Citizen Archivists and Cultural Memory

“Citizen archivists” are the “first responders” of history, arriving on the scene to capture and preserve ephemeral artifacts of interest and helping to ensure that they survive over time to share with the future.

No area of cultural activity is more in need of citizen archivists than music, where entire scenes come and go in the blink of an eye, exiting before documentation of their existence can be thoroughly captured. Artists and labels can be the caretakers of their own cultural record, as long as they have the awareness and tools to make it happen.

Our panel of citizen archivists will talk about their labels and collections; discuss ways to sustain musical collections over time for history, profit or just for the thrill of it; and inspire others with compelling stories that demonstrate the value of preserving musical memories.