As archivists, we know that advocating for our profession is a crucial part of our work. The Academy of Certified Archivists includes advocacy within one of the seven main domains of the archival profession. ACA explains that archivists must “develop an understanding of, and support for, the archival program among resource allocators, key constituents, potential donors, allied professionals, and other internal and external stakeholders to the archives’ parent organization” (ACA Exam Handbook 21). Advocating for our profession can take many forms – public programming, meetings with local and state politicians, donor relations, fundraising, activism, etc. For the Society of Georgia Archivists, activism kicked into high gear roughly five years ago when the future of the Georgia Archives was in danger. Now that this threat has passed, it is time to start thinking about advocacy in a long-term sense. While issue-based advocacy is important, it is also necessary to engage in a steady rhythm of advocacy so that our community understands the value of what we do.

The SGA Outreach Team has made it a point to focus on advocacy for fall 2017. We are excited to see the inroads we can make in Georgia to help inform our community of the archival profession. Here are some ideas we are considering…