To the members of the Academy, our fellow archives and cultural heritage practitioners, and our larger archives community, 

The Academy of Certified Archivists Board of Regents stands with our community of professionals to actively work against historical exclusions in the archives and in the archives profession. The Academy strongly believes that the profession’s future depends on our ability to accept change and to re-imagine our spaces, our approaches, and our culture. 

A key function of the Academy’s members and leadership is to participate in the definition and advancement of professional archival education, concepts, and issues and constantly review, update, and reconsider the core competencies for archival work. In 2019, the Academy took action to develop a Cultural Competency Domain for archival certification highlighting and working to promote and celebrate the ongoing work in the profession to end discriminatory practices that have motivated archival collecting for generations. We will be highlighting the work of those changing the narrative of history and community in the archives: gender, anti-racism, disappeared populations, historical erasure, and colonially-focused collection, description, appraisal, and education. 

We support the end to exclusionary practices in archival collection and management. We will actively work with our communities as part of our efforts to create a diverse, inclusive, knowledgeable and active profession that recognizes and promotes the importance of cultural competency, of active work to redefine the scope of our profession, and to ensure all are, and feel, welcome. 

Included here is a new document, “Resources for Archivists: Black Lives Matter, Anti-racism, and Emotional Labor” started by the Board that contains links to resources, sites, and statements in support of national protests against state violence and in support of the people. We hope this document can be, and will become, a resource for all of us who are working to change the face, complexion, and future of our profession. We encourage our members to read, review, and add to the document.

ACA Statement and Resources for Archivists: Black Lives Matter, Anti-racism, and Emotional Labor

Respectfully,

The ACA Board of Regents

February 21, 2017 — The Academy of Certified Archivists Issues a Statement Opposing the Executive Order of January 27, 2017

As an archival organization representing archivists internationally and seeking to expand its membership base, the Academy of Certified Archivists strongly opposes the Executive Order of January 27, 2017– and any similarly restrictive measures – banning immigrants and refugees to the United States from the Muslim-majority countries of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya Somalia, and Yemen, even for a temporary period. Our opposition is consistent with one of the purposes in our bylaws to “[d]evelop and administer a program of certification and certification maintenance for archivists in the United States and Internationally.” When an archivist, depending upon where he or she lives, is unable to actively participate in the professional archival work of collecting, preserving and providing access to the documentary heritage of the human experience or pursue an education with that goal in mind, then important qualifications of archival certification are similarly closed to these professionals and students. The travel required to give presentations and workshops, attend conferences, conduct research leading to publications, or continue their education may disqualify them from pursuing or maintaining archival certification, if this or a similar executive order is allowed to meet with success. With this in mind, the Academy of Certified Archivists is unwilling to allow this measure to go forward without expressing its strong opposition to it.