Imagining the archive of the future: community participation in transforming the archive

The landmark Bringing Them Home report included a number of references to the management of archives relating to children affected by The Stolen Generations. 

Access to records can strengthen identity and provide people with an understanding of their history. This panel will bring speakers together from Monash University and the Australian Society of Archivists Indigenous Special Interest Group to imagine the archive of the future. 

Speakers will discuss research and practice in the archival field which address concerns such as a ‘right of reply’ to records, the management of collections through community participation and issues around accessing records of trauma and ‘archives and wellbeing’.

Themes to discuss include: What would the archive of the future look like? What structures might support archival autonomy and self-determination? How can the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums
develop a coordinated framework to support an archive of the future? What accountable action plans and mechanisms need to be put in place to design services for communities that are transformational? 

Finally, the session will outline the work of a national summit ‘Setting the Record Straight for the Rights of the Child’ planned in 2017 to address pathways to mutual learning, shared stewardship and relinquishing control to deliver better outcomes.