MANY HAPPY RETURNS: THE SEQUEL

Prepared for

University of Massachusetts Amherst November 4, 2011

I. MANY HAPPY RETURNS:Advocacy and the Development of Archives2

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: ADVOCACY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHIVES

3

Advocacy Principles to consider:• The Goal should be a strong overall institutional

infrastructure for archives: financial leadership, financial resources, staff, facilities

• Creating a strong archival infrastructure is not a one-time task, and neither is advocacy

• Most decisions are made on their merits by well-intentioned decision makers.

• The very best tool for effective advocacy is an effective archives

• Acquiring influence is required to build a strong archival infrastructure

• Influence is capital: it needs to be invested wisely• Effective communication is the heart and soul of effective advocacy

• Effective advocacy is a team sport

• Opportunities for advocacy always exist for every archives• Love is not the (whole) answer. Work on respect.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: ADVOCACY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHIVES

4

Advocacy is part of the core work of an archives; it is not an add-on, or in reality, an option.

I: THE CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINEIn Context5

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

6

7

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

COUNTWAY LIBRARY

8

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE

9

I: THE ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINEHistory of the project10

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE–

HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

11

Birthday CardFrom the Myrtelle M. Canavan papers

American Medical Women’s Association pamphlet, 1960s.

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE– HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

I: THE ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINEBuilding a community13

14

First class of women at Harvard, 1949.

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE– HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

15

First class of women at Harvard, 1949.

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE– HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

“Those who hold the evidence make the history”

--Jill Lepore

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE: OUTREACH

16

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE–

BUILDING A COMMUNITY

17

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE COMMITTEE: FUNDRAISING

18

19

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE:RAISING ARCHIVAL AWARENESS

ARCHIVES FOR WOMEN IN MEDICINE:EVENTS

20

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINEAdvocacy21

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:SCALING AND SCOPING

22

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

23

Messages include:•History is relevant to current concerns;•There is no history without evidence (records), the product of recordkeeping (information management);•This evidence forms legacy and memory, the fuel for identity and decision-making;•We acquire, describe, preserve, and, most of all, enable access to evidence;•Maintaining access to authentic evidence requires specific knowledge, skills and methods;•Your interest, interaction, and support ensures that the benefits of evidence are realized.

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:SCALING AND SCOPING

24

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINEWeb Infrastructure 25

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:OUTREACH INFRASTRUCTURE

26

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:OUTREACH INFRASTRUCTURE

27

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:CONTENT MANAGEMENT

28

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINECommunication Infrastructure29

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:CONTACTS MANAGEMENT

30

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:OUTREACH INFRASTRUCTURE

31

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:CONTENT MANAGEMENT

32

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:CONTENT MANAGEMENT

33

Countway LibraryCenter for the History of MedicineAnnual Report2010

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:EVALUATION

34

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:EVALUATION

35

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINEFundraising36

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:FUNDRAISING

37

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE:FUNDRAISING

38

CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINELessons Learned39

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: ADVOCACY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHIVES

40

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: ADVOCACY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHIVES

41

Advocacy Principles to consider:• The Goal should be a strong overall institutional

infrastructure for archives: financial leadership, financial resources, staff, facilities

• Creating a strong archival infrastructure is not a one-time task, and neither is advocacy

• Most decisions are made on their merits by well-intentioned decision makers.

• The very best tool for effective advocacy is an effective archives

• Acquiring influence is required to build a strong archival infrastructure

• Influence is capital: it needs to be invested wisely• Effective communication is the heart and soul of effective advocacy

• Effective advocacy is a team sport

• Opportunities for advocacy always exist for every archives• Love is not the (whole) answer. Work on respect.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: ADVOCACY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHIVES

42

Advocacy is part of the core work of an archives; it is not an add-on, or in reality, an option.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: ADVOCACY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHIVES

43

Applying Advocacy :

• Create an opportunity agenda as a framework and prompt for advocacy on high priorities

• Build a case for the archives. • Identify the prime subjects of internal advocacy

and best to influence them

• Organize a campaign, but only infrequently

• Find external advocates, especially to influence internal decisions

• Build support networks

• Treat the decision maker above the archives as a prime subject of advocacy and as an important advocate for the archives

• Bring influence to bear on the case: obtain endorsements• Direct advocacy toward external parties; grants, obtaining important

collections, etc.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: THE SEQUEL