{"id":362,"date":"2019-04-08T15:24:37","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T19:24:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slis.simmons.edu\/blogs\/lis476\/?p=362"},"modified":"2019-04-08T15:25:22","modified_gmt":"2019-04-08T19:25:22","slug":"meet-nadia-dixson-city-archivist-for-the-city-of-somerville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slis.simmons.edu\/blogs\/lis476\/?p=362","title":{"rendered":"Meet Nadia Dixson, City Archivist for the City of Somerville"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Jade Mejia<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Nadia Dixson, City Archivist of Somerville<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In my interview with Nadia Dixson, the City of Somerville\u2019s\u00a0archivist, we had an illuminating conversation on\u00a0advocacy and the many ways it can be expressed. During our conversation we went over three main points:\u00a0 1.) What her institution does and who they serve 2.) What her position\u00a0entails and who she serves (3. How she feels her advocacy\u00a0and outreach translates into her work, and what advocacy and outreach means to her as a city\u00a0archivist.<\/p>\n

As the city\u2019s website states, \u201cThe primary purpose of the City of Somerville Archive is to\u00a0maintain the permanent records created by city employees, elected officials and boards and\u00a0committees in the course of their work,” so it makes sense that Dixson\u2019s priority patrons are city\u00a0employees. However, she also made the comment that \u201chistory has intrinsic value to government\u201d that
\nthe archives can support.\u00a0 In our discussion she told me that her primary goal was to serve city\u00a0internal departments, specifically the law office and grant office because those are two offices\u00a0that deal with long term institutional memory, which the archives are readily available to help\u00a0with given their collection policy. What I gleaned from our conversation is that an important
\npart of Dixson\u2019s position, which I feel is a largely overlooked part of advocacy work in archives,\u00a0is showing non-users how they can use and engage with the archives, which will create, as\u00a0Dixson said, more allies\/collaborators.<\/p>\n

What really struck me during our interview was our discussion on outreach and\u00a0advocacy, and the fact that advocacy can be the archivist advocating for the archives.\u00a0 When\u00a0Dixson stated, \u201cYou absolutely do want to be available to advocate for the communities that you\u00a0support, but if the archives doesn\u2019t exist it can\u2019t do it, \u201d,it hit me that I was looking at this from\u00a0such a limited one-way idea of what advocacy is and what it should look like.\u00a0 Dixson\u00a0reminded me that advocacy can also come in the form of self-advocacy. Once you have created this\u00a0network of departments and supporters you will be able to gain a lot more motion in projects and\u00a0collaborative efforts. And by framing the projects as the archives helping a department\u00a0document their history,\u00a0 it can establish the support network and will, hopefully, help the archives
\ngain more opportunities to collaborate with other departments that might have seen the\u00a0previously completed project.<\/p>\n

I am very grateful for the chance to have spoken with Dixson, she gave me new ideas on\u00a0advocacy, and gave great insight on how creating collaborations and networks with users. It is a\u00a0fantastic way to showcase the archive and what you can provide a multitude of users, while also\u00a0fulfilling the mission and goal of the archive.<\/p>\n

Further reading:<\/strong>
\nBrett, Jeremy, and Jasmine Jones. ” Persuasion, Promotion, Perception: Untangling Archivists’\u00a0Understanding of Advocacy and Outreach. ” Provenance, Journal of the Society of\u00a0Georgia Archivists 31, no. 1 (2013): 11.<\/p>\n

Grabowski, John. ” Keepers, users, and funders: building an awareness of archival value. ” The\u00a0American Archivist 55, no. 3 (1992): 464-472.<\/p>\n

Finch, Elsie Freeman. ” Archival Advocacy: Reflections on Myths and Realities. ” Archival Issues\u00a0(1995): 115-127.<\/p>\n

Here is the link to a tool kit that lists archival advocacy efforts:<\/p>\n

What Is Advocacy? & Archival Advocacy Efforts<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n