This report is the result of a two-year retrospective assessment of Recordings at Risk, a CLIR regranting initiative that supports digital reformatting of fragile and obsolete audio and audiovisual media that will soon deteriorate beyond the point of recovery, leaving permanent gaps in the historical record. In their report, authors Zakiya Collier, Lynette Johnson, and Gabriel Solís map out a pathway for CLIR to streamline and expand the program. In their introduction, they write, “At a time when so many institutional programs that once strongly supported the cultural preservation field have been halted, Recordings at Risk, which receives no financial support from the [US] federal government, can be a vital source of funding for under-resourced and independent organizations seeking to preserve and provide access to culturally significant collections.” Grounded in the insights and constructive feedback offered by program participants and other stakeholders, the team’s recommendations comprise a practical, multi-year strategy for CLIR to refine and expand the program to better align with the needs of under-resourced memory organizations. In implementing this strategy, the authors conclude, “CLIR can evolve Recordings at Risk so that it better meets the needs of constituents who need it most.”

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Centering Abolitionist Principles of Community Care and Safety in Archives (with Hannah Whelan)

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Introduction to The Restlessness of Bound Wrists (Jorge Antonio Renaud)