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TEACHING ARCHIVAL SILENCES

TEACHING ARCHIVAL SILENCES. DIVERSITY AND THE SPACES BETWEEN SOURCES. Kalyani Fernando, Project Archivist & Megan K. Friedel, Head of Archives Special Collections, Archives & Preservation Dept., University of Colorado Boulder Libraries. What do we mean by “archival silences”?

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TEACHING ARCHIVAL SILENCES

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  1. TEACHING ARCHIVAL SILENCES DIVERSITY AND THE SPACES BETWEEN SOURCES Kalyani Fernando, Project Archivist & Megan K. Friedel, Head of Archives Special Collections, Archives & Preservation Dept., University of Colorado Boulder Libraries

  2. What do we mean by “archival silences”? How do we teach what we don’t have in the archives? WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT AND HOW DOES IT PERTAIN TO ME?

  3. Archives are, by their very nature, places of power & privilege

  4. Sensitive materials in the archives: Why archivists need to facilitate difficult discussions • Emphasize broader context • Establish tone of the class • Provide students with an opportunity to process thoughts and reactions

  5. Critical librarianship is “epistemological, self-reflective, and activist in nature.” (Garcia, 2015) • Critical information literacy moves beyond teaching research skills and evaluating information. It is the ‘reframing of conventional notions of text, knowledge, and authority’ in order to ask more reflective questions about information.” (Simmons, 2005) • Critical information literacy encourages users to engage with primary resources critically to identify “context, content, and structure.” • “Critical archival literacy provides space for users to be open and vocal about the biases that they uncover in discovering and accessing a collection. Understanding archives also includes understanding the role of archives in democracy and collective memory.” (Porterfield, 2019) Literature Overview

  6. Our Case Study: Teaching About Race & Diversity Sources in an Academic Archive

  7. HOW WE DID IT #1. Start the class with a focused discussion on pre-selected materials to set the tone for the class objectives

  8. United Mexican American Students (UMAS) collection Actively addressing where gaps & silences live in the archival record and why

  9. Eben G. Fine collection Actively addressing how archives sources carry bias & shifts in bias

  10. HOW WE DID IT #2. Question for the class: What should the archivist’s role be in addressing these silences/spaces/biases?

  11. HOW WE DID IT #3. Small group exercises with selected materials & focused questions

  12. What archival piece stood out to you the most? Why? • How has exposure to these sources impacted your view about archives in general? Or how are race and diversity documented in the archives? HOW WE DID IT #4. Lead a moment of reflection to wrap up the class

  13. Uneven focus in small group discussions • Not enough time for everyone to see/experience all the materials • Letting classes leave without a concluding reflection moment WHAT WORKED? WHAT DIDN’T WORK? Choosing a variety of sources - not just one narrative about diversity/race at CU Focused intro discussions really framed the narrative for the class Students connecting the dots between sources to their own lives/current culture → sharing of personal stories Lots of “lightbulb” moments Students returning to the Reading Room to look at sources Faculty want to do this again!

  14. GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING MATERIALS THAT ADDRESS ARCHIVAL SILENCES • Variety of formats for sensory engagement on all levels • Materials that reflect multiple points of view about one issue • When possible, materials that represent diversity/intersectionality of experiences. (Or, guide a discussion about what’s missing.) • Materials that relate to the target audience’s lives and personal experience → the “mirroring” response (I see myself in this story)

  15. Take Away #1 SHOW & TELL IS NOT AN ADEQUATE OR RESPONSIBLE INSTRUCTION METHOD for addressing issues of race and diversity in the archives

  16. Take Away #2 SET EXPECTATIONS BEFORE THE CLASS ARRIVES with the faculty member or group leader about the objectives of the class

  17. Take Away #3 In an academic archive, THE ARCHIVIST MUST BE A CO-INSTRUCTOR with the faculty member when discussing sensitive issues such as race and diversity in the archives, even if it’s difficult

  18. Take Away #4 DEVELOP SET TALKING POINTS about sensitive materials or race and diversity issues that can be shared and used in instruction by all archives staff

  19. Take Away #5 Give students SPACE AND TIME FOR EXPLORATION & REFLECTION of and about the sources

  20. REFLECTION How do you feel about this? Kalyani Fernando, Project Archivist kalyani.fernando@colorado.edu Megan K. Friedel, Head of Archives megan.k.friedel@colorado.edu University of Colorado Boulder Archives

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