Written by Curator of Oral History Kimberly Springer
A groundbreaking forum, funded by a grant from the Laura Bush 21st-Century Librarian Program through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will bring together 15 to 20 Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) curators from archives and special collections across the country. The two-day forum will take place in May 2025 and aims to foster professional development, inclusivity, and ethical stewardship in this often-overlooked field. The event supports the overarching goal of the IMLS grant program to “develop a diverse library and archival workforce and meet the information needs of their communities.”
Participants will have the opportunity to share experiential knowledge, discuss contemporary curatorial work, and identify professional development needs and barriers to entry. The forum will also explore ethical considerations in collection care and management and develop strategies to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for BIPOC curators. Key outcomes of the forum will include the creation of a chapbook on curatorial ethics, an online community of practice, surveys to assess the field, and the development of a mentoring pipeline for aspiring curators. The project seeks to benefit aspiring curators, current curators, and the directors of archives and special collections who supervise them by fostering an inclusive, ethical approach to curatorial work.
For more information about the forum, please contact Kimberly Springer at curatorialethics@columbia.edu.