IASA 2019 Annual Conference

In conversations with early-career archivists, especially those working in maturing and community-based organizations, or with previously overlooked or neglected formats such as A/V and born-digital materials, one phrase recurs and resounds: "My predecessor wasn’t a real archivist." The stories that accompany this phrase share many characteristics and common features, and provide the basis of an epidemiological profile for what we call MPWARA Syndrome — that is, the unique challenges of working in the wake of archival laborers who are differently informed from those with MLIS degrees or other graduate credentials (and, frequently, acting at cross-purposes with them). Although collections of all kinds pass through this phase as they mature, audiovisual and digital archivists are especially likely to be the first formally trained specialists in their institutions. Presenters will discuss their own experiences with these challenges and provide specific, actionable, critical approaches to teaching and thinking about archival practice that honor emerging and established standards alongside other ways of knowing and doing.