Archivist Actions, Abolitionist Futures: Reimagining Archival Practice Against Incarceration 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.
Creating Ethical Temporary Positions in Archives: Best Practices and Case Studies reflects on the “hidden collections” era and the impact of the resulting proliferation in grant-funded temporary positions on the employment of archivists. The authors examine why and how cultural organizations have come to rely so heavily on contingent positions to perform core operational work. Grounded in research including a literature review, survey findings, and case studies, their report offers guidelines on how to most ethically design, hire, and administer term-limited archival positions. The report builds upon the authors’ previous efforts to establish the Best Practices for Archival Term Positions, which was first published in 2022 and ratified by the Society for American Archivists in 2023.
The Story of the Modern Seed Library: A Historical Analysis of Seed Saving, Its Evolution Through the Ages, and Its Current Impact on Community, Culture, and Connection explores the relationship between humans and seeds, from the first agricultural societies 12,000 years ago to the modern era of centralized agribusiness corporations. Authors Jennifer K. Embree and Neyda V. Gilman argue that seeds, like any resource, have been a tool for human power, control, and development. As genetic biodiversity in plant life collapses due to climate change, Embree and Gilman offer seed libraries as a community-centered service that libraries can provide to combat food insecurity while celebrating biodiversity. Both faculty-ranked academic librarians at Binghamton University, the authors were inspired to write this publication as they worked together to launch their library’s Sustainability Hub in 2021, which includes the campus’s first seed library.
The Chinese Archive: A Pocket Manual is a guide that illuminates the current archival crisis in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while offering invaluable, pragmatic advice to budding scholars navigating a tumultuous era of global academic transformation. This third publication in the 2023 Pocket Burgundy series is co-authored by Yasser Ali Nasser and Matthew Wong Foreman.
Unable to revisit mainland China due to restrictive visa and research policies, Nasser and Wong Foreman drew on their experiences from 2016-2019 in the country. They also conducted insightful interviews with researchers, scholars, and historians in both the US and China, encompassing varying degrees of familiarity with the Chinese archival system. The Chinese Archive meticulously examines China’s information evolution, scrutinizes the rapidly evolving access protocols on researchers, and culminates in a comprehensive 17-page guide for new scholars on navigating research in the PRC.
Remotely Useful: Practical Lessons for Northern Community Archiving is the second publication in the 2023 Pocket Burgundy series. It is co-authored by Morgen Mills and Mark David Turner, co-founders and co-owners of Brack and Brine, a consultancy, digitization service, and emerging publisher known for its work with several Northern records repositories. Remotely Useful is a first-of-its-kind guide that bridges the gap between the archival field and the day-to-day concerns of preserving cultural and community records in the North–encompassing the upper latitudes of Canada and the United States. These regions are the front lines of the climate crisis, making the urgent documentation and preservation of their histories, traditions, and ecological knowledge vital before they are lost or altered forever.
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is pleased to announce the release of A Green New Deal for Archives, by Eira Tansey, as the inaugural publication in the 2023 Pocket Burgundy series. Recognized 9 by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in 2019 for her outstanding contributions in addressing the impact of climate change on archives, Tansey brings her expertise as an archivist, researcher, and consultant to the forefront in this groundbreaking publication.
A Green New Deal for Archives tackles the pressing challenges faced by archives globally, including the immediate and long-term risks associated with climate change and inadequate staffing. Drawing inspiration from the U.S. New Deal of the Great Depression era, Tansey proposes a public policy program that intertwines both challenges and offers a blueprint for their resolution.
The application period is now closed, and the following is provided for information only.
2022 awardees were announced in December.
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) invites proposals for its “Pocket Burgundy” series. Prospective authors can propose ideas for reports based on their interests and the needs of the information and cultural heritage communities. Selected authors will be offered a stipend of $2,500 for their publication. The proposal due date has been extended to Wednesday, October 5, 2022. Decisions will be announced in December 2022.
Background:
For decades, CLIR’s published reports—known informally as “burgundy books” because of the cover color—have been important sources of research, ideas, and reference materials in the information and cultural heritage sectors. In recent years, titles have included Creating Access to HBCU Library Alliance Archives: Needs, Capacity, and Technical Planning; 3D/VR in the Academic Library: Emerging Practices and Trends; The Future of Email Archives; and ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation. These publications have typically been in the form of in-depth reports, manuals, and assessments commissioned by CLIR or external funders and designed for online or print publication. The Pocket Burgundy series flips our publication agenda from a top-down to a bottom-up orientation. CLIR sees this as an opportunity to hear from our community about their most pressing information needs, while elevating new voices in the field and promoting new research and ideas. The first proposal cycle for the Pocket Burgundy series was held in 2021; five publications were selected, which we expect to publish in 2023.
What types of publications are we looking for?
Traditionally, CLIR’s reports have been in the areas of preservation, digital libraries, emerging technologies, economics of information, international developments, trends in information use, and the changing role of the library. CLIR will continue publishing in these areas, while also encouraging submissions around themes in the information field, including but not limited to: social and racial justice, labor, intersectionality, accessibility, sustainability, building and maintaining community, working with culturally sensitive materials and marginalized groups, decolonizing and indigenizing the field(s), and the climate crisis. Prospective authors are encouraged to propose topics relevant to their own work, which they believe would benefit the broader field(s).
Publications proposed for this series should, in their final form, be 20 to 50 pages (5,000 to 12,500 words). By design, the publications created through this series will be shorter than traditional “burgundy books.” These reports should be tightly scoped to either go deeply into a narrow subject or survey a broader topic. Reports should include succinct executive summaries and visual elements, and be accessible and easily navigated. Publications will be released in electronic form.
How can I apply?
To propose a report, fill out and upload your application components to this form. For this application, you will need:
Additional application instructions can be found on the application form. Applicants are encouraged to read through the project website and FAQs prior to submitting their proposals. Questions about this opportunity or the application process should be directed to Kathlin Smith (ksmith@clir.org) and Nicole Kang Ferraiolo (nferraiolo@clir.org).
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