Conference

Collaborative and Inclusive Archives: Where Do You Fit?

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Abstract

For years, archivists have been grappling with a history of professional practice that has prioritized the collection of dominant perspectives, causing historically marginalized people to be underrepresented in archival collections. These professional practices have also led to the use of outdated and often harmful language when describing the collections of marginalized individuals and communities. The archivists in Iowa State’s Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) are among many in the profession engaged in ongoing work to address these issues.

This session will begin by providing some context for the work SCUA staff are doing. Then, attendees will be introduced to SCUA’s participation in Project STAND (STudent Activism Now Documented)—a national organization of individuals dedicated to documenting the stories of historically marginalized student activists—and the resources Project STAND provides for student organizers. Next, attendees will learn about Amplifying Black Voices in Iowa, a grant-funded collaborative project among eight institutions to digitize and provide unified access to archival collections from Black communities across Iowa. The session will conclude with a discussion of SCUA’s collaborative efforts in reparative archival description, ensuring the appropriate and accurate description of historically marginalized people, including a departmental reading group where staff engages with new ideas.