There are a lot of ways that an economic depression can affect archives,libraries,museums,and other cultural institutions. Many of these are detrimental to the work that we do–including cuts in funding for staff,programs,and projects,and I don’t wish to downplay the effects of those things. However,let’s think positively for a moment.
I think that this can also be seen as an opportunity for us to rediscover ourselves. One of the fundamental truths about being an archivist is that there is never enough time,money,space,or staff to accomplish everything that we would like to do. I think that’s probably true for museum staff and libraries,too. When we’re forced to consider how we spend our money,time,and resources,we’re appraising how we work and what we need most. This can bring us down to the most fundamental level:when was the last time you revisited your collection scope,policies,and mission statement? Do your recent/future/past accessions conform to your institutional goals? When was the last time that you revisited your policies,and do they still fit?
This can be a good opportunity to take a look at your backlog,your processing priorities,and your outreach plan for 2009. How much space do you have for future accessions,and what kind of plan will you have for processing? Which resources are used most often by researchers,and how does that information fit into your desired outreach and institutional mission? Have you objectively assessed your needs and wishes for the coming year?
Most importantly,how are you advocating for your collections? What are you doing to reach stakeholders inside and outside of your institution,and how do you plan to get or keep a seat at the table when decisions are made about funding? Even with reduced funding,how can you create and hold positive attention for your collection and your staff? Are you making a case for continued funding on a daily basis through both your work and your advocacy?
Not all of these things require money,but they do require planning and intention. Food for thought. Have you changed the way that you do business because of funding issues? Will you?