Making the Case for Archives: Funding, Coalitions, and Elected Officials - Free advocacy webinar presented by the Canadian Cultural Heritage Advocacy Committee

What: Free advocacy webinar presented by the Canadian Cultural Heritage Advocacy Committee

When: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 3:00-4:00 EST/EDT

(English only)

Register here: https://archivescanada-ca.zoom.us/meeting/register/3RZFKLgKQBGlLnYs7P3Fow#/registration

Making the Case for Archives: Funding, Coalitions, and Elected Officials

Archives preserve more than records. They sustain community memory, support government accountability, enable historical and genealogical research, protect institutional knowledge, and provide the documentary evidence that communities rely on to understand themselves and make decisions about their future. Yet local, provincial, institutional, and special archives across Canada are increasingly being asked to demonstrate their value in a difficult funding environment.

This session will introduce a practical approach to advocacy and casemaking for archives at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. Drawing on EveryLibrary’s experience in the U.S. with library funding, coalition development, and engagement with elected officials, we will explore how archives can move beyond general appeals about their importance and develop arguments that connect archival work to the priorities, responsibilities, and constituencies of decision-makers.

We will consider how to identify potential allies, build coalitions beyond the archival profession, translate archival services into public and institutional outcomes, and engage elected officials about funding. The session will offer a framework for positioning archives as essential partners in accountability, research, civic identity, education, economic development, reconciliation, and community life.

------

About the presenter:

John Chrastka is a founder and executive director of EveryLibrary, the national political action committee for libraries, and the EveryLibrary Institute, a public policy and tax policy think tank for libraries. Since 2012, EveryLibrary has provided pro-bono support to 165 library communities with ballot measures and tax referendums, helping win more than $2.8 billion in stable tax funding. He is a former Board President of the Berwyn (IL) Public Library and RAILS, the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System. Prior to EveryLibrary, he was a partner in AssociaDirect, an association consultancy, was Director for Membership Development at ALA, and a co-founder of the EdTech startup Classmap. He was recognized by Library Journal in 2014 as a Mover & Shaker, the Chicago Tribune in 2022 as a Chicagoan of the Year for his work opposing book bans, and a Publishers Weekly Notable Person for 2024.