ARA South East and London - Decolonising and inclusive collections knowledge sharing (webinar 1)
This is the first of two knowledge sharing webinars hosted by the ARA South East & London Region, fourteen speakers will share their experiences of decolonising collections and inclusivity in collections. The talks will be followed by a Q&A session with our speakers. Members and non-members are welcome to attend both webinars or just one.
PROGRAMME
10:30 Welcome and Introduction
10:40 – 11:40 Speaker presentations
11:40 – 12:00 Questions
12:00 Finish
THE SPEAKERS
Sally Kent has undertaken work for Cambridge University Library to develop guidelines around inclusive descriptive practices in the archive catalogue, identifying problematic historic language and general issues of inadequate description.
Sian Woodward & Kirsty Kerr will speak about the case study "Cataloguing the ‘Oriental’ in the Museum of Domestic Design & Architecture’s Silver Studio Collection" which explores a project that introduces fresh perspectives to improve cataloguing practices by examining the historical and recent use of the term ‘Oriental’ in MoDA’s Silver Studio collection. By linking heritage sector debates with practical cataloguing, the study highlights the opportunities and challenges of embedding meaningful changes in core practices.
Ellie King has worked on the Inclusive Cataloguing Policy at The Keep and will share experiences of the process over the last two years and developments since.
Philip Milnes-Smith will be speaking about decolonising and inclusivity through subject guides. The archivist leading on decolonising and inclusive practice work at Shakespeare’s Globe successfully bid for a TNA Research and Innovation Grant in autumn 2023. The project is producing subject guides to finding disability, gender, queerness and race in the collections (including in the plays themselves) which are to be published this autumn and updated annually. In this presentation, he explores the thinking behind these new finding aids, and shares aspects of the process, including recruiting and working with an intersectional Inclusion Advisory Panel of volunteers with lived experience.
Helice Koffler will be speaking about the Watson Library, Metropolitan Museum of Art project to enhance holdings of works by and about Indigenous American, Hispanic American/Latinx, and Asian American/Pacific Islander artists. The presentation will also focus on the project's outreach with living artists and communities and the work to create a substantial number of name authority records for artists not previously represented.
Victoria Cranna will speak about the Decolonising Principles that have been adopted by the Archives Service at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Covering five areas: archival practice, cataloguing practice, dissemination, education and inclusivity. Victoria will also give an update on the work of the ARA Diversity and Inclusion Allies and the inclusive cataloguing group.