We here at Open Culture heartily endorse the practice of viewing art, whether in a physical museum, in the pages of a book, or online. For some, however, it tends to have one serious shortcoming: all the colors are already filled in.

What’s an archive and community archivist? An archive is a time capsule and active space where past and present merge. It contains primary resources that preserve the history of several generations. An archivist appraises, arranges, describes, and preserves archives. Archiving is storytelling and you can be a Community Archivist! These toolkits can be used to reclaim and preserve history. ASU Library provides free Archive Starter Kits to the communities we serve (Latinx, Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, Indigenous, and LGBTQ). Please contact our team if you want a Starter Kit or if you want to borrow equipment to scan material or record an oral history interview. , Community-Driven Archives (CDA) Toolkits Archives 101 Resources to preserve your own history or lead an introduction to archives workshop. Community history and archives presentation   Download English version of the community history and archives presentation   Download Spanish version of the community history and archives presentation Presentation notes   Download English version of the community history and archives presentation notes   Download Spanish version of the community history and archives presentation notes Booklet and worksheets   Download Archives 101 booklet in Spanish and English   Download finding aid activity in Spanish and English   Download "Analyze a Photograph" worksheet in Spanish and English Storytelling 101 Resources to conduct an oral history interview or lead an introduction to storytelling workshop. Oral history interviews presentation   Download English version of the oral history interviews presentation   Download Spanish version of the oral history interviews presentation Presentation notes   Download English version of the oral history interviews presentation notes   Download Spanish version of the oral history interviews presentation notes Booklet and worksheets   Download oral history booklet in Spanish and English   Download interview form activity in Spanish and English   Download interview practice activity in Spanish and English Scanning 101 Resources to help you scan your photos and documents. Scanning and preserving archives presentation   Download English version of the scanning and preserving archives presentation   Download Spanish version of the scanning and preserving archives presentation Presentation notes   Download English version of the scanning and preserving archives presentation notes   Download Spanish version of the scanning and preserving archives presentation notes Booklet and worksheets   Download Scanning 101 booklet in Spanish and English   Download Excel "Metadata" worksheet in English   Download Excel "Metadata" worksheet in Spanish Kid archivist 101 Resources to introduce children to archives and the importance of preserving their story. This activity book was created by our student archivists! It can be completed in a classroom setting or with family. Booklet   Download kid archivist booklet in Spanish and English Recommended readings "'Invisibility Is an Unnatural Disaster': Feminist Archival Praxis After the Digital Turn" in the South Atlantic Quarterly "21st Century Community Outreach and Collection Development: ASU Chicano/a Research Collection" in the Journal of Western Archives "Metrics and Matrices: Surveying the Past to Create a Better Future" in The American Archivist "Community-Driven Archives: Conocimiento, Healing, and Justice" in the Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies

Discover archival collections, learn to use them, or create your own

Resources and activities to use at home, in the classroom, and some to guide your visit at the museum.