Background information
In the Summer of 2023, L.A. as Subject hosted four webinars covering timely topics relevant to archives in the greater Los Angeles area and beyond. Safeguarding L.A. Community Histories: An L.A. as Subject Workshop Series and Knowledge Sharing Initiative was a workshop series supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
Below, you'll find each of the webinars available on YouTube along with a "Quick Start" guide breaking down the contents of the information shared during the webinar into modules.
Creating Essential Documents with Snowden Becker. This workshop covers the how’s, when’s, and why’s of drafting key documents like mission and vision statements, collecting policies, donation agreements, and memorandums of understanding. The documents webinar is broken out into five parts:
- Creating Essential Documents: Introductions
- Creating Essential Documents: The Fundamentals
- Creating Essential Documents: Mission Statement
- Creating Essential Documents: Working Documents
- Creating Essential Documents: Documents vs. Documentation
Housing Collections with Andrew Werner. The specifics of when, where, and how collections of all kinds are brought together and stored can make a huge difference in how they’re accessed and used…as well as in how long they last. In this workshop, we’ll use case studies and examples to explore how archives house their collections safely and effectively. Starting with basic questions like “How do you know how much shelving you need?” and “What storage conditions are best for my collection?” we will advance to more complex undertakings, like moving from one space to another; designing new buildings, storage spaces, and access areas; and meeting the unique needs of digital collections. Participants working with archives at any stage of maturity will come away from this session motivated to achieve progress–not perfection!–in housing their collections. This workshop is open to all those interested in collection administration, preservation, and archives management at any level (including students and volunteers). The tools, resources, and examples shared will be especially useful to anyone currently working with collections that are at risk of physical damage or deterioration in their current storage setting. The Housing Collections webinar is broken out into the following eight parts
- Housing Collections: Introductions
- Housing Collections: Incomplete Storage Examples
- Housing Collections: Assessing Conditions & Risk Factors
- Housing Collections: Planning Space
- Housing Collections: Collection Moves
- Housing Collections: Building Projects
- Housing Collections: Good Storage Examples
- Housing Collections: Being Heard & Seen
Intentional Partnerships and Collaborations with C. Diaz. Memory work requires navigating interpersonal relationships while examining the physicality of materials and the ephemerality of experience. As archivists, we have a responsibility to the care and preservation of these memories, and that responsibility can take many forms. How can we reach beyond our immediate networks and connect with others who also believe in the power of memory work? In this interactive workshop, participants are invited to bring with them a project (at any stage, from initial concept to completion) to use as a map to explore different aspects of collaboration and partnerships. We will discuss the ways that working with other individuals, groups, and organizations may help or hinder a project, from project management tools to grant writing to capacity check-ins. Discussion from this workshop will be helpful to archivists from the institutional to the community-based and volunteer level. The Intentional Partnerships and Collaborations webinar is broken out into the following three parts:
- Intentional Partnerships and Collaborations: Introduction
- Intentional Partnerships and Collaborations: Mission Statement
- Intentional Partnerships and Collaborations: Funding
Preparing Archives for a Changing Climate with Eira Tansey. Archives hold records that reflect our changing climate and its impact on everyday life over the past decades. They are also uniquely vulnerable to the risks posed by climate change and natural disaster. Participants in this session will learn about how climate change impacts archives and cultural heritage institutions, and how archival professionals and their collections can help inform and advocate for responses to climate change at the local and global level. The Preparing Archives for a Changing Climate webinar is broken out into the following four parts:
- Preparing Archives for a Changing Climate: Introduction
- Preparing Archives for a Changing Climate: Grief
- Preparing Archives for a Changing Climate: Impacts on Archives
- Preparing Archives for a Changing Climate: Considerations for California