The Relational Archivist - by Elizabeth Rivera (Hardcover)

About the Book

Learn how to cultivate collaborative relationships and place people at the center of archival work to create a growing and thriving archive.

Book Synopsis

Learn how to cultivate collaborative relationships and place people at the center of archival work to create a growing and thriving archive.

The Relational Archivist argues that the future of archival practice depends on recognizing relationships as foundational to how we preserve and share history. While collections remain central to archives, their meaning and impact are realized through the connections archivists build with the people who create, use, support, and sustain archival work. This relationship-centered approach strengthens archival practice, enriches institutions, expands access, and fosters more engaged communities.

Drawing on public history, archival scholarship, and examples from university archives, this book demonstrates how intentional relationships lead to stronger collections, innovative exhibits, meaningful programs, donor partnerships, and collaborative opportunities. It offers practical strategies for cultivating shared authority, reducing professional isolation, and building sustainable archival practices.

More than a guide to archival outreach, The Relational Archivist challenges the profession to reconsider how archives define success. Archives preserve the stories of people, but they depend on the people who steward those stories. By supporting archivists, creating healthier workplaces, strengthening institutions, and fostering deeper community connections, relational practice helps ensure that the stories entrusted to archives continue to inspire future generations.

Review Quotes

"The Relational Archivist is an inspired and hopeful volume. Using place-based case studies, interdisciplinary critical inquiry, and compelling (inter)personal experiences, Rivera challenges readers to reimagine archival practice as interwoven social responsibilities rooted in care and intention." --Claudia F. Willett, Archivist for Processing and Discovery Strategy, Stanford University Libraries, USA

"In a time of diminishing resources when archivists are being asked to do more with less, The Relational Archivist teaches archivists to find balance and build a realistic workload through the centering of relationships; in a time of neglect of the humanities when institutions value technology and production over people and meaning, it pushes us to remember that our work and the collections we serve are valuable only if they serve us and our communities. Drawing on hands-on archival experience and a degree in public history, Elizabeth Rivera's case studies demonstrate how to share authority with stakeholders and build bonds between an archive, its current and potential researchers, and its wider community. The Relational Archivist will inspire readers to build and grow their own people-centered archives." --Lauren Bickel, Technical Services Archivist, Sallie Bingham Center, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, USA

"Few people see archives as sites of public history and Elizabeth Rivera wants to change that. Drawing on her experience as both an archivist and public historian, Rivera demonstrates the immense potential of university archives to contribute to broader institutional missions by making people, rather than collections, the central focus. The Relational Archivist brings together the traditional constituencies of archivists and researchers with students, donors, and community members to co-create repositories of stories and experiences far beyond the collections themselves-offering a practical framework for the deeper collaboration among archivists, professors, administrators, and communities that university missions increasingly demand.

Historians have long recognized the significance of archives, and the acknowledgments pages of their books testify to the deep relationships developed between researcher and archivist. Yet most people will never visit an archive, in part because they believe it is not their space. The Relational Archivist reimagines the physical archive as more than a repository of documents but as a relational space for connection, presence, and inclusion. As a venue for public history, the archive becomes a place for anyone to encounter and contribute to the preservation of our shared past. By reimagining archives, Rivera opens pathways for universities to fulfill their public missions in ways that traditional collection-building never could-creating partnerships that enrich teaching, deepen institutional memory, and strengthen community relationships.

Rivera's framework is both timely and transformative. At a moment when universities face mounting financial pressures and archives can seem like a luxury, she repositions them as critical components of institutional mission and community engagement, providing concrete strategies for turning archives into sites of active collaboration rather than passive preservation. Grounded in archival practice, The Relational Archivist offers a vision that extends far beyond the archive itself-inviting administrators, professors, students, alumni, and community leaders to reimagine how universities preserve the past, engage the present, and build more inclusive futures." --Patrick C. Leech, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Global History, Anderson University, USA

"The Relational Archivist: Centering People in the Archive is a timely, critical call to prioritize human connection within the archival enterprise. Drawing on research, experience, and training in public history, Rivera makes the case that archivists do our best work when we focus on the well-being of our colleagues, the communities with whom we engage, and ourselves. This book is an essential source for anyone who seeks insight into the practice of relationship-building in college and university archives." --Dawn Schmitz, Ph.D., MLIS, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA

About the Author

Elizabeth Rivera is an archivist, public historian, and educator with experience in academic archives and a background in public history. Her work focuses on connecting people with the histories preserved in archives and exploring the role archives play in teaching, research, and institutional memory.