Impact on Archival Practice
This section contains a discussion of broader implications for my institution as well as archival practice as a whole that stemmed from this project.
Collecting Policies and Appraisal
Collecting policies must prioritize areas that are underrepresented withing the archive’s collections. Prioritization of particular collecting areas should not come at the expense of marginalized communities. Part of the collection policy should include the values behind an archive’s collecting practices and a statement on prioritization of personhood, including safety and autonomy, of marginalized communities. This may mean not getting materials from a community that a community does not wish for you to get or providing advice to a community or community archive on how to appraise and maintain their own materials.
Processing
When determining which collections to process, higher priority should be given to collections representing topics where the archive’s holdings are weak. Additional consideration should be given to the detail in which collections are processed to minimize continued erasure of marginalized community members.
Description
With regard to description, there are two areas which require significant focus:
- Controlled Vocabularies
- Free-Text Description
The former area has been the subject of a significant amount of scholarship because many controlled vocabularies are created at the national level. It is only as of late that vocabularies created by the communities that are being described, or localized practices that refute nationally recognized terms, have been more widely used.
Free-text description should be factual and not underplay or concerl the nature of a community’s actions. It should be as free of personal bias held by the describer as possible. Similar levels of dedication to researching biographical notes should be given to individuals who may not have the same “degree” of superlatives as a more well-known figure.
Communities who are described and are most effected by problematic terms should serve as the source for preferred terminology over that of national vocabularies. Technical solutions should be sought to not display problematic terminology that might be part of a national controlled vocabulary.
Digitization
When determining which collections to digitize or make publicly available, higher priority should be given to collections representing topics where the archive’s holdings are weak. Digitization or digital access should prioritize the safety and autonomy of marginalized individuals over maximizing unfiltered access.
Public Access
As few barriers to access as possible should be put between a community and a collection documenting that community. Archives should listen to relevant community members regarding any access restrictions to individuals outside of that community.
Preservation
Preservation of materials documenting underrepresented individuals should be prioritized for preservation in comparison to more well-documented topics.