Community Outreach:
On February 2, 2011, we opened the doors of the Albert Einstein Library to welcome a group of Jerusalem- area senior citizens. The visit was initiated by Prof. Jeff Camhi, Director of the Nature Park & Galleries, the open-campus museum of the Hebrew University. The visitors enjoyed a presentation by Archives Information Officer, Barbara Wolff, who provided them with an historical overview of the Einstein Library and fielded questions about the collection.
On February 17, 2011, 75 high school students participated in a special enrichment program which brought them to the Albert Einstein Archives. The visit was arranged as part of a program entitled, “On the Path of Science”. The students were chosen to participate, on the basis of their high academic achievement in the sciences, from a number of high-schools across Israel. The program, developed by the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem, and implemented in cooperation with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, aims to encourage students to choose scientific research tracks in high school and post-secondary education.
Working in small groups the students navigated around the Edmond J. Safra campus, with clues to guide them to the correct stations, and questions to answer at each location. Meanwhile, at the Archives, awaiting the students were two display cases filled with books authored by Albert Einstein, books about the world-renowned scientist and reproductions of material from the Archives’ holdings. Clamoring eagerly around the displays the groups of students quickly gathered the data and sped off to the next location, in an effort to be first at the finish line.
We were thrilled to be approached to play a small role in this important program and we hope to participate in further outreach opportunities geared towards students, at all levels, and the general public. [Chaya Becker]
Preservation and restoration:
Following its dispatch to Jerusalem in 1982, the original material in the Einstein Archives was transferred to acid-free boxes and folders and placed in a climate-controlled strongroom to preserve them for posterity. A large proportion of the materials arrived in a brittle condition. Thousands of archival items in need of treatment have been restored by the Jewish National & University Library's preservation laboratory. Preservation and, when called for, restauration will stay on our agenda. After the Archives have reverted to the Hebrew University in 2008, preservation stays high on our agenda.
Service to users:
As the central repository of Einstein's papers, we provide service to on-site users of our archival material. We also receive written requests over thousand users every year. We answer Einstein related questions and research at the behest of our users. We identify, locate, send or point to materials for users from all around the world.
Copyright responsibilities:
As holders of the copyright to Einstein's literary estate, we receive hundreds of requests for permission to publish from Einstein's writings every year. We also maintain contact with all the publishers who are currently publishing works by Einstein.
Acquisition of additional material:
As it is our aim to accumulate as complete a collection of Einstein material as possible, we seek to supplement our existing holdings with additional Einsteiniana. Any information sent to us on the whereabouts of such material is greatly appreciated. In the years 2000-2009 the Archives, in cooperation with EPP, acquired several thousands of items. There are still many items, especially letters sent by Einstein to correspondents, that we want to add to our collection.
Cooperation with the edition of Einstein's Collected Papers:
The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein is a scholarly edition of Einstein's papers, jointly sponsored by The Hebrew University and the Princeton University Press. As holders of the majority of material published in the edition, we supply the editorial staff with crucial information on the original items, thereby guaranteeing an authentic and accurate edition.
New biographies, television, film and multimedia productions:
Many new biographies of Einstein as well as new television, film and multimedia productions utilize the materials of the Albert Einstein Archives for their research.