The editors (Alison Clemens and Jessica Farrell) of a forthcoming Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) publication on abolition and archives are seeking short case study vignettes about the intersections between archives and prison industrial complex (PIC) abolition. We hope the volume will highlight abolitionist work underway in archives and foster more opportunities and inspiration to continue this work.

The PIC is often imagined as separate from other US systems and structures; in reality, the logic and functions of the carceral state are embedded throughout society, including in libraries and archives. Increasingly, librarians and archivists are examining the involvement of their professional practices and their institutions with policing, surveillance, and the PIC, with the intent to disrupt the perpetuation of harmful practices. 

We have space for four vignettes in this volume. We’ve identified the following topical areas that we invite people to submit vignette proposals for:

• Recordkeeping and Abolition

• Prison Labor in Libraries and Archives

• Collections and Abolition

• Access Policies and Policing

To propose a vignette, please complete this brief proposal form by the end of the day May 8: https://forms.gle/q9jgyNcJWUvy4mc29 You are welcome to submit a proposal on your own behalf, or to nominate someone else whose work you admire and think should be highlighted in this volume. We welcome submissions from anyone working in or with archives (volunteer experience is fine!).

Once vignettes are selected, we will support the authors in developing the writing. We anticipate that final versions of the vignettes will be 1000-1500 words (about 3 single spaced pages). The author of each vignette will receive a stipend of $300-400. More information about the topics, information about the authoring process, and information about the timeline is available here: Abolition and Archives: Call for Case Study Vignette Proposals

Let’s chat if you have a great idea but you’re worried it won’t “fit”! We have lots of blind spots and flexibility in what we include in this publication.

Thank you for considering,

Alison Clemens and Jessica Farrell