Things I might have tweeted, part 2: Rand Jimerson at #marac

The plenary speaker for MARAC is Rand Jimerson, suthor of Archives Power. Here is what I might have tweeted: Students from the University of Kentucky are at my table. They like what marac doea more than their own organization. Archival Ethics and the Call for Justice is the title of Rand's talk. Justice requires resistance to censorship, sanitization, and hiding of documents. We are always making choices; chosing to save some things means that we aren't saving other things. We sometimes reinforce the majority view. Our neutrality is a lie that is built into our profession. Neutality reinforces the current power structures. Archives have always been a battleground of conflicting ideologies. We can be objective, but not neutral. Objectivity does not preclude advocacy, but puts responsible limits upon it. Archives are on he front line of public controversy and have a responsibility to the community throuh the records. 9 keys for archivists to respond to the call for justice. Ensuring diversity in the archival record. One of the three greatest challenges to the profession. Welcoming the stranger into the archive. Records are witnesses to those who are voiceless. Recognize hat selecting and appraising should be based on clear and open policies. Listening for oral testimony and going out and creating oral histories. Make archival description sensitive to the representation of those described. Providing inclusive reference and access, within he bounds of laws and cultural representations. Embracing new technologies, web 2.0 and digital records. Supporting open government and public accountability. Public advocacy, boh in archival terms and in the general public interest. Become whistleblowers if records are threatened. (end of the 9 keys) The result of these actions will keep archives by, for, and of the people. Social responsibility is one of SAA's 11 core duties in a current draft statement. We must overcome our biases and embrace social responsbility. Archivist must not support or seem to support elites at the expense of the people.