Managing your ArchivesSpace implementation in a pandemic: radical empathy

Abstract

In this session, Bailey Hoffner (University of Oklahoma) and VivianLea Solek (Knights of Columbus Supreme Council Archives) will build on Bailey's popular session at the 2020 AchivesSpace Online Forum which highlighted how she managed an ArchivesSpace implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic, accomplishing what had initially been estimated to be a 2-3 year implementation project in the space of less than year. Bailey will discuss how this was accomplished by "on-boarding" and utilizing staff that wouldn't normally work in ArchivesSpace while they worked from home during a stay-at-home order. After, VivianLea will discuss her experience as a Long Arranger navigating an ArchivesSpace implementation while physically separated from the collections. This discussion will focus on ways managers can set and achieve reasonable goals in ArchivesSpace while extending radical empathy to staff during an unprecedented and difficult time.