This presentation examines the methodologies of archival work across a variety of woman-centered spaces: college special collections, community-based organizations, and academic department records. We approached the archive as a living, participatory site of stewardship – as a site both locally grounded and in conversation with larger networks of historical repositories. Through a discussion of our distinct internship projects — ranging from the creation of new archives, to the reorganization of existing collections, to the in-depth research for and curation of museum exhibitions — our work highlights a variation of institutional environments, themes, tasks, and end-goals. Ultimately, this panel will offer insights about expectations for different professional archival settings, necessary skills for succeeding in the industry, and the ethical responsibilities and practices inherent in documenting, preserving and making more accessible the histories of marginalized communities.

Moderator: Sabra Thorner, Associate Professor of Anthropology

Presenters:

• Amelia Potter '26 English/Museums, Archives, Public History Nexus
• Olive Xia '26 Art History
• Sunday-Alice Clemente '26 English/Religion/Museums, Archives, Public History Nexus
• Lilly Ann Brown '27 Statistics/Anthropology