The Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA) is a North American non-profit organization dedicated to studying and preserving historic industrial sites, structures and equipment. It was founded in 1971 in Washington, D.C., and its members are primarily from the United States and Canada, although there is some crossover with similar industrial archaeology organizations in the United Kingdom. SIA's headquarters is currently located in the Department of Social Sciences at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. In addition to the national organization, there are thirteen regional chapters throughout the United States.[1]
Since its founding in October 1971, SIA members have gathered at an annual conference, which also serves as the annual business meeting required by its bylaws.[2] The annual conference is typically held each spring. The Fall Tour, a second annual gathering usually held in September or October, began in 1972. Both annual events feature visits to local industrial sites, both active and historical. The conference additionally includes a day of paper sessions. Industrial heritage study tours to other countries began in 1990 and occur on an irregular schedule.
SIA produces two official publications, the formal, peer-reviewed IA: Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology twice a year and the less formal quarterly Society for Industrial Archeology Newsletter (SIAN). The annual conference is typically accompanied by a custom guidebook profiling local industrial and cultural sites. In addition, SIA produces occasional publications on special topics.