Community-Driven Archives Initiative

A man wearing white cotton gloves sorts through photos and documents from a bin.

Mission

ASU Library’s Community-Driven Archives (CDA) Initiative is reimagining and transforming 21st century academic libraries and archives by developing and implementing innovative solutions that address inequities, erasure, and trauma. Our award winning initiative advances ASU’s research and public service mission by creating a collaborative culture that models reparative justice, diversity, inclusion and broadens access to and preservation of knowledge.

Community Archivist

More than research and preservation, CDA is helping historically marginalized communities process and remember by centering their knowledge. Seeing yourself in history, probably for the first time, and then reflecting on it leads to personal and collective healing. We humanize ourselves and others when we take action, work with archives, and share our stories.

Nancy Liliana GodoyDirector and Associate Archivist
ASU Events

News and blog

More news
Illustrated graphic with individual portraits of seven people

ASU Library welcomes first cohort of ‘memory keepers’ to a new fellowship

This fall the ASU Library welcomes seven students to the Community Archivist Fellowship Program, which seeks to inspire community and tribal college students to become professionally trained archivists or librarians. “This program is extremely crucial because Black, Indigenous, and People of Color ...

A student and archivist reviewing archival materials together.

Community college students invited to apply for Community Archivist Fellowship

Become a memory keeper for your community! The Community Archivist Fellowship Program at the ASU Library seeks to inspire community college students to become professionally trained archivists or librarians. Students will be introduced to community-driven archives and work closely with archivists an...

Illustrated graphic of two hands surrounding an open envelope with text Archives Glow

ASU student-produced podcast focuses on community history, memory, healing

Looking for a new podcast to listen to this summer? The Community-Driven Archives Initiative at the ASU Library recently launched a new podcast series titled "Archives Glow" about community history, memory and healing. Episodes highlight the importance of BIPOC experiences and storytelling, center t...

Black and white archival photo of the Ohnick Family, parents and four children

Japanese American family’s history now part of ASU Library archives

A new archival collection donated by a Japanese American family is now part of the ASU Library. The Ohnick Family Papers document the lives and experiences of a Japanese American family living across the American West in the 19th and 20th centuries. Beginning in 1848, the collection includes corres...