Kelsey O'Connell

@archivistkelsey.bsky.social

(she/her) Digital Archivist at Northwestern University Libraries

Paraphrasing Christobel Underwood of the Australian National University's lightning talk: How to prioritise audio visual material for preservation 1. Magnetic tape!! 2. Reacting to a disaster and the damage caused 3. Items of historical or cultural significance 4. User Requests #iPRES2025

We now have the details of the federal 2026 budget proposal, and it spells the end of IMLS. The request is $6,000,000 to "conduct an orderly closeout of IMLS." Whatever happens in the 2 court cases would be moot if this passes. bookriot.com/the-2026-fed...

The 2026 Federal Budget Proposal Shutters The Institute for Museum and Library Services

The details of the 2026 federal budget proposal spell out the goal of shutting down the Institute for Museum and Library services.

bookriot.com

The AHA is compiling resources developed by historians in response to recent actions by the federal governments. We welcome submissions from our members about op-eds, media appearances, or other resources they've contributed offering historical context and insight to the public. 🗃️

Historians Respond to Federal Actions - AHA

AHA members are providing important historical context and insight to the public on the recent actions by the federal government.

historians.org

It's hard to describe what a feat this is, and shouldered by a much smaller group than the folks who captured the data. @asegerberg.bsky.social has been chipping away at this database for years. Rescuing data is hard, but curating & publishing it is a much harder, lonely slog. Prepare for it.

@sucho-org.bsky.social · last yr.

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. SUCHO has now made publicly available the 50 TB of cultural heritage data archived from websites ranging from national archives to local museums, 3D tours of churches to children’s art centers. www.sucho.org/press-releas...

Screenshot of the SUCHO database of web-archived content

These are smart dedicated people. In my 13 years of federal service, I hired roughly two dozen staff. We often had 200+ applicants for a single opening. Through a rigorous merit based process we would always hire on some of the country's best and brightest who often moved across the country to work.

Catherine Rampell@crampell.bsky.social · last yr.

The Trump administration has directed agency heads to fire most trial period and probationary staff within two days, taking aim at many of the roughly 200,000 people hired by the federal government within the last two years www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

For all my fellow librarians, data admins, and other university staff types, I spent today's laser cutter time playing with different materials and a message in the spirit of #LoveDataWeek. We're indirect costs. If the government cuts those rates, there goes our funding. #DHmakes

Wood heart that reads "I am indirect costs" Green sparkly acrylic heart that reads "I am indirect costs" White faceted heart that reads "I am indirect costs" Pile of hearts in different materials that read "I am indirect costs"