Established by the Virginia Area Assembly in the spring of 1981, the Area Archives is the official archival agency of the Area. The purpose of your Area Archives Committee, in conjunction with the Area Archivist, is to collect, protect and preserve items of Area archival interest. The Archives Committee strives to protect the anonymity of individuals in accordance with AA tradition. The committee maintains final responsibility, through the Area Assembly, for the use of the Archives and carries the groups conscience regarding all matters of general policy. The responsibility of the Area Archivist is to promote, protect and preserve the Virginia Area Archives.

The objective of the Area Archives is to collect, preserve and administer the official records of the Area, as well as personal items donated which document or describe the history and activities of AA in Virginia.

Bill W. spoke to the importance of preserving our history in a 1957 article:

   "...We are trying to build up extensive records which will be of value to a future historian...It is highly important that the factual material be placed in our files in such a way that there can be no distortion...We want to keep in enlarging on this idea for the sake of the full length history to come..."