Introducing New WEST Archives Web Pages

One of the recommendations made by the WEST governance groups at the 2019 Strategic Planning Session was to “assess and update WEST’s website, curation of documentation, and communication strategies.” To this end, the WEST project team has been working to update content in existing web pages, wikis, and other shared spaces and to gather information and documentation together and make it more visible and accessible through the WEST website. In June 2020 the first major updates to the website were released; the project team is excited to unveil the next section of the WEST website to be overhauled: WEST Archives.

This new set of pages gathers together philosophical and operational documentation along with details about materials archived by members on behalf of WEST, providing a single space where members and the wider community can find detailed information about our practical work and the many layers of scrutiny the collections undergo as part of the archiving process. Included is detailed information about the WEST collections model and archive types, explanations of the work that Archive Holders and Builders undertake when they retain materials on behalf of WEST, how members and their patrons can access materials in the collection, and how members can contribute to the archives. The information and documents available here shine a light on how the WEST archives are built and maintained, and how the strength of our collaboration benefits all members by ensuring that these materials are accessible for current and future scholars.

WEST Archive Holders and Archive Builders will also find important documents gathered together in the Resources for Archivers section. This section brings together operational documents that have previously scattered across the website and the WEST wiki, highlighting the interconnectedness of different tasks and policies and making them more visible and accessible to members.