Lunchtime Lecture: What are the Community Archives?

Two expert archivists explain how you can contribute, and how these collections help document the stories of Tasmania. Do you have a collection of old family diaries, films and photos? Or maybe manila folders about local festivals or from your local sporting club? If you do, you are far from alone. And as baby boomers are retiring, and in many cases downsizing, they are discovering a wealth of both family and community histories in their homes. These are the collections that reflect more of our communities back to themselves, providing each of us with a greater understanding of the milieu that we live amongst. At the State Library and Archives of Tasmania these riches are collated and stored by our skilled archivists, Jen Jerome, and Rachael Gates, whose role is dedicated to the Community Archives. But how do they decide what to include or not? And how can you search the records to see what has been received, and what has been processed? This month’s lunchtime lecture also coincides with our new exhibition Remixing the Archives from the 2024 Creative Fellow, Robert O’Connor, who dedicated his fellowship to exploring the ephemera in our collections. By registering for a Libraries Tasmania event, you agree to follow our policies. Thank you for helping keep our spaces safe and respectful for everyone. #family-heritage-and-history #arts-talks-and-exhibitions #allages