Alabama Department of Archives & History

What Alabama Department of Archives & History does

The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) is a state government agency founded in 1901 as the first state-level archives agency in the United States, headquartered at 624 Washington Avenue in Montgomery, Alabama. Operating under the jurisdiction of the State of Alabama, ADAH serves as the statutorily designated official repository for the state's permanent records and as the central records management authority for both state and local government agencies across all 67 Alabama counties. The agency operates a public research room, a history museum, an educational outreach program, and programs in records management, disaster preparedness, and historical records grants.

ADAH's service portfolio spans reference and research services (including digitization and reproduction orders, consultations, and workshops), a digital collections portal at digital.archives.alabama.gov, electronic records management via a Preservica-based preservation platform, an Ex Libris (Primo) unified online catalog, museum exhibits (current, past, online, and a children's gallery), the Alabama History Hub educational platform for classrooms, and comprehensive records management services including retention scheduling, the State Records Center, and disaster recovery resources. The agency also staffs the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB), which administers grants for historical records preservation statewide, and operates an Archived Websites & Social Media program to capture born-digital state government content.

The business model is that of a public agency: ADAH is funded primarily through State of Alabama appropriations, supplemented by nominal fees for select reproduction services, grants administered through SHRAB, and donations/fundraising via two affiliated nonprofits — the Friends of the Alabama Archives and the Alabama Archives & History Foundation. Distribution occurs through direct on-site research services at the Montgomery headquarters, 24/7 self-serve online digital portals, direct records-management advisory services to state and local government agencies, and education partnerships with K–12 schools and universities. ADAH holds no commercial customers in the traditional sense; its "users" span genealogists, academic researchers, K–12 educators, students, and all Alabama state and county government entities.

Name

Alabama Department of Archives & History

Legal name

Alabama Department of Archives and History

Website

https://archives.alabama.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Alabama Department of Archives & History is a state government agency, founded in 1901 as the first U.S. state archives, that serves as Alabama's official repository for permanent state records and historical documents, providing research services, digital collections, museum exhibits, educational programs, and records management oversight for all 67 Alabama counties and state agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Archives and Records Management Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

National Archives, Records & Information Governance (BPAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG)

Keywords

• State archives management
• Historical records preservation
• Government records management
• Archival research services
• Digital collections platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery, Alabama

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the official state archives agency of Alabama, providing archival preservation, public research services, museum exhibits, and records management for state and local government. It maintains digitized historical collections accessible online, operates a research room at its Montgomery headquarters, and administers records retention, transfer, and destruction programs for Alabama's 67 counties and state agencies.

Product overview

The Alabama Department of Archives and History operates as a comprehensive state archive and history museum, offering multiple integrated services. The core offerings include Research Services for public inquiries and document requests, a Digital Collections online portal for electronic access to historical materials, Museum Exhibits displaying Alabama's heritage, the Alabama History Hub educational platform for classrooms, Records Management Services for government agencies, and a Catalog system for searching archival holdings. The department also manages the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) which oversees grants for historical records preservation statewide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Services Reference and research support services including research consultations, workshops and presentations, and digitization and reproduction orders for archival materials. Targeted at genealogists, historians, students, and the general public.
• Digital Collections Online portal providing 24/7 access to digitized Alabama historical materials including photographs, documents, maps, newspapers, and electronic records for researchers, genealogists, students, and the public.
• Electronic Records Preservation Preservica-based digital preservation platform for managing and preserving Alabama state government electronic records, providing long-term archival access and storage.
• Museum Exhibits On-site and online museum exhibits showcasing Alabama history, including current exhibits, past exhibits, online exhibits, and a children's gallery, serving visitors and students.
• Alabama History Hub Educational resource platform providing classroom materials, primary sources, and curriculum content for K-12 teachers and students studying Alabama history, civics, and social studies.
• Records Management Services Comprehensive records management services for Alabama state agencies, local agencies, and nonprofits, including retention schedules, temporary records destruction authorization, permanent records transfer, and State Records Center operations.
• Online Catalog Ex Libris Primo-based online library catalog for searching and discovering the agency's archival collections and materials across multiple collections.
• State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) State-level advisory board providing guidance and grants for historical records preservation statewide, supporting local historical records projects across Alabama.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Friends of the Alabama ArchivessupportingOthersNonprofit support organization that provides volunteer support, advocacy, and fundraising assistance to the Department. The organization operates independently to support archives programs and initiatives.
• Alabama Archives & History FoundationsupportingOthersFoundation organization dedicated to supporting the financial and programmatic needs of the Department. Provides grant funding support and endowment management for archives programs.
• PreservicacoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital preservation platform used for electronic records management and long-term digital preservation. The Department utilizes Preservica-based systems (adah.access.preservica.com) for managing state government electronic records.
• Ex Libris (Primo)coreTechnology or IntegrationLibrary discovery platform providing the online catalog system (archives-alabama-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com) for searching and accessing the Department's archival holdings and collections.
• State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level board that serves as the central advisory body for historical records planning in Alabama. SHRAB develops and implements statewide historical records planning initiatives and administers grants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mississippi Department of Archives and History: Direct state-level peer operating as Mississippi's official archives and history agency with museum, research, and records management services. Highly comparable structure, statutory role, and operating model to ADAH, just serving a different state.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives: Combined state library and archives serving Tennessee with comparable records management, genealogy research, and digital collection services. Direct functional peer in archival stewardship and public research.
• South Carolina Department of Archives and History: State archives and history agency for South Carolina offering research services, records management, and historical interpretation. Comparable in mission, scale, and statutory role to ADAH as a fellow Southeastern state archives.
• Georgia Archives: State archives agency for Georgia providing records management, research services, and digital collections. Operates a near-identical mandate to ADAH in a neighboring Southeastern state with overlapping customer base and use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress: Federal institution providing comprehensive library, archival, and research services with massive digital collections. Comparable as an information stewardship institution with similar digital catalog and research offerings.
• Smithsonian Institution: National museum and research complex with extensive archival holdings, exhibits, and educational programming. Comparable in combining museum curation, archives, and public education at much greater scale.
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): Federal-level archives agency overseeing nationwide records preservation and providing research services. Comparable in core archival function but operates at much greater scale and broader geographic scope than ADAH.

Emerging players

• Internet Archive: Nonprofit digital library archiving web pages, books, audio, video, and software. Comparable in providing public digital access to historical and cultural materials, though focused on born-digital and web content rather than government records.

Others

• FamilySearch: Genealogy-focused nonprofit providing free access to digitized historical records and family-tree tools. Comparable as a destination for genealogical and historical researchers but focused on consumer family history rather than official state records custody.

Regional players

• State Library of Alabama: Alabama's state library providing information services, special collections, and research support. Adjacent in function to ADAH within the same state, complementing archives-focused services with library lending and reference.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alabama-department-of-archives-history

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alabama Department of Archives & History