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Abstract

Archival donations are often triggered by critical transitions in donors' lives, like the end of a career, the selling of a family home, or the death of a loved one. Because donors approach archives during these transitions, archivists often find themselves in the middle of emotionally charged relationships with donors working through feelings of grief and loss. However, archivists are often unprepared and untrained for this emotionally demanding labor. A literature review reveals that while this is a common experience among archivists, there is very little guidance on how to approach this aspect of donor relations. Other fields that provide end-of-life care can provide guidance on working with donors experiencing loss, but personal narratives from archivists are often more effective and helpful. This article explores the personal experiences of two archivists who experienced a death in their families and emptied childhood homes while working professionally with aging and dying donors. It interrogates these personal experiences of loss as they abut against work with aging, dying, and grieving donors in archives.

Author Biography

Caroline Kinsley is a Library Specialist in the Arizona State Museum Library and Archives. She holds a MA in Library and Information Science and a Graduate Certificate in Archival Studies from the University of Arizona, as well as a BA in Classics from Amherst College. Molly Stothert-Maurer is Associate Librarian (Archivist) and Head of the Library and Archives at the Arizona State Museum. Molly was most recently Archivist & History of Science Curator at University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections where she worked closely with the collections documenting the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Previously she served as Archivist at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts. She holds a MA degree in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona and a BFA in Studio Art from Texas State University.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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