Kelsey O'Connell (@archivistkelsey) — Bluesky Profile

1 month ago

BitCurator Forum 2026 | BitCurator Consortium

#BitCuratorForum is back for 2026! This all virtual forum will take place on June 17

Submit your proposals by March 8!

bitcuratorconsortium.org/bitcurator-f...

#digiPres #bornDigital #bitCurator

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4 months ago

Librarians, Aldermen Push Back Against Proposed Library Cuts Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed 2026 budget calls for eliminating some vacant library positions and halving the agency's collections budget from $10 million to $5 million.

blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/05/l...

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4 months ago

Paraphrasing Christobel Underwood of the Australian National University's lightning talk:

How to prioritise audio visual material for preservation
1. Magnetic tape!!
2. Reacting to a disaster and the damage caused
3. Items of historical or cultural significance
4. User Requests

#iPRES2025

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4 months ago

Great talk from @archivistkelsey.bsky.social on accessibility of born digital collections. She discusses the implicit, systemic, and unconscious biases built into hardware and software which can negatively impact users, and encourages us to prioritise the humanity of workers and users #ipres2025

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4 months ago

Having some FOMO from not being in person at #iPRES2025 but am so grateful to the amazing program committee for making virtual attendance possible

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4 months ago

iPRES 2025 logo cross stitch patterns - Google Drive

We're always amazed by the creativity and talent of the iPRES community! 😍 One of our clever attendees, Ima Oduok, has created cross stitch patterns from the #iPRES2025 logo! 🪡 You can download the patterns here: drive.google.com/drive/folder...

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6 months ago

Everybodye sholde have to wryte emayles the olde fashioned waye -- entirelye usinge ASCII art

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7 months ago

Kiwi - Stewart Island - Southland, New Zealand - Credit Great South (7)

The wait is over! The #iPRES2025 Programme is finally here! 🎉 This year features a dynamic schedule with 7 parallel tracks: 3 hybrid, 3 in person, and 1 virtual.

View the high-level programme as a PDF, or check out the programme spreadsheet for session times and details. www.ipres2025.nz/programme

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9 months ago

The 2026 Federal Budget Proposal Shutters The Institute for Museum and Library Services The details of the 2026 federal budget proposal spell out the goal of shutting down the Institute for Museum and Library services.

We now have the details of the federal 2026 budget proposal, and it spells the end of IMLS. The request is $6,000,000 to "conduct an orderly closeout of IMLS."

Whatever happens in the 2 court cases would be moot if this passes.

bookriot.com/the-2026-fed...

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9 months ago

Home Sign the Declaration to #DefendResearch Against U.S. Government Censorship to publicly condemn and resist the censorship of academic research. Join over 4500+ signatories and share with your networks....

Ways to take action to stop U.S. Government censorship of academic research

www.defendresearch.org/home

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9 months ago

IMLS Staff Return to Work Thanks to Court Order, Some Grants Restored. The federal workers dedicated to library funding are coming back to work after a ruling from a federal judge in Rhode Island. Grants in states that sued have begun to be restored, including grants held by ALA. But this win is temporary and limited. [Logos: Show up for our libraries, American Library Association]

NEW: Staff at the Institute of Museum & Library Services are returning to work thanks to an order from a federal judge in Rhode Island. Grants in plaintiff states have begun to be restored. Learn more: ala.org/IMLSBack (1/2)

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10 months ago

"Rep. Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the [HAC] which oversees the Library of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office, is alleging it is “no coincidence [Trump] acted less than a day after [Perlmutter] refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk’s efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models.”"

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10 months ago

Trump fires top US copyright official Democrats are alleging foul play.

www.politico.com/news/2025/05...

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10 months ago

The Latest from the Institute of Museum and Library Services A temporary restraining order halts further dismantling of the only federal agency for libraries, but the 2026 federal budget calls for eliminating the IMLS completely.

"The President released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which would begin October 1, 2025. That proposal includes a total annihilation of the budget for the IMLS."

bookriot.com/the-latest-f...

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10 months ago

Thank you, Carla Today, we've heard the sad news that Dr. Carla Hayden, our Librarian of Congress, has been fired. Dr. Hayden has inspired the many librarians involved with the Data Rescue Project. She was the first w...

We were very sad to hear this news. Dr Hayden has been an inspiration for many of our volunteer librarians. She will always be our Librarian of the People. ❤️🛟
www.datarescueproject.org/thank-you-ca...

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11 months ago

Historians Respond to Federal Actions - AHA AHA members are providing important historical context and insight to the public on the recent actions by the federal government.

The AHA is compiling resources developed by historians in response to recent actions by the federal governments. We welcome submissions from our members about op-eds, media appearances, or other resources they've contributed offering historical context and insight to the public. 🗃️

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11 months ago

Smithsonian Museum Director Placed on Leave Amid Pressure Campaign Poet Kevin Young, director since 2021 of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, has been placed on leave.

Kevin Young, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), has been placed on personal leave indefinitely

news.artnet.com/art-world/di...

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1 year ago

The National Archives and the Trump administration Most of the government focuses on the future. This agency is more concerned with our past.

@npr.org's 1A features an in depth explanation of the US National Archives

the1a.org/segments/the...

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1 year ago

It's hard to describe what a feat this is, and shouldered by a much smaller group than the folks who captured the data. @asegerberg.bsky.social has been chipping away at this database for years. Rescuing data is hard, but curating & publishing it is a much harder, lonely slog. Prepare for it.

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1 year ago

Urgent - Feb 18, 2025 send in your comments today:
classweb.org/tentative-su...
send your comments to: mailto:listcomments@loc.gov

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1 year ago

here's an email if you'd like to use it (with thanks to u/CaptJackL0cke!

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing to express my deepest concern re: the proposals to change subject headings pertaining to "Mexico, Gulf of" to "America, Gulf of" (and also Mount Denali to Mount McKinley). I firmly DO NOT SUPPORT these changes and they are NOT in accordance with LCSH standards as follows:

According to LCSH standards, when cataloging international place names, the preferred practice is to use the most widely recognized English form of the place name, usually with the country name following as a subdivision, ensuring consistency and clarity when searching for information across different regions. The Gulf of Mexico is an international body of water that does not reside solely within the jurisdiction of the United States. The most common English form of the place name is indeed Gulf of Mexico, therefore this subject heading should not be changed.

Similarly, Mount Denali has been the place name since 2015 and is the preferred name which "reflect(s) the traditions of Alaska Natives and the preference of many Alaskans" (Associated Press, 2025, para. 10). Additionally, “Denali is more than a mountain,” Dibert of Fairbanks said in a news release. “It’s a cornerstone of Alaska’s history, a tribute to our diverse culture and a testament to the people who have cherished this land for millennia" (Associated Press, 2025, para. 10).

Sincerely, (NAME)

Reference: Associated Press. (2025, February 7). *Alaska legislature asks Trump to retain Denali's name instead of change it to Mount McKinley*. AP. [https://apnews.com/article/trump-denali-mount-mckinley-alaska-2fbff88e1845e066a65cbabfa17284ae](https://apnews.com/article/trump-denali-mount-mckinley-alaska-2fbff88e1845e066a65cbabfa17284ae)

Here is a template for the email

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1 year ago

LCSH for Gulf of Mexico and Denali changing! (Urgent)

Partial copy and paste from an email that was shared with me.

The LCSH tentative list released today (February 18) contains proposals to change subject headings pertaining to "Mexico, Gulf of" to "America, Gulf of" (and also Mount Denali to Mount McKinley). here it is: https://classweb.org/tentative-subjects/2412a.html?loclr=eashal

Comments on the proposed changes can be sent to listcomments@loc.gov by Tuesday, February 18, 2025 (which is TODAY), if folks have thoughts, or want to raise concerns.

Reminder that the deadline for comments is TODAY, despite the list having just been made public today. So if folks have thoughts, they'd better get them in fast. Apparently it is unprecedented that changes like this have a single day for public comment.

Email about the name change for the Gulf of Mexico and Denali

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1 year ago

Call to Community Recap – Your Programme Thoughts and Ideas Ngā mihi nui - a massive thank you to everyone who participated in one or more of the online Call to Community brainstorming workshops in December and January. We really value your ideas and…

Looking for inspiration for your iPRES 2025 paper?? 👀

Take a look at what the Call to Community participants had to say about what topics are front of mind and what they'd like to see on the conference programme!

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1 year ago

Archived Flash content can now be replayed on Arquivo.pt – sobre.arquivo.pt

Archived Flash content can now be replayed on Arquivo.pt – sobre.arquivo.pt
#digipres #webarchives

sobre.arquivo.pt/en/flash-con...

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1 year ago

These are smart dedicated people. In my 13 years of federal service, I hired roughly two dozen staff. We often had 200+ applicants for a single opening. Through a rigorous merit based process we would always hire on some of the country's best and brightest who often moved across the country to work.

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1 year ago

Fighting the Great Federal Website Purge: Journalists, judges, and archivists are keeping government data online. New by Sarah Grevy Gotfredsen of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism.
www.cjr.org/the_media_to...

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1 year ago

(1/3) February 11, 2025 President Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Transmitted via certified mail Re: Threats to the National Archives’ critical mission Dear President Trump: We, the undersigned organizations representing a broad and bipartisan coalition of civil society groups, historians, archivists, librarians, transparency advocates, journalists, and concerned citizens, write to express concerns about reports that Dr. Colleen Shogan was removed as the Archivist of the United States. Such a change likely will undermine continuity of the National Archives and Records Administration’s operations, as well as threaten its work to keep the government transparent and preserve our nation’s history. We urge you to reaffirm the independent and professional stewardship of the National Archives.

(2/3) As you know, the National Archives is the custodian of America’s collective memory, preserving the nation’s records, including founding documents of the United States, and ensuring public access to records that document our democracy. It also plays a vital role in supporting the everyday needs of American citizens, from assisting veterans who rely on the archives for documentation that helps secure their benefits, to helping individuals trace their family histories through genealogical records. With forty-three facilities across 17 states, it also plays an important economic role across the country. These facilities include the current network of presidential libraries, where NARA staff work to preserve and promote public access to presidential materials. NARA’s responsibility in overseeing the declassification of government records is equally important. The National Archives’ work in this area ensures that declassification decisions are made with integrity and fairness, which in turn fosters trust in government, promotes accountability, and enables public understanding of government actions. These functions are essential in a democracy where an informed citizenry is paramount to effective governance. Dr. Shogan has performed these tasks with skill and grace under difficult financial and political circumstances. She should be allowed to continue in this role. The position of Archivist of the United States is one of importance to the public, including veterans. This position should not be held by someone who is primarily a political figure.1 Such a move would raise serious concerns about the agency’s independence and integrity.

(3/3) NARA is already underfunded and overburdened. Abruptly terminating Dr. Shogan has disrupted the reforms she was working to complete, and destabilized the institution, which faces increasing demands to digitize records, modernize access, and process an ever-growing volume of documents. We urge the administration to prioritize continuity as well as sufficient funding and resources to ensure that the National Archives can fulfill its mission and serve the American public effectively. We strongly encourage you to reconsider your decision. The integrity of the National Archives must be protected to ensure that future generations can continue to learn from and engage with the records that define our nation’s past. Sincerely, American Governance Institute American Library Association The Authors Guild Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Defending Rights & Dissent Free Government Information (FGI) Freedom of the Press Foundation Government Information Watch National Security Archive National Security Counselors PEN America

freedom.press/the-classifi...

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1 year ago

The Data Rescue Tracker We are excited to introduce the Data Rescue Tracker, a collaborative tool built to catalog existing public data rescue efforts so that we can coordinate better across initiatives. At this stage, you c...

Our group has been hard at work to release a new tool: The Data Rescue Tracker. The tool aims to provide a consolidated overview of who is downloading which dataset from which government websites. Please share! www.datarescueproject.org/data-rescue-...

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1 year ago

Wood heart that reads "I am indirect costs"

Green sparkly acrylic heart that reads "I am indirect costs"

White faceted heart that reads "I am indirect costs"

Pile of hearts in different materials that read "I am indirect costs"

For all my fellow librarians, data admins, and other university staff types, I spent today's laser cutter time playing with different materials and a message in the spirit of #LoveDataWeek. We're indirect costs. If the government cuts those rates, there goes our funding. #DHmakes

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1 year ago

About Data Rescue Project The Data Rescue Project is a coordinated effort among a group of data organizations, including IASSIST, RDAP, and members of the Data Curation Network. Our goal is to serve as a clearinghouse for data...

We are excited to let everyone know that we have a new website: www.datarescueproject.org/about-data-r... It includes the resources from the Google doc (that will stay live for a bit) and ways to stay in contact with us. Feel free to share! #LoveData25 #DataRescue

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