The Resilient Workforce of Oklahoma’s Archivists

Abstract

This thesis is a mixed methodological study of Oklahoma’s archival workforce that is particularly attentive to job transitions, technological advances, generational change, and economic pressures. The overarching argument is that Oklahoma archivists demonstrate their resilience through their contributions to state-level organising at the grassroots of the profession. This organising, I show, seeks to bolster resources for the repositories and their communities, ensuring the long term survival of the archive. The key challenges, discussed in depth in this thesis, are Oklahoma’s economic pressures and the archival workforce’s generational changes. There exists a gap in the literature and data within the United States on archival employees, specifically within Oklahoma’s libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs). This research bridges that gap by providing data and qualitative perspectives collected via interviews from Oklahoma’s archivists. Most of the participants interviewed were retired or late-career; this allows readers to understand better the lasting impact of their work within the state. The use of oral history employs an insider/outsider research perspective to adhere to standards and practices with the LAM communities. Implications for the state of Oklahoma include the need for diversity of personnel within the profession, a need to make visible the invisible labour performed during employees’ day-to-day activities, and the loss of historical information due to lack of staffing and funding within repositories