PLASC 2022 Virtual Section Meeting 7/20 @ 1pm CT

Please join us for the Public Library Archives and Special Collections section meeting! To gain access to the meeting, make sure that you register.

DESCRIPTION
The Public Library Archives and Special Collection (PLASC) will be meeting on July 20th from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm CT. The meeting will begin with updates from PLASC Steering Committee members about our work over the past year. Then the section will be hosting talks by presenters who are currently working to increase the diversity of, and equitable access to, archival collections. 

SPEAKERS
James Scott – Librarian/Archivist Sacramento Room, Sacramento Public Library
Scott will address ongoing efforts to demystify the very “Ivied” appearance of the Sacramento Room with the introduction of art with non-Anglo European subjects/creators, cancelling fee schedules, building archival collections through reaching out to underrepresented community members (e.g. LGBTQ+), and growing access to the Sacramento Room by actively partnering with community groups (e.g. Asian Community Center Senior Services, Chinese American Citizens’ Alliance, Renaissance Society).

Catherine Oseas – Assistant Archivist, Birmingham Public Library
The Invisible Histories Project is a 501C3 based in Birmingham Al focused on collection, preservation, and access to LGBTQ Southern history. IHP has built a network of partners both regionally and nationally to help make these collections accessible to a wider public of community-based scholars and research institutions. One of those partners is the Birmingham Public Library Department of Archives and Manuscripts. This lightning talk will focus on the challenges and best practices for making LGBTQ archival collections accessible and how best to build these collections using grassroots organizing, community building strategies and the benefits of partnering with community archives/outreach organizations to build more holistic collections.

Joanna Kolosov – Special Collections Librarian & Archivist History & Genealogy Library, Sonoma County Library
Zayda Delgado – Supervising Librarian Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library, Sonoma County Library
It all started in 2020, when we rewrote the History & Genealogy Library’s 17-year-old collection development policy to address changing priorities stemming from Sonoma County Library’s new strategic plan, a process in which staff and the public were asked to “reimagine” what the library could be. Staff prioritized outreach to new library users and potential partners, balancing those with existing stakeholders. This led to creation of an online bilingual community memory archive to document daily life under the pandemic. Incorporating lessons learned from that project, we recently launched Here + Queer, Sonoma County – to uncover the rich and dynamic stories of queer culture and activism. In this lightning talk we will share how we got here, where we are heading, and the challenges we must overcome to become a library for all.