Honoring Diverse Voices and Measuring Archival ROI

How can your school's history truly reflect your community? In this final installment, we tackle the values-driven core of digital preservation: using archives to honor diverse voices and underrepresented narratives. Dr. Kristen Gwinn-Becker, CEO of History IT, emphasizes that while archives only tell the stories they hold, a comprehensive digital project makes all voices—even those previously less prominent—accessible and ready to be celebrated. Dr. Gwinn-Becker also shares how teachers can leverage a digital archive as a repository of primary source evidence to teach research methodology, making learning resonate deeply by placing students within their own historical context. Finally, on the crucial topic of budget, she urges leaders to view digital preservation not as a "nice-to-have" silo project, but as an essential tool for ROI. The return is measured in tangible results: bolstering marketing, alumni engagement, and fundraising through automated, personalized content (like sending alumni their class photos in a birthday email) that dramatically increases connection and donation likelihood. Key Takeaways: Learn how accessibility highlights diverse histories; discover how archives serve as personalized primary sources for classroom instruction; and understand how to calculate the ROI for digital preservation by tracking engagement and fundraising dollars. Action: Dive deeper into preservation planning! Contact our guest Dr. Kristen Gwinn-Becker at www.historyIT.com or on social media at HistoryIT and #savehistory. Find out more about what we do: AWB Education - awbeducation.org Grundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.com Got a mailbag question?  Reach out to us at [email protected]

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