Alexandria, VA, January 9, 2025—The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is pleased to announce the publication of Archivist Actions, Abolitionist Futures: Reimagining Archival Practice Against Incarceration, edited by Alison Clemens and Jessica Farrell. This report is the latest addition to CLIR’s Pocket Burgundy series, which features concise publications on critical topics relevant to professionals in the information and cultural heritage fields.
This collection of brief essays challenges long-held principles of archival practice by addressing the carceral underpinnings of the cultural professions. Contributors explore how complicity with carceral systems and the Prison Industrial Complex undermines equitable access to information and perpetuates systemic harms. Drawing from their experiences working with collections documenting the lives and creativity of incarcerated individuals, the authors reflect on how traditional archival methods often fall short of providing respectful access to these materials. The volume offers a call to action for reimagining archival work grounded in abolitionist values.
This publication comes at a moment when discussions around abolition and systemic inequities are gaining momentum across US disciplines. Archives, as stewards of cultural memory, play a crucial role in shaping how histories are preserved, accessed, and understood. By addressing the ways archival practices intersect with carceral systems, Archivist Actions, Abolitionist Futures highlights the profession’s potential to support abolitionist goals and create more equitable, care-centered approaches to cultural heritage.
“Social justice issues are not separate from archival practice,” explained editors Alison Clemens and Jessica Farrell. “We wanted to make explicit how incarceration intersects with archives and archivists’ work.” The editors selected CLIR’s Pocket Burgundy series to ensure the work is accessible to a wide audience, including archival workers outside academic spaces who may not have robust subscription journal access.
Farrell reflected on the process of compiling the volume: “We can do the hard work. This volume shows the dedication of archivists to our profession’s values in a world that is often hostile to those values. By working thoughtfully and in community, we can overcome significant challenges to align our values with practice.”
The volume features contributions from a.e. dinunzio, Elvia Arroyo-Ramirez, Joanne DeCaro, Keramet Reiter, Alexis Rowland, Lacey Wood, Gabriel Solís, Hannah Whelan, Caitin Rizzo, and the editors.
Archivist Actions, Abolitionist Futures is available as a free digital publication on CLIR’s website. To access this volume and others in the Pocket Burgundy series, visit clir.org/pubs/reports.
About the Editors:
Alison Clemens is an archivist and librarian living and working in Connecticut, with roots in southern California and Texas. She is a member of the Society of American Archivists and a founding co-coordinator of the Abolition in Special Collections collective.
Jessica Farrell is an organizer and archival consultant in Greater Boston. She leads collective action projects aimed at addressing and repairing harmful or inadequate archival practices. Farrell is an active member of the Society of American Archivists and New England Archivists.
About the Council on Library and Information Resources:
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is an independent, nonprofit organization that forges strategies to enhance research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Lizzi Albert
Deputy Operations Officer
lalbert@clir.org
