Archives Off-Site: Adapting to Serve our Communities During the Pandemic and Beyond

Abstract

Panelists from three institutions, one small, one medium, and one large, will share their adaptive and iterative approaches to their work while handling varying levels of access and opening between 2020 and 2021. Panelists will discuss the successes and challenges of coordinating archives projects and services in response to navigating online-only and hybrid environments in addition to physical building access limitations. Projects include finding aid migration to ArchivesSpace while working from home during the Pandemic; 'hot-wiring' SpringShare's LibAnswers to manage research and 'scan-on-demand' requests; and teaching virtually amidst new demands and the need to support synchronous and asynchronous instruction. The session will highlight the workflows and solutions each institution developed and continues to adapt. Panelists will also discuss how these solutions have and will impact archives functions moving forward.