Connections and Community: Outreach during American Archives Month

by Vanessa Cardona-Ocegueda

Happy October, readers!

The month of October is American Archives Month. Archival repositories across the nation do various fun activities to raise public awareness about the significance of archives. For example, on October 16, 2025, it was #AskAnArchivist Day, a day when archival repositories can use the hashtag to answer the public’s questions through social media. This helps promote communication between archivists and the general public and engages audiences who might not otherwise know about archival work.

A screenshot of posts made on Instagram with the hashtag Ask An Archivist. — A screenshot of posts made on Instagram with the hashtag “#AskAnArchivist”.

Some other events that occur during October that promote archives and archival work are events open to the public. In California, two big annual events showcase materials from different archival repositories in the area. If you’re in the Sacramento area, look out for the yearly Archives Crawl. If you’re in Los Angeles, look out for the Archives Bazaar. You can also check with your local associations to see if they are hosting a similar event near you in October. All of these activities are examples of outreach efforts that are coordinated on a larger scale.

Why do we need outreach?

Outreach events are a crucial part of the work archivists do, alongside the stewardship and preservation of archival materials. Outreach is defined by the Society of American Archivists as: “activities and programs that promote use of archives, archival resources, and archival collections; activities and programs that educate about and advocate for archives and archivists.”

Without outreach events, opportunities for the public to engage with the archival materials and generate their unique insights and ideas might not happen. So, how does this look like in practice?

Reflections from an Archives Month Outreach Event

I work in the archival processing unit at a university archive. Although my primary job is processing archival collections (stay tuned for future blog posts on this!) I have opportunities to participate in outreach events through our Archives and Special Collections department.

People seated for an archival outreach event. — Janet Kaidantzis giving her author talk at the UC Davis Library and using a reproduction from the archives. *Courtesy of Maya Lee, UC Davis Library.*

This month, for instance, Archives and Special Collections at UC Davis hosted an author talk to showcase the fruits of research with archival collections for American Archives Month. UC Davis alumna Janet Kaidantzis spoke about her research on female proprietors of summer resorts at Lake Tahoe from 1900-1930 and the subsequent article she published titled “The Nature of Her Business.” She shared glimpses into her research process and insights she gained from using two manuscript collections from the UC Davis archives: the Pierce Family Papers and the Glen Alpine Springs Collection. The event was open to the public, creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds to engage with Janet’s research and see what is possible with archival materials. To complement Janet’s talk and slideshow presentation, my colleague and I arranged a pop-up exhibit featuring materials from the two collections Janet used in her research, along with photo enlargements from the photo albums. For this pop-up exhibit, we used vitrines to showcase original documents, including a map, a pamphlet, two photograph albums, and original artifacts such as the original sign for the Glen Alpine Springs resort.

Archival materials in vitrines for a pop-up exhibit. — A photograph taken of the pop-up exhibit for the author talk. *Courtesy of Maya Lee, UC Davis Library.*

Outreach events like this open opportunities for people to engage with archival materials and each other, creating new ideas and learning moments. Something to keep in mind when working with archival materials is that the descendants of the people in your collections will interact with you and might attend outreach events you host. In this case, the descendants of the Pierce/Gilmore family attended the event, along with members of Janet’s family, students, and other members of the public. Though these people all had different relationships to the topic, they interacted in ways that produced new memories and ideas. Through the interactions of these various groups of people, I learned much more about the Glen Alpine Springs Resort, the family, and the materials I am currently surveying as I process the Glen Alpine Springs Collection. For example, from one member of the family, I learned that one of the photograph albums I was working with was a wedding gift for George and Susan Pierce. This information can be added to the finding aid, since the description of this album is scarce. Thus, the outreach event created an opportunity to activate the archival materials and prompted people to share ideas, stories, and contribute to knowledge production.

A scan of the scrapbook that was a gift to the Pierces. — A page with an inscription of a photograph album gifted to George and Susan Pierce for their wedding. The inscription reads: “Glen Alpine;” Prison of Chillon and [W?] Blanc. From Miss Wright at Geneva, Aug 30. ’88”; Aug. 15″ 1888. Mifs Susie Gilmore compliments of R.J. Waters. *Box 13: Folder 2, D-022 Pierce Family Papers, UC Davis Archives and Special Collections.*

Outreach events also generate opportunities for staff to learn more about the impact their work has on others. In my case, the work I do processing archival collections is primarily behind the scenes, and many other services we offer in archives are also hidden behind the mystique of archival work. Janet’s talk reaffirmed that the work we do to steward and make archival materials accessible is always a worthwhile endeavor. For example, Janet shared with the attendees that she found more details she had missed initially when she looked at the materials again online (we recently digitized the albums she looked at). During her talk, she revealed that only days before the event, she zoomed in on a digitized image of various women and found that one of them was Katherine Chandler, the topic of her paper. Without the work we do behind the scenes to digitize materials for better access, people cannot discover details that help them with their research.

A photograph of various women in front of a cabin. — The uncaptioned photograph of women in front of the cabin at Glen Alpine Springs from one of the photograph albums that Janet zoomed in on and found Katherine Chandler in. *Box 13: Folder 1, D-022 Pierce Family Papers, UC Davis Archives and Special Collections.*

Overall, outreach events like the one held at UC Davis help activate archival materials so they are not just stagnant materials locked in time. New ideas arise when people gather to learn more about the collections, and there are opportunities to connect their experiences and expertise to the materials. Sometimes, when members of the public see what we do with archival materials, it may inspire ideas for future donations, events, or research trips.

As American Archives Month draws to a close, I hope you have opportunities to engage with your local archives and find ways to activate archival materials.

References:

Glen Alpine [Photograph album]. (1888). Pierce Family Papers [Box 13: Folder 1]. Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.

Mrs. G. W. Pierce, with my love May Walker [Photograph album]. (circa 1901). Pierce Family Papers [Box 13: Folder 2]. Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.

Society of American Archivists. (n.d.-a). [Photograph of American archives month graphic]. American archives month. Retrieved October 27, 2025, from https://www2.archivists.org/initiatives/american-archives-month-the-power-of-collaboration

Society of American Archivists. (n.d.-b). Outreach. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://dictionary.archivists.org/entry/outreach.html

Archive Experience: Gianna Brassil at Princeton’s Firestone Library

by Vanessa Cardona-Ocegueda

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year!

For the first post of the year, we have a contribution post from our previous Blog Editor, Gianna Brassil.

Gianna is a second year MLIS student at San Jose State University. They are currently the 2025-2026 Rooted and Relational Archives Fellow at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. During their MLIS program, they’ve had the opportunity to garner archival experience at a variety of institutions, including Princeton University Library, San Francisco Public Library, and The Freedom Archives. She would like to share her experience as the 2025 Special Collections Summer Fellow at the Firestone Library, part of Princeton University Library.

Gianna’s Experience:

This past summer, I was the 2025 Special Collections Summer Fellow at Firestone Library. It was a summer full of learning, professional growth, and mentorship. I am very grateful for all of the people at Princeton University Library who made this such an impactful experience for me.

Below are some of the projects that I had the opportunity to work on this summer.

Archival Processing and Description:

I processed several backlogged single-item acquisitions, including

Processing these items gave me a better understanding of ArchivesSpace and Princeton’s local institutional standards around archival processing. I deeply appreciate the Archival Description and Processing Team’s (ADAPT) recognition of the fact that archival processing is not neutral, and its commitment to the ongoing intellectual and emotional labor of creating archival records that prioritize remediating harmful descriptions and dismantling archival practices grounded in white supremacy and other systems of oppression.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Princeton’s Latin American Processing Archivist on bilingual archival description, specifically for the Homesteading and Farming Guide for Japanese Migrants to Brazil, 1936, the Homesteading and Farming Guide for Japanese Migrants to Paraguay, 1936, and an accrual to the Juan Gelman Papers, 1927-2014. It was very meaningful to work on bilingual archival description projects and contribute to increasing accessibility for Spanish-speaking Special Collections patrons.

Photograph of a three panel pamphlet written in Japanese on the topic of homesteading in Brazil. The pamphlet contains two photographs: one depicts grazing animals in a field, and the other depicts a Japanese family standing in front of a field of crops. — *Figure 1:* Photograph of a three panel pamphlet written in Japanese on the topic of homesteading in Brazil. (*Gianna Brassil, 2025).*

I am proud to have collaborated with the Mudd Library Summer Fellow on redescribing two Lenape land deeds within the James Alexander Papers:

Grant and I were provided indispensable guidance from members of the archival processing team on how to think through the various spellings of Lenape names in the absence of a naming authority while prioritizing access points and accessibility for patrons. Working with these land deeds was a chilling reminder of how settler colonialism is an ongoing structure, meaning that as long as settlers are occupying the land, settler colonialism hasn’t ended and in fact the land is being continuously colonized at every moment.

It reinforced my commitment to working towards Indigenous sovereignty, defined by Nick Estes as the “right to live where and how we want in our own homeland because that is the ultimate definition of self-determination and sovereignty, collective independence and autonomy.”

Another project that I worked on was reprocessing and performing box-level description enhancement on 65 boxes within the Story Magazine and Story Press Records, 1931-1999. I utilized folder level metadata generated by the 2023 Summer Fellow in order to improve discoverability of this large portion of the collection. This project gave me experience working with legacy description, rehousing, reappraisal, enhancement projects, and processing a larger amount of material (approximately 30 linear feet).

I also revised 12 biographical notes as a part of the Inclusive Description Working Group’s (IDWG) Terms of Aggrandizement in Biographical Notes project. Per the IDWG’s Guidelines,

Biography/history notes are meant to provide information about a collection’s creator that will help researchers understand the context in which records were created; they should not be exhaustive, adulatory narratives that go on at length about the creator’s accomplishments.

These biographical notes had been identified as containing biased language that aggrandizes individuals. My revisions ensured that the biography note accurately reflects what is in its respective collection while refraining from aggrandizing terms that were disproportionately applied to descriptions of wealthy white men.

Lastly, I received training on PUL’s born digital processing workflows, which I utilized when processing a USB in the Cuban Writers Protest and Dissent Collection that contained email files from Professor Buscaglia-Salgado pertaining to the demands of scholars, intellectuals, and artists for changes in the official doctrine of the Cuban Revolution laid down in a speech by Fidel Castro. I also gained experience processing optical media such as CDs and removable magnetic media such as Floppy Disks using KyroFlux.

Public services:

During shifts in the Special Collections reading room, I learned how to use Aeon circulation software, assist researchers by retrieving patron requests, and the best practices for handling material. I also responded to reference questions via LibAnswers, providing research consultations and reference snapshots to virtual patrons.

Additionally, I selected objects from the Special Collections that speak to the history of the town of Princeton for the Experience Princeton newsletter in an effort to broaden departmental outreach efforts.

Lastly, I created a LibGuide on the Inclusive Description Working Group (IDWG), a working group made of ADAPT members and Library IT professionals. My LibGuide explains IDWG’s goal of describing archival materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections Princeton University Library manages, and includes relevant resources and information on IDWG projects.

Curatorial Work:

I had the opportunity to become familiar with collection connoisseurship and exhibition curation under the supervision of Princeton curators. I conducted catalog searches and compiled an object list based on Professor Arabindan-Kesson’s syllabus for a course titled “Museums and Medicine.” I had the opportunity to observe an object review session for the upcoming exhibit on René Char, celebrated French poet known for his involvement with the French Resistance during World War II.

*Figure 2:* A photograph of a manuscript in Arabic with a star-like geometric shape interspersed with text labels in Arabic. (*Gianna Brassil, 2025*).

I also created a Digital Princeton University Library (DPUL) exhibit titled Elsine-i S̱elās̱e: Dictionaries of the Arabo-Persian World which showcases a sampling of material from Princeton University Library’s Department of Special Collections that reflect the vibrant linguistic ecology of the Ottoman Empire. Featured items include Ottoman Turkish, Persian, and Arabic dictionaries, glossaries, and language workbooks. These materials speak to the importance of language learning and translation as a part of the flow and diffusion of knowledge across the Ottoman Empire and the Arabo-Persian world at large.

I created an inventory of 153 items that make up a previously unprocessed collection on language learning in the late Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Utilizing my skills in Turkish and Arabic, I matched the dealer’s inventory with the physical items, taking note of each item’s title, statement of responsibility, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, extent, dimensions, illustrations, languages, binding, and matching PUL MMSID and OCLC number. I individually foldered each item with provisional folder numbers. This project improved the collection’s inventory metadata and rehoused the materials in folders.

Photograph of a rotating and spinnable syllable wheel designed to assist young children in learning Turkish. Alongside the edges of the wheel are small color illustrations of various household items with captions to assist in vocabulary development. — *Figure 3:* Photograph of a rotating and spinnable syllable wheel designed to assist young children in learning Turkish. *(Gianna Brassil, 2025).*

Future Plans:

I’m very excited to share that this upcoming year, I will be the Rooted & Relational Archives Fellow at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College. The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College is a university-based research institute whose mission is to produce, facilitate, and disseminate interdisciplinary research about the experiences of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. and to collect, preserve, and provide access to archival and library resources documenting the history and culture of Puerto Ricans. As the Rooted & Relational Archives Fellow, I will gain practical work experience in areas such as reparatory and bilingual description, community-oriented practices and spaces, and enrichment and diversification of the archival record.

Author: Vanessa Cardona-Ocegueda