Archival Practice: A Brief Introduction: Community Archives

Community archives are archives that document and communicate the history and activities of a community of people, and that are created and managed by members of that community. They are usually run apart from traditional archival institutions, and often feature groups which are underrepresented in the official archives record. Dr. Andrew Flinn, one of the most prominent scholars on the subject, defines community archives as "the grassroots activities of documenting, recording and exploring community heritage in which community participation, control and ownership of the project is essential." *

The community represented in a community archive can be defined in countless ways. For example:

• People living in a geographic location (region, town, neighborhood, etc.)
• Members of a cultural or ethnic group
• People linked by a common interest of practice
• People linked by a shared identity 

Community archives are important because they allow groups of people (often underrepresented, misrepresented, or marginalized ones) to preserve and share their history, perspectives, and experiences in their own way. In constructing their archive, the members of the community have autonomy in terms of what records they want to select for inclusion and how they choose to organize, describe, and present them. Therefore, community archives can be of great value to people both inside and outside the community by contributing to the shaping of identities, serving as resources for education, reflection, and research, and helping build a more equitable historical record.

* Flinn, A. (2007). Community histories, community archives: Some opportunities and challenges. Journal of the Society of Archivists, 28(2), 151–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/00379810701611936

Mission and vision of the community archive

If you plan on constructing a community archive, it can be very helpful to think about the archive's mission and vision. These can be expressed in mission and vision statements. Establishing a mission and vision will help give direction to the work conducted at the archive.

The mission statement expresses the purpose of the archive's existence, and can include priorities and principles of the archive. The vision statement should declare what you hope the archive will become in terms of growth and achievements. Actions taken to achieve the vision should be guided by the framework expressed in the mission.  

Collection scope

Establishing the collection scope of an archive is essential. This means defining what materials the archive will collect. If this is not determined beforehand, future decisions concerning acquisition may become haphazard, and arrangement and description of the material may also become more challenging. The following are some factors to keep in mind when establishing your archive's collection scope:

• What is the purpose of my archive? What is my vision for it?
• What topics do I want my archive to address?
• What are the interests and priorities of the community my archive will serve?
• What are my resources? How much space do I have? How many people?
• What types of material can I properly store, manage, and preserve? How much?

Establish who is the community of users for your archive

Archival collections are created because the documents they contain have enduring value for a community of people. Understanding who your community of users is and what are their principal interests and information needs will allow you to construct your archive in a way that is more meaningful and impactful. Also, having a good connection with your user base can inform your acquisition decisions, improve your arrangement, description, and access models, and establish priorities for preservation. It can also help you plan more engaging activities and exhibitions and conduct more effective outreach and assessment.

Policies and procedures

Having documented policies and procedures helps achieve consistency in the archive's day-to-day operations and informs future decisions. A common example of this type of documentation is processing manuals, which archives frequently have. Archival processing manuals detail the steps that should be followed to prepare material for inclusion in the archive and eventual use by the public. Having a manual that covers these processing steps helps establish a consistent workflow. It also contributes to protecting the integrity of the archival material, ensuring the level of quality of the archival records, and facilitating organization and access. Other areas that may be covered in policy documentation are collection development, adequate storage and handling of archival materials, preservation, and emergency response.

Inventory

In order to properly manage and care for a collection of archival material, it is important to keep an accurate record of what you have. An inventory allows you to do that. Besides a general inventory, archives can create registers of creators, indexes, and cross-references to help manage their material and make it easier for researchers to navigate the content and access the items that are most relevant to their needs.