Future
Scientific Advisory Board
In 2015 NBA’s board of directors named an international Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to evaluate NBA’s activities and to propose future developments in view of forthcoming changes (see below) in NBA's situation. The first meeting between SAB and NBA’s board was held in Copenhagen in June 2015.
Generational change
In 2017, Felicity Pors and Finn Aaserud have retired. They remain part of NBA's staff as emeriti. In 2016 a new head archivist, Rob Sunderland, has been hired. In 2017, Christian Joas was named the new Director of the Niels Bohr Archive.
Move to new quarters
In 2023–2024, the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI), where NBA is located, will move from its quarters on Blegdamsvej, where NBI has resided since its establishment in 1921, to a newly constructed building at Jagtvej. NBA will remain at the historical site at Blegdamsvej, where it expects to obtain improved accommodation.
Increased digitization effort
NBA is working towards making all archival material available on the internet in accordance with international archival standards.
Archival material “born digital”
“Born digital” material, such as email, poses a special new challenge. NBA hopes to pioneer this area via close collaboration with NBI’s physicists and by following developments in the area through its substantial international network in the science archives community.
Increased research activity
The organization, expansion and digitization of its collections will make it possible for NBA to strengthen its own research potential as well as inviting postdocs and historians of science working on relevant historical projects to be carried out on the basis of NBA's archival collections, the majority of which is indeed yet to be used for such purposes. In this regard, several new ideas and visions are currently being developed. In the longer run, such activities may help encourage a much-needed expansion of the field of history of science at the University of Copenhagen.
More outreach
NBA will increase its outreach activities, for example by arranging public exhibits and expanding outreach information on its webpage.
Adding to the network
During its history, NBA has become part of a substantial network of historians of science and science archivists around the world. We hope to enlargen the network even further by augmenting coordination and cooperation with relevant individuals and groups and with scholarly and archival institutions.
Welcome!
We look forward to welcoming researchers and to making available to them important new archival material shedding light not only the history of modern physics, but also on physicists' role in society more generally.