ARSC Webinar: Advocating Up, or How to Help Administrators be your Archive’s Cheerleaders

If you are responsible for an audio archive or other format- or subject-specific collection within a larger organization, chances are you’re either a “lone arranger,” a factotum, a staff of one – or it’s just one of several responsibilities on your plate. You may also be the only person in your institution with expertise in the format or subject area. In these circumstances, it’s easy to feel isolated and even under attack, especially in a broader environment in which many educational and cultural entities, and archives in particular, are facing neglect, deep cuts, and even closure. 

Even in sunnier times, many, if not all, of the decisions about support for your archive may be made in places where you don’t even have a seat at the table. This is where good communication with those above you in the administrative structure – directors, department heads, AULs and the like – can be your best asset. Administrators may not have the technical expertise or passion for the subject you do, and they are likely tasked with balancing many needs against limited resources and saying “no” to some requests, but they also have a vested interest in the health of the areas they oversee. Your success is their success, and they can be your biggest advocates.

This panel brings together archive and library veterans at a variety of levels to discuss how those on the front lines of collections work and those with more overarching roles can maintain healthy relationships and collaborate to create sustainability for specialized collections.

This webinar is free of charge but registration is required.

Funded by a grant from the National Recording Preservation Board, administered by the National Film Preservation Foundation.