The Issues & Advocacy Section (I&A) of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) supports the goals and mission of the Society. As a forum for discussion of the critical issues facing the archival profession, I&A is committed to outreach and advocacy efforts which support the continued growth of the archival profession and nurture archivists and archives. For more detail, please refer to the Issues and Advocacy Statement of Mission, Vision, and Core Values.
In January 2016, the Issues & Advocacy Section launched a Wordpress website. The Steering Committee decided to add this platform to make our blog and Advocacy Toolkit more accessible. We will still be maintaining our official documentation (bylaws, meeting minutes, etc.) on this SAA hosted microsite.
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I&A Section Webmaster: TBD (Last Updated: 2022 August 26)
News & Announcements
Michelle Ganz discusses the importance appealing to the "personal interests" of the person(s) you are speaking to when advocating for the archives.
I&A Roundtable's Letter to Target's CEO regarding the closing of its corporate archives.
Laura Starratt offers a farewell message as Co-chair.
We have one candidate for Issues and Advocacy Roundtable Co-Chair this year and six candidates for six available Steering Committee Member positions. Please read the following candidate statements and don't forget to cast your votes!
Advocacy can occur in a multitude of venues, and Erin Lawrimore with help from SAA President Jackie Dooley and Council Members Donna McCrea and Kate Theimer, explain that it is important to note that advocacy efforts can also be used to affect change within SAA itself.
It is easy to take a defeatist mindset in this economic milieu (or should I say malaise?). Though we hear such dire news about the recession that we’re in and the havoc that it’s wreaking on our cultural institutions (and education, etc., etc.), I firmly believe that we can remain positive. I truly believe that by contacting our elected officials and legislators, we can be heard. And that it will make a difference.
The importance of teamwork for effective advocacy. Or to put it another way (and to state the obvious), the more coordinated voices that you have working with you, the greater chance that your advocacy will achieve the outcomes that you are hoping for.
SAA is currently reviewing and revising its strategic plan for 2013-2018. In many ways, the archives profession is at a crossroads, and it is becoming clear advocacy will be playing a larger role as we work to ensure awareness and support for our profession and its work.
