Teaching with Archival Materials Using a Trauma-Informed Framework

Abstract

Working through selecting materials for a syllabus, problematic issues arise in both processed and unprocessed materials. There’s a professional urgency in including a trauma-informed framework in instruction and ensuring that people working and viewing collections have the necessary context, preparation, and tools to interpret archival material and manage traumatic responses. Teaching with primary sources requires a knowledge of educational and archival pedagogy. The following paper is a self-reflective exploration into previous work setting a foundation for the models and frameworks still vital in my current role.

Jennifer Follen

University of Rhode Island Libraries

Jennifer Follen is an Assistant Professor, Chief Digital Preservation Officer at the University of Rhode Island Libraries, where she maintains the digital preservation program. In 2024, she taught LSC 562: Digital Archiving and Preservation in the university’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Jennifer received her M.S. in Information Studies and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. Her current research focuses on using a trauma-informed perspective for archival practitioners.