Activism, Accountability, Access: Archival Outreach and the LGBT Community

This paper is a case study illuminating the hopes and concerns of a sample of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered) population in regards to their personal and organizational materials. Through a series of interviews with an archivist, a current donor to an archives, and four potential donors who are LGBT activists, the researcher compiles various reactions to themes arising in archival literature about LGBT collections. Using community archives as a model, the researcher and interviewees delineate ways in which archives can respond to LGBT donors' needs and concerns, both pre- and post-donation