LYRASIS Consultants Tom Clareson and Leigh A. Grinstead conducted a needs assessment, for the National Historical Publications & Records Commission (NHPRC) to document needs of small and diverse archival organizations and repositories. The intent of the project was to outline the barriers to their long-term sustainability, growth, and public access. The consultants began planning this project in mid-2019, prior to the global pandemic.
According to Tom, “had we known; we wouldn’t have structured the survey questions any differently. The arrival of COVID-19 in the United States in early 2020 however, absolutely informed the way that we interpreted the results from both the survey and focus groups.” Although the surveys’ focus was on small archives, the results and recommendations are critically important and applicable to small museums, public libraries, and academics. Click here.
On April 9th at 1:00 eastern, Clareson and Grinstead will present LYRASIS Trending Topics: LYRASIS Survey Results: Current Challenges for Small and Diverse Archival Organizations, click the link to register for this free discussion.
The Trending Topic presentation will home in on the perceived challenges from the field, and some surprising results around the potential for growth and public access. We will share discoveries, including information about facilities and infrastructure; staffing concerns and succession planning; advocacy issues and digitization challenges. There will be time for discussion through text chat; so please bring your questions.