Coming in August: “Risky Business” focuses on difficult library materials and situations

Risky Business Conference logo

How do you manage the expectations of donors, administrators, and the public about collecting and facilitating access to materials with complex creators, content, or histories? Risky Business: The Politics, Pitfalls, and Possibilities of Curatorial Practice in Special Collections will convene important conversations among Special Collections librarians, archivists, and others who work with these challenges on a regular basis to reach community-oriented solutions.

Instead of formal presentations, this unconference will feature in-depth discussions and other interactions around themes of interest to participants.  Our opening session will be a conversation led by Holly Smith, College Archivist at Spelman College, focusing on “Creating Beloved Community: Employing Radical Empathy in our Memory Work Practices.  Other sessions will be set up with an introduction to the theme followed by discussions in small groups.  We’ll also have a large-group conversation to share perspectives with library deans and development officers.

It is hoped this gathering will lead to the development of best practices that can serve as a guide for ASERL libraries into the future.

Event date:  August 10-11, 2023
Location:  Emory University, Atlanta GA
More info / Travel Info / To register:  https://www.aserl.org/event/risky-business-2023

Fore more information or other questions, please contact Elaina Norlin or John Burger