First and foremost I will not support *Nauck's Vintage Records*.


Secondly, we know identity shapes our perceptions and experiences in life,
and that this will manifest in the way we shape, and care for our archival
collections. We have too many examples of lost, mishandled, damaged or
poor recordings or no recordings at all of marginalised communities.
Cultural competency must be seen as a core value in our field. This is the
only way we will broaden our understanding, and care for archival
collections. We must see cultural competency as important as the technical
competencies we expect in our field.


Kurt's letter reads as a reaction to the calls of broadening our language,
collections, and identities as colliding with his own identity. Casually
referring to a yellow MAGA hat at a conference as a 'god forbid'
 moment for the wearer and for ARSC is a reflection of the lens he brings.
But, that's not the issue, and I'm almost positive that's not ARSC's issue.
Please feel free to wear your MAGA hat, I'll wear my Black Lives Matter
hoodie, and we can decide who we can trust our collections with based on
our cultural signals we send and receive.


My main point is that we have to keep on the trajectory of inclusion, build
up spaces that allow for the historically left out to join our profession.
Support professionals who have a vested cultural interest and stake in seeking
out, and caring for collections that might otherwise be under-the-radar, or
simply neglected. Mentor, and hire the people who bring the lens,
background, and lived experience to properly advocate for these
collections so critical to our global social memory.

That's all. Have a fantastic Monday. Stay safe.

Kindest regards,

Rosie Rowe

AV Specialist

Iowa State University

On Mon, Jul 20, 2020 at 12:21 PM Richard L. Hess <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> I would like to support the work that is being done by ARSC in
> developing the Code of Conduct and related documents. Without it, there
> would be no basis for supporting people who were made to feel unwelcome
> or diminished in their involvement with the organization.
>
> While Rebecca's President's Letter in the Newsletter was uplifting and
> positive, it did not prepare me for Kurt's letter. I see the Code of
> Conduct and related documents as a safety net, much like a Covid-19
> mask, that is potentially a bother, but has an important outcome. We
> shouldn't need either, but today's reality is we need both.
>
> Richard
>
>
> --
> Richard L. Hess email: [log in to unmask]
> Aurora, Ontario, Canada 647 479 2800
> http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
> Track Format - Speed - Equalization - Azimuth - Noise Reduction
> Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
>