Toward an Agenda for Archival Advocacy in a Time of Autocracy

Autocratic activities in the federal government have increased exponentially under Donald Trump's second presidential administration, with dramatic impacts on GLAM professions in the first 100 days. Layoffs of government employees; improper records keeping and destruction; drastic funding cuts to organizations that repositories rely on for operational support; grant cancellations; attacks on DEI initiatives, the cultural and historical record, and higher education; and more. This administration and its supporters in state and local governments represent an existential threat to our profession. How do we meet this moment to ensure our own survival and the survival of the historical record? How do we demonstrate and promote the critical necessity of archives and archivists when the inherent value of our work is being questioned? How do we set the stage for future policymaking that benefits archives?
Current and former members of SAA's Committee on Public Policy will lead an open discussion on issues of concern to archivists. What are the most important issues archivists are facing in their repositories right now? What can professional organizations like SAA do to help us weather this moment? What strategies have been effective and what strategies do we need to try? How can we leverage initiatives such as America250 to advocate for the important work we do? Looking ahead 4+ years, what can we envision for the profession and ourselves?
This is an in-person only session that will not be recorded to allow attendees to speak candidly. Priorities and ideas put forward by the audience may be incorporated anonymously into COPP, Council, or other component group initiatives.

All panelists are archivists working in academic libraries in the Mid-west or Western United States. All three archivists work in libraries with tenure where academic freedom enables a greater degree of protection for speech. This is critical in a moment where government and corporate archivists may feel fearful of the impact speaking out will have on their livelihood. We aim to use our privilege and relative safety to create a space where our colleagues can express their concerns without fear of retaliation.

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