Building Solidarity: Supporting Community Organizations through Archival Practice

Part 1: Tues, July 16, 6-8:30 PM
at Interference Archive
314 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Part 2: Thurs, July 18, 6-8:30 PM
at Asian American Arts Alliance
20 Jay Street #740
Brooklyn, NY 11201

For the past several decades, community archives–such as Interference Archive, the Lesbian Herstory Archives, and many others–have been important sites of self-determination, memory, and inspiration for historically disenfranchised communities. The unique skills and perspectives of community archivists can also be valuable contributions to community-based organizations. This two-part workshop will explore the work of community archivists.

During the first evening, we will review key scholars, discuss ethical considerations, and explore the effects of privilege in this work. Key tools and techniques, such as records management, DIY digitization stations, and non-hierarchical practice will be examined. For the second evening, we will partner with local organization Asian American Arts Alliance to create a thoughtful plan for the long-term stewardship of their records. Participants will leave the workshop with a theoretical grounding in the current activist and professional conversations around community archives, knowledge about how archival skills can support the work of community organizations, suggestions for practical tools, and experience putting these tools into practice.

This workshop is open to everyone, and will be grounded in library and archives theory.

We ask that participants commit to attending both evenings. Please note the different locations for each evening.

Please RSVP on Eventbrite (encouraged, but not required).

Facilitator bios:

Marie Lascu is a graduate of NYU’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program. She has been a member of the XFR Collective since 2015, and works as the audiovisual archivist for Crowing Rooster Arts, a media nonprofit that has spent more than 20 years documenting the arts and political struggles of Haiti.

Maggie Schreiner is an archivist at the Brooklyn Historical Society, and has been a volunteer with Interference Archive and Librarians and Archivists with Palestine since 2013. She is a graduate of NYU’s Archives and Public History program.

Anjali Goyal is an arts administrator and has worked with various community-based arts nonprofits over the past 15+ years. She is currently the Development Manager at the Asian American Arts Alliance, a nonprofit arts services organization that has served NYC’s Asian American arts community for 36 years.