ARLIS/NA 54th Annual Conference

Special collections bring their own (special) challenges and opportunities. This session will cover topics related to managing special collections in libraries.

The #GayAgenda: LGBTQIA2S+ materials in the Murray & Hong Special Collections at Michigan State University Libraries
Speakers: Nicole Smeltekop and Eli Landaverde
MSU Libraries Special Collections began collecting radicalism and activism materials in the late 1960s. The large amount of LGBTQIA2S+ materials collected over four decades remained dormant and the collection had not been kept up to date until the appointment of a curator in 2018. This paper presentation will discuss assessing previous collection development decisions, setting collection development priorities for the collection, and expanding cataloging practice beyond inventorying to follow more current practice. This will include details on conducting a collection analysis to identify gaps in the collection, developing policies that include ensuring various experiences and identities were represented in the collection, and cataloging material focused on the LGBTQIA2S+ community ethically and empathetically. A focus for the examples will be on the art prints and posters collected, many from lesser-known artists. The cataloging part of the presentation will include tips for working with this material - including a list of best-practices and resources, using both Library of Congress Subject Headings and Homosaurus as controlled vocabularies, and considerations when creating Library of Congress Name Authority File headings for underrepresented groups.

Photobooks as Resistant Objects: Politics, Propaganda, and the Colonial Gaze
Speaker: Margherita Naim
Many library holdings worldwide include photobooks on politically significant topics from several historical periods and regions of the world. At times, these photobooks can be considered sensitive materials due to both contained images and accompanying texts. This may be the case with war and propaganda materials, photojournalistic reports, or publications originating from colonial contexts. As such, these photobooks must be viewed not only as particularly significant sources for research into the history of photography, but also within a transdisciplinary framework.
I refer to them as ‘Resistant Objects’ (Thomas, K. and Gu, J. H., ‘Resistant Objects’, Conversation, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, October 10, 2025), as they hold a resistant potential in reframing perspectives on historical narratives as well as reconstructing creative processes.
In this context, I would like to present a case study from the Martin Salter Collection, a private collection of photobooks recently acquired by the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (KHI). The collection consists primarily of photographers’ monographs from a wide range of countries, veritable book objects, some of them very rare. An overview of the ‘Resistant Photobooks’ included in this collection will be matched by descriptions of other photobooks held by the KHI, and by other libraries.

What’s in an Artist File? The Future of Artist Files
Speakers: Amelia Nelson, Alexandra Reigle, Kathleen O'Reilly, and Bridget O’Keefe
Artists’ files are a uniquely rich and dynamic resource, that may include zines, correspondence, artist statements, exhibition ephemera, and other documentation that illuminate artists’ careers and practices. Despite their significant research value, the idiosyncratic nature of their content and varied methods of acquisition often present challenges for libraries.
Increased attention to documenting regional artists, particularly those historically underrepresented in traditional art historical narratives, has underscored the critical importance of artist files. In many cases, these files serve as the only record of underrecognized artists, regionally significant artists, and artist-run spaces. In this presentation, members of the Artist File SIG will share and synthesize the results of a survey of institutions that collect artist files to provide a snapshot of current practices, perceived value, and resource needs. Building on these findings, SIG members will propose community-driven best practices and tools to support those responsible for creating, maintaining, and activating artist files.

The work of archivists is often performed in parallel to librarians. Although the approach to managing an archival collection is different from managing a library collection, many of the same issues are raised in both fields. Attendees to this session will hear about current issues and topics within archives.

Establishing the NYC Trans Archives: Archival resistance in action
Speaker: Elvis Bakaitis (they/them)

NYC Trans archives is a newly founded, community-based archives located in New York City. We collect personal papers, art, digital media, zines, comics, and other forms of self-expressive works by and about transgender individuals and communities. This talk will provide a focused introduction to the start of an entirely new organization, based on a model of collective agreement/discussion, and operating on a limited, non-institutional budget. As a non-profit organization, NYC Trans Archives has been the recipient of two grants and will host an intern from the Mellon-funded FOCAS project in Fall 2026. The presenter will outline the NYC Trans Archives' origin story, a form of "resistance" in a time of systemic hostility to gender diverse lives in the United States. The purpose of this talk is to inspire connection at ARLIS between professionals in the field and the shared project of preserving histories of gender diverse people across the world.

滋賀重列: A case study of mutual influences and the archival traces they leave behind
Speaker: Emilee Mathews

In this paper I discuss archival traces across Japan and the United States regarding 滋賀重列|SHIGA Shigetsura, a Japanese architect who studied at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the 19th century and went on to develop the leading theory on late Meiji period Japanese housing typology. Perhaps most poignantly, only one building remains of SHIGA-san’s work: his own family home, which is still occupied by his descendents. That he was known for his expertise on housing and his own home still stands today is a testament to his understanding of the building typology. His own theory, one more defined by relativism than absolutist dictates, builds in flexibility and empathy to the individual circumstances of home ownership. SHIGA-san’s considerable body of writing and association with multiple institutions and publications left traces across both the University of Illinois archives and historic collections, and several repositories in Japan. It is a case study that illuminates links between Japan and the U.S. that are often acknowledged, yet our understanding of those influences still has much to improve. By telling this story through the lens of archival research, we can illuminate mutual dependencies between libraries across nations to tell expansive stories and celebrate cross-cultural accomplishments.

There’s Tea on the Table: end of life and legacy work in archival donor relations (or what I wish I had known before talking about death at work)
Speaker: Lucy Pauker

This paper addresses the challenges and offers potential aids to navigating trauma and grief in donor relations, from the perspective of an early career archivist. It explores these themes through the author’s role as Processing Archivist at a community archive (Jewish Public Library Archives) and leans specifically on the author’s relationship with a Montreal artist whose fonds is housed at the JPL-A. The presentation aims to dive into the trust building and difficult conversations that occur when pursuing legacy collections in which the donor is also the creator. By exploring examples of conversations with donors who are approaching end of life, or the families/colleagues of the recently departed, the author hopes to outline both the messiness of grief in the workplace and supports needed to aid in this process.

The NeverEnding Story: Current and Ongoing Issues in Architecture Archives
Speaker: Tellina Liu

This paper addresses three issues in architectural archives: increasing access and use, backlog and accruals, and donor relations.