Archives under fire: Supporting the next generation of professionals with AM Archival School for Ukraine
By Holly Francis, Senior Marketing Manager, AM.
In March 2024, AM, a global publisher of primary source collections and archival technology provider, announced a new partnership with the Galt Museum & Archives to fund and support a pioneering international initiative for cultural heritage preservation in Ukraine.
The AM Archival School for Ukraine, a week-long summer school first piloted in 2023 by Andrew Chernevych, Head Archivist at the Galt Museum & Archives, welcomed eight trainees currently employed in archives across Ukraine, including those heavily impacted by conflict, to collaborate and develop their archival knowledge with the support of professionals from a variety of institutions.
Why partner with AM?
When searching for a partner, Chernevych discovered AM, “I first came across AM at a conference and was fascinated at how closely their mission aligned with my work at the Galt.” AM is a mission-driven organisation that actively seeks collaboration with the wider academic community to support archives, libraries and the continued study of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The AM mission — We believe that at the heart of education is the freedom to think critically. Harnessing the latest technologies, we reimagine primary sources to empower current and future generations to challenge, analyse and debate.
The AM Archival School for Ukraine
Hosted in June 2024 at the renowned international archival repository of the Blinken OSA Archivum in Budapest, Hungary, the trainees travelled from the following archives:
• State Archives of Khmelnytskyi Region, Khmelnytskyi
• State Archives of Kherson Region, Kherson
• Central State Archive of Public Associations and Ukrainians, Kyiv
• State Archives of Sumy Region, Sumy
• Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archives of Ukraine, Kyiv
• State Archive of Chernivtsi Region, Chernivtsi
• Central State Archive-Museum of Literature & Art of Ukraine, Kyiv
• State Archives of Poltava Region, Poltava
The AM Archival School for Ukraine’s mission was to upskill the trainees and provide access to tools to develop their current archive roles through knowledge sharing and hands-on workshops. A pivotal part of this mission, and a key impetus for AM’s support of the initiative, was the request to use AM Quartex, a digital platform for sharing archival materials.
Recognising that the platform would provide the trainees with vital tools and knowledge to return to Ukraine and join the national efforts to digitally preserve the country’s heritage, AM was keen to fully engage with the programme and provided free access to the platform as well as comprehensive in-person training and onboarding support.
AM Quartex is a powerful tool and we recognised the value it could provide to archival professionals in Ukraine. By providing free access to our platform, as well as training and ongoing support, we’re living up to our mission and supporting a community of professionals working under tremendously difficult circumstances whilst also supporting their efforts to provide online access to vital material no longer available in person.
A programme for trainee success
The intensive programme was delivered by an international contingent including Maryna Chernyavska from the University of Alberta, technical specialists from AM, archivists from the Blinken OSA, and more. Across a week of sessions, the summer school covered various aspects of archival practices and international collaboration including discussions on common archival systems and best practice across European archives, explorations of reference service models, and discussions of the unique challenges currently faced by Ukrainian archives. A key component of the week was the exploration of digital tools and platforms that support the global cultural heritage sector, including emergency digitisation programmes and platforms including AM Quartex.
On the broad scope of the week-long programme, one trainee commented, “It was an interesting experience to get acquainted with the working methods of our colleagues from abroad. I saw many practices that I was not aware of before and that I would like to see implemented in the Ukrainian archival system.”
The extended programme also included:
• An interactive presentation on the work of host archive, the Blinken OSA Archivum, with discussions on archival best practice and community engagement
• A trainee roundtable discussion sharing experiences working in archives under threat as well as processes for managing archival material and access in crisis situations
• A tour of the Central European University campus in Budapest
• A series of Quartex workshops introducing trainees to the fundamentals of a digital archive platform. Including hands-on learning providing the skills and knowledge to continue using the technology beyond the programme.
Many stories were shared between trainees and instructors, new skills were acquired, and some exciting plans made for continued learning and innovation.
As another trainee summed up, “I was very pleased to join this programme, because I got an unforgettable experience, new knowledge and new acquaintances. Personally, I discovered a lot of new and useful things. It was very interesting to study the work of foreign archives and see how the institution works in practice, talk with employees and compare the activities of archives of different countries. I also really enjoyed our hands-on work with the Quartex system, especially the process of creating our own virtual collections.”
Using AM Quartex
Alongside the key alignment of AM’s mission with that of the programme, the use of Quartex was fundamental to the continued impact of the partnership.
Developed by AM to present its own primary source collections, Quartex is a digital asset management (DAM) system that enables libraries and archives to powerfully showcase, share and celebrate their archival materials in intuitive and visually engaging ways. The platform is used by libraries, archives, museums and heritage organisations around the world to showcase digital content in an engaging and easy-to-use way. Against the backdrop of the ongoing war and the risk to physical material, digitising content to publish on AM Quartex could prove to be transformational for Ukraine’s heritage sector.
Quartex harnesses cutting-edge technologies and dynamic content to maximise discovery, accessibility and engagement with your digitised materials. A full day of the programme was dedicated to introducing the trainees to AM Quartex and providing them with necessary training and knowledge to return to their archives and upskill their own teams on its use.
Rebecca Lynd, who led the workshop on AM Quartex, commented, “As I led demos and hands-on workshops, I was inspired hearing the trainees discuss all the ways they could use the platform when they returned to their archives. Working with AM Quartex every day, I get to see the impact it has on communities around the world and I’m eagerly anticipating the work we’ll do together to support these Ukrainian archives publish and host content, for free, on the platform.”
What’s next?
AM’s partnership with Chernevych and the Galt Museum & Archives will continue to support summer school trainees. One key aspect is the continued free trainee access to Quartex which will support a collaborative project dedicated to making vulnerable materials from each trainee’s institution publicly accessible online. Armed with the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm from the AM Archival Summer School for Ukraine, the ambition remains that the trainees will spearhead initiatives within their own institutions to curate and publish material over the coming months.
The AM Archival School for Ukraine brings together everything that we value as an organisation and speaks deeply to our mission and values. We’ve witnessed the devastating impact the conflict in Ukraine has had on the cultural heritage of the country. Through close collaboration with Andrew, the Galt Museum & Archives, and the Blinken OSA, we hope to be able to do our part to provide tools to the archivists working so hard to preserve the heritage of Ukraine.
In the context of the ongoing Russian invasion and the EU integration, Ukraine is mobilising to protect its cultural heritage, while building a solid foundation for the future. The AM Archival School for Ukraine has been a stepping stone for better practices, professional growth, and international collaboration and the ongoing access to Quartex provided to the trainees will create innovative and important opportunities for digital preservation and access.
One trainee summed up the value of their experience in Budapest, “Participation in the archival summer school gave me new knowledge and an incentive to improve my professional skills and organize the work of my archive” and concluded, “I hope that in the future more people will be able to join this program, because the knowledge gained in these few days is extremely valuable and unique.”
This collaborative endeavour underscores AM’s continued commitment to supporting current and future generations of archivists, scholars and researchers and the Galt Museum & Archives’ unwavering commitment to global cultural heritage and its role as a catalyst for positive change and sustainability.
To find out more about the programme or how your institution could utilise AM Quartex, contact Holly Francis.
This article was first published in Against the Grain, September 2024.
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