Monday October 3, 2022, 15-16.30 (CET), break and discussions included
Chair: Dr. Soren Bitsch Christensen (Aarhus City Archives, Denmark)
Microsoft Teams MeetingMicrosoft Teams link
ID 382 121 015 525
Password: BTck2c
Presentation
Archives, perhaps most often locally or regionally based institutions, engage more and more in
community activities. This panel discusses experiences and best practices in this kind of engagement.
The papers present projects of co-creation of communication, history-writing and record-keeping
with local groups. They address how archives can develop new community partnerships and raise
awareness of the histories of for instance marginalized or otherwise underrepresented groups.
The papers were first presented at the ICA Roma 2022 Conference.
15.05-15.35
Papers
‘Creating Opportunities and Co-creation for Community Archives in Rotterdam’Dr. Marie-Claire Dangerfield (Information Specialist, Rotterdam City Archives, NL)
To empower communities to start their archives journey, the Stadsarchief Rotterdam together with
Rotterdam grassroots organization DIG IT UP developed a best practice focused on combining
community groups and digital resources to create reproducible processes for community archives.
The goal of the practice is to provide the tools for collection creation in a way which is
understandable and accessible for everyone.
2
‘Little Archive on the Prairie: Local Archives’ Survival Strategies in the Canadian West’Dr. Andrew Chernevych (Galt Museum & Archives, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada)
The Local Archives Project (LAP) explores local/territorial archives in Western Canada with focus on
sustainability and community engagement. It is a series of case studies that examines challenges and
best practices among local institutions with archival holdings. The study relies on qualitative methods
such as semi-structured interviews with local archivists.
The project focuses on applied aspects of archival work – from operational matters to public
relations and strategic priorities.
15.35-15.40 Quick Q&A
15.40-15.50 Break
15.50-16.20Papers
Archives to the People!Dr. Peer Boselie (Regionaal Archief Sittard-Geleen / Archief De Domijnen, NL)
In 2009, in the little city of Sittard (NL) a project started in the Euregional Historic Centre of Sittard-
Geleen to bring ‘all’ the archives to the people. By connecting genealogical and geographical data
with the help of many volunteers millions of archival facts were scanned, transcribed, tagged,
georeferenced and connected to contextualize the history. The project still grows, ‘layers’ can be
added, like archaeological info or 3D-presentations.
Small Investments with Big ImpactsDavid Taylor (Public Record Office Victoria’s, AUS)
We recognize the valuable contribution local communities make in preserving Victorian history. Each
year, the Local History Grants Program provides small grants of up to A$15,000 for the preservation
and sharing of Victorian history by community-based organizations interested in telling the stories
from their own communities, preserving their collections, and increasing opportunities for the public
to engage with the past. This is called the Victorian Community History Awards.
16.20-16.30
Q&A – and rounding off