“They care enough to document people's stories”: Using ethnographic methods to understand collection day outreach events in participatory archives

Abstract

Participatory archive collection day events depend on the involvement of multiple groups of stakeholders who participate in the archives. However, there is little existing research on participatory initiatives that connect institutions to communities beyond literature that focuses on the logistics of such initiatives, making it unclear how archives can best connect to and serve communities through such initiatives. Using ethnographic field data collection and analysis, the role that the in-person collection day event plays in the construction of communities of records and memory in participatory archives was examined. Analysis of ethnographic observation data and semi-structured interviews shows that for participants, a sense of connection to community and to the archives is dependent on the collection day being an in-person outreach event. Findings also show that the event design can make some participants feel welcome while excluding others, possibly limiting the reach of the archives to diverse communities.