SESSION 5:
"There IS a Monster Under the Bed: When it Hurts to Do Our Work"
 
OVERVIEW: As government archivists and records professionals, we serve entities that change over time or sometimes house difficult or unpopular materials. Kathie Schey first addressed this topic at the NAGARA 2024 Annual Conference with “When It Challenges Us to Do Our Work”, exploring proactive archival responses to shifts in elected governance and community priorities including incorporating viewpoints we do not share.  These challenges have only grown more acute in the past year.
 
This presentation will evaluate and update earlier suggestions and offer new approaches to deal with evolving and sometimes seemingly insurmountable challenges:
 
  • How do we remain inclusive of marginalized communities and how has guidance from members of these important groups been achieved?
  • How have we most effectively marketed our archival roles to critical governance and a dubious community?
  • Beyond changing archival access points, how have we joined with other institutions to save some of our own? 
 
GARA COMPETENCY AREA: "Training, Advocacy & Outreach"
 
PRESENTER: Kathie A. Schey, City Archivist, City of Huntington Beach, County of Orange, CA
 

Kathie A. Schey

Kathie Schey is the City Archivist for the City of Huntington Beach, Ca.  Over the past 17 years, she has also served the City's Historic Resources Board and its Design Review Board, often as Chair of both, as well as many other Boards and Committees regionally and nationally.  Kathie holds an M.A. in History and has won numerous awards for her work including Visiting Research Fellowships from the University of Michigan Clements Library and the Vermont State Historical Society.  She holds certifications from the Society of American Archivists, has earned the GARA and also holds certifications in Urban Planning and Preservation Leadership.  She is qualified under federal law to evaluate historic properties.