Many institutions hold collections related to incarcerated people, but stewardship of these materials remains an underexamined part of our responsibilities. Sometimes created by prisoners themselves and sometimes created by government agencies or advocacy groups, materials documenting incarcerated people encompass everything from zines and correspondence to oral histories and government records. In this session, academic archivists consider how access policies for these materials change when incarcerated people are placed at the center of stewardship functions.
Derek Potts will discuss how he helps incarcerated individuals access the Anthony Rayson zine collection, which was created by and for people detained in prisons and jails. Jenny Mitchell and Anu Kasarabada will discuss correspondence with prisoners located in the papers of federal judges, with a particular focus on the tensions between protecting the privacy of incarcerated individuals and enabling access to voices that are often invisible in the public sphere. Gideon Goodrich and Alexis Miettinen will discuss processing and determining access to materials documenting both targeted arrests and the general incarceration of queer folks, particularly gay men, in the Equality Michigan records and James W. Toy papers. Finally, Katie Nash will discuss donor relations and access issues related to the LGBT Books to Prisoners collection, an unprocessed collection that contains extensive correspondence with incarcerated people. Drawing on their experiences with acquiring, processing, and providing access to the materials, the presenters will discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in managing collections that document incarcerated people, with a particular focus on issues related to access, privacy concerns, and donor relations.
Speakers Anu Kasarabada, University of Kentucky (Session Chair) Gideon Goodrich, University of Michigan Alexis Miettinen, University of Michigan Jenny Mitchell, Washington and Lee University Katie Nash, University of Wisconsin-Madison Derek Potts, DePaul University
For archivists and other memory workers, the theme of “Find It Here” prompts questions about how we ensure that members of typically underrepresented groups can find themselves reflected in the archives and in the stories of the past we share through teaching, exhibits, and other outreach. Through four case studies, this panel explores a range of approaches to preserve and increase access to materials that shed light on diverse regional histories, centering the voices of working-class union activists, Jewish women, LGBTQ+ communities, and tribal nations.
John McKerley will discuss an Iowa oral history project to document the participation of UAW Local 450 in a nationwide strike against John Deere, to make content digitally accessible, and create a website placing the interviews in a broader historical context. Heather Cooper will present on the “Jewish Life and History in Iowa” LibGuide, which provides topical descriptions of collection materials across repositories and serves as a resource for teaching, research, and a public history initiative aimed at connecting the memory of Anne Frank to Iowa public spaces. Claire Du Laney Dunker will talk about a traveling exhibit drawing on materials from the Queer Omaha Archives to share Nebraska LGBTQ+ history, giving communities the opportunity to learn, engage, and reflect through the exhibit and materials online. Finally, Zeineb Yousif will discuss a partnership with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and Office of Indian/Multicultural Education to update, republish, and create e-book access to a series of Tribal History and Culture books produced by and about North Dakota tribes from the 1970s onward, increasing access to Indigenous-authored accounts for use in K-12, university, and tribal college classrooms.
Speakers Amy C. Schindler, University of Nebraska at Omaha (Session Chair) Heather L. Cooper, University of North Dakota Claire Du Laney Dunker, Univeristy of Nebraska at Omaha John McKerley, Iowa Labor History Society Zeineb Yousif, University of North Dakota
The histories of our institutions, spaces, collections, and communities come to life through the stories we tell with exhibits. As a tried-and-true way to promote collections, facilitate collection development, and engage users, the best exhibits go far beyond strategic goals and informational value. Exhibits have the power to connect people.
As technology changes and our audiences evolve, exhibit strategies and impacts evolve, too. This session explores four recent case studies of exhibits, both physical and digital, pop-up and longer term, that support a range of outreach, deep collaboration, and collection development opportunities.
Projects from Ohio State, Iowa State, Illinois State, and Bowling Green State illustrate multiple ways that exhibits can engage. Capitalizing on significant university milestones and special collections, these case studies cover diverse approaches to exhibit formats, multi-year and short-term partnerships, and building sustainable practices. The projects include working across library departments to create digital exhibits; collaborations with faculty, alumni, and university departments on curation and promotion; development and enhancement of related digital and physical collection building; instruction, outreach, and extending the life of exhibits; and aspects of community building around exhibit work that center viewers and provide ample space for them to share their perspectives.
Specifically, panelists will discuss the development of their exhibits; tools and platforms used; collaboration, promotion, and engagement strategies that worked (or didn’t); the impact on using and generating collections; and takeaways for you to consider at your institution.
Speakers Jaycie Vos, Iowa State University (Session Chair) Jolie Braun, The Ohio State University Rebecca Fitzsimmons, Illinois State University Jennifer Long Morehart, Bowling Green State University
This session will help you identify grant opportunities, despite the changing landscape of federal funding. Speakers will briefly discuss the current state of affairs with federal grants, then delve into other strategies for funding procurement.
Strategies include resources for finding grants at the state and local levels, and how to appeal to organizations that you may not think give grants for archives, but do. Speakers will also discuss the programs and resources they offer, including free grant services from the Lyrasis Grant Coaching Program, as well as other helpful guidance and tips. Additional state-level resources for Midwest institutions will also be shared.
The goal of this session is for you to get the resources you need to confidently pursue grants independently or collectively, with colleagues who can guide you through the grant-getting process.
Speakers Katy Klettlinger, Lyrasis (Session Chair) Tom Clareson, Lyrasis Virginia Dressler, Kent State University Andy Verhoff, Ohio History Connection
Effective outreach and engagement are essential to a successful records management program. This session presents three case studies that demonstrate practical strategies for connecting with employees and improving records practices across campus.
Hannah Pryor, an archivist and records manager at the University of Louisville, shares her approach to developing a structured outreach plan aimed at improving institutional records management practices. Her initiative demonstrates how progress can be achieved even with limited staffing and resources.
Anne Ryckbost, an archivist at Xavier University, describes her role coordinating evidence for the university’s accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission. She shares how archivists and records managers are uniquely positioned to succeed as institutional accreditation team members and how the process serves as a vehicle for records management outreach and engagement. She proposes strategies for university archives collection appraisal and acquisition based on her accreditation experience.
Amanda Rindler, university records manager at Indiana University, was tasked with increasing visibility and awareness of a young records management program. Rindler will detail the development of a records management newsletter targeting records coordinators and partnering with the library communications team to send out messaging promoting online training and office hours. She will share techniques to promote records management awareness among employees.
As a profession, we all have to do more with less. Outreach, collaboration, and maximizing hidden opportunities can be efficient methods to ensure that employees know procedures and follow records disposition.
Speakers Hannah Pryor, University of Louisville Amanda Rindler, Indiana University Anne Ryckbost, Xavier University
Academic archivists and librarians dedicate significant time, energy, and resources to outreach programming with the goal of encouraging students to visit, donate to, and use campus archives. A*CENSUS II reports that external outreach is a primary job duty for 17 percent of those working in archives. Yet, the literature consistently shows that student awareness of archives is low, which means that students are highly unlikely to engage with archives as researchers or donors. Because college and university students are at a point in their studies when they develop critical thinking skills through more intense research, academic archives are a prime entry point for students to familiarize themselves with the essential evidence of our societies and our cultures. So, what forms of outreach will not only catch the attention of our students, but also promote collaboration and foster a sense of belonging in the archives?
This IMLS-funded study aimed to fill a gap in the literature by developing a data-driven, cost-effective, best-practice model for student-centered outreach in academic archives. To achieve this goal, we conducted a series of focus groups in 2025 that brought together undergraduate and graduate students, academic library and archives practitioners, and faculty from across the country to discuss major themes of outreach, awareness, and engagement and make suggestions for improving existing outreach programming. We gained valuable insight into how students perceive the archives, how they could see themselves engaging as researchers or donors, and how practitioners and faculty members might best encourage meaningful student engagement with the archives. Our presentation will discuss highlights of our data, share our initial model for student-centered outreach, and offer insight into how the model can be implemented at a range of institutions with diverse populations, varying resources, and unique outreach goals.
Speakers Bryan Whitledge, Central Michigan University (Session Chair) Brittany Newberry, Georgia State University
Saturday May 16, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT Theatre, 1st FloorOhio Union
