<\/em> exhibition and our upcoming <strong>220th Anniversary<\/strong> celebrations continue to drive intense interest in our holdings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Archives are Essential:<\/strong> The massive jump in archival research proves there is a deep hunger for primary-source materials.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Intentionality Wins:<\/strong> Visitors are coming to us with more specific, deep-seated goals. Our digital archives are serving as a gateway, allowing researchers to do their &#8220;homework&#8221; online before arriving for a high-impact physical visit.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These insights are vital. They allow us to plan responsibly\u2014ensuring we balance broad digital access with the specialized, high-touch care required for on-site research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you reached out via email, spent hours in the reading room, or browsed our catalogs from across the ocean: <strong>Thank you.<\/strong> Your curiosity is what brings these collections to life. We can&#8217;t wait to see what you discover in 2026!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we wrap up 2025, we\u2019re taking a moment to look back at how you\u2014our researchers, students, and curious visitors\u2014interacted with the Academy\u2019s collections over the past year. These patterns are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet; they offer a window into our community&#8217;s evolving needs and help us map out our future. It\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,2,90,3,4,40,6,42],"tags":[100,8,95,98,54,70,99],"class_list":["post-2098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-academy-students","category-alumni","category-art-history","category-behind-the-scenes","category-collection","category-digital-archives","category-news","category-research","tag-access","tag-archives","tag-art-history","tag-digital-archives","tag-pafa","tag-research","tag-special-collections"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2098"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2105,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2098\/revisions\/2105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.pafaarchives.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}