New Books Network Gracen Brilmyer and Lydia Tang eds., "Preserving Disability: Disability and the Archival Profession" (Library Juice Press, 2024)
Nov 22, 2025
Gracen Brilmyer, an Assistant Professor at McGill University focusing on feminist disability studies and archival practices, and Lydia Tang, an Outreach Coordinator with a rich background in archives, explore critical intersections of disability and the archival profession. They discuss the launch of their book, emphasizing how preservation is a political act against ableism. The duo also highlights the significance of accessibility in archives, personal narratives from disabled archivists, and the future of documenting disabled knowledge amid contemporary challenges.
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Preservation Reflects Worth And Erasure
- Preservation choices reflect social values and can erase disabled lives through eugenic logics and lack of access.
- Brilmyer and Tang argue disability is worth preserving and brings vital memory practices to archives.
Gatekeeping In The Archival Profession
- The book interrogates gatekeeping in archival education, hiring, and practice that excludes disabled people.
- Contributors examine both barriers to entering the profession and how archival processes reproduce ableism.
Avoid Fixed Physical Job Requirements
- Remove rigid physical requirements like fixed weight-lifting clauses from job descriptions.
- Offer flexible alternatives so archivists with disabilities can perform roles safely and equitably.
