Building a Baseline of Archival Data with A*CENSUS II

The Society of American Archivists (SAA), North America's oldest and largest national professional archives association, has dramatically strengthened its infrastructure for research innovation in the last few decades, believing, as former SAA Executive Director Nancy Beaumont explained, “that practice, education, informs other. Each can—and should—improve other, each is critically important to a profession's growth development.”1 Today, offers archivists leading journal, foundational books on archival theory funding projects, an annual forum showcase innovation, meeting virtual in-person formats, data services, training readily available facts figures, and, most importance this special section seminal landmark surveys. SAA's services that it provides advance practice both academic scholars practitioners.Key understanding profession knowing at core. recent efforts demonstrates increased interest research-based practice. Foundation, nation's source nonprofit dedicated interests archivists, funds directly support reporting about profession, practitioners. conduct multitude activities, with results subsequently appear many outlets, including Archivist. Archival also advanced through Research Forum, established 2007, which members engaged innovative platform present their work conjunction Annual Meeting.The Committee Research, Data, Assessment (CORDA) was formed 2019 provide access significant useful SAA, archives, users evidence value society help us improve our patrons. CORDA oversees several components research, Dataverse,2 Facts Figures site,3 education training. developing Innovation Roadmap4 frame activities undertaken or needed field. supporting unfolded tandem unprecedented prominence academically-based scholarship two detailed 2016 Multiverse. Galvanized harmonized by collaborative like Education Institute (AERI), alignment between practitioners should be continued goal.As part broader adoption studies such A*CENSUS II form touchstone basis work. II, conducted 2021 2022 funded Museum Library Services (IMLS), only survey individual memory workers United States been fielded past seventeen years. first A*CENSUS—Archival Census Needs Survey States, IMLS Librarians 21st Century program—in 2004 “the broadscale nearly thirty years,” yielding responses from 5,620 archivists. I (both are use Dataverse) followed 1985 Institutions, overseen Task Force Institutional Evaluation yielded 549 mailed sixteen-page survey. Another study includes REPO project,5 aims identify, gather, standardize, make publicly accessible location repositories States. Simply put, ambitious project critical datasets inform educational, scholarly, all archivists.The genesis began long before project. In intervening years numerous surveys were individuals, working groups, industry think tanks, researchers, information science attempting capture state professionals. These insights into salaries, student loan debt, term employment, work-life balance, gender, race, other factors define experience filled some informational gaps left open outdated since I. This collective became tool individuals advocate themselves changes environment SAA. doing so, they called stark relief issues inequality equity, racism, sexism within profession. Yet scale these blunted transformational reach results. words, decisions arguments could driven, but inherently limited based therefore impact more diffused.A*CENSUS I, departed adding new areas inquiry. At minimum, replicate, if not expand on, iteration. leadership, spear-headed then-Executive then-President Meredith Evans, among others, brought enthusiasm intellectual framing II. As articulated multiauthored grant application IMLS, bold vision create: A comprehensive, two-part U.S. institutions. will 1) every self-identified archivist/archives worker gather demographics, educational background needs, job placement status, well perspectives key field, 2) directors organizations institutional characteristics; resources; strategic directions; diversity, inclusion, issues. Data analyses made workers, institutions, cultural heritage communities.As such, planned structurally different It given moral ethical compass, rooted principles (DEIA).6 larger ideological often implied than explicit, intended tell enable speak those outside needs. If snapshot 2004, complex composite picture life almost twenty later.The thirty-one-month timeline, outlined grant, plan structure. recognition highly skilled labor required execute partnered firm Ithaka S&R. S&R, embodied indomitable Makala Skinner, held primary responsibility develop tools, implement survey, analyze Council executive directorship, named ten-person group represented sectors had lead team met regularly over course Early focused what accomplished updated, added, behind. fully process, helped produce All Archives Administrators tools. vetted, tested, improved. Contact lists generated Working Group, regional organizations, personal networks. promoted via social media S&R websites. Every effort possible. 2021, secured 5,699 valid, complete responses. 2022, garnered 746 Neither perfect. Instead, step forward creating baseline can built future—and ideally frequent—iterations A*CENSUS.The Archivist Editorial Board, led Editor Amy Cooper Cary, prioritized space journal high-level findings Part Report, published issue. Fall/Winter 2023 Articles commentary using reports invited publication beginning Spring/Summer 2024 Board's goals surveys' record invite evaluate engage writing data. Board committed ongoing profession-wide analysis grateful Group bringing making Dataverse.While lasting, call increase regularity updated require sustained leadership end. establishes that, continually allow understand chart change, impact, need time. knowledge strengthen ability landscape substantive advocacy Coupled enhanced afforded CORDA, continues center concept development. place, invitation reflect We advancing shape participation study.