Rescuing Histories: A Guide to Community Archival Practice

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Introduction
2. Archiving as a Community or Volunteer Organisation
3. Appraisal
   3.1. Appraisal: ‘What Do I Have?’
   3.2. Appraisal: ‘What Should I Keep?’
   3.3. Appraisal: ‘What Should I Get Rid Of?’
   3.4. Appraisal: ‘How Should I Store It?’
4. Cataloguing
   4.1. Cataloguing: What Is Metadata?
   4.2. Cataloguing: Rights and Licensing
   4.3. Cataloguing: Metadata Creation Guidelines
   4.4. Cataloguing: The Finding Aid
5. Digitisation
   5.1. Introduction
   5.2. Definition
   5.3. Planning
   5.3.1. Situation Analysis
   5.3.2. Resources Analysis
   5.4. Equipment
   5.4.1. Digital Camera
   5.4.2. Scanners
   5.5. Files
   5.5.1. Format
   5.5.2. Naming
   5.5.3. File Properties
   5.6. Project Workflow
   5.7. Further Reading
6. External Transfer and Accessioning
7. Trauma-Informed Archival Practice
8. Appendix
   Appendix 1: Definitions of Personal and Special Category Data
   Appendix 2: Examples of Personal and Special Category Data
   Appendix 3: Examples of Data Protection Assessments
   Appendix 4: Example of a Basic Contents List
   Appendix 5: Example of Cataloguing a Digital Collection
   Appendix 6: Example of Top-Level Collection Cataloguing
   Appendix 7: Checklist for External Transfer
   Appendix 8: Checklist (Trauma-Informed Archival Practice)
9. References
10. Licence

Preface

This manual arises from a shared journey of memory, care, and resistance. It was created through collaboration among communities, archivists, scholars, and activists who believe that preserving stories is not merely a technical task—it is, at its heart, an act of justice.

Archiving can be a deeply political and healing practice. Across Asia, North America, and Europe, we have witnessed many community-led archiving initiatives that go far beyond academic purposes. They are acts of memory activism and solidarity—efforts to stand with the marginalised and the vulnerable. These initiatives take many forms: organising workshops, sharing resources, building skills, and recording oral histories that give voice to experiences too often silenced. Each act of preservation is, in its own quiet way, an act of courage.

This manual reflects the principles of what we call archival activism—the pursuit of justice through memory. It is about safeguarding the stories, emotions, and knowledge of communities living through repression, displacement, or conflict. Archival activism sustains the memory and spirit of peoples who, though dispersed, remain connected through shared struggles for freedom and dignity.

In times of censorship and exile, archives become spaces of empowerment. They allow communities to reclaim their narratives, challenge official histories, and pass on truth to future generations. Since the introduction of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, countless individuals have been driven into exile. The Hong Kong diaspora has grown across the world, confronting new forms of repression, disinformation, and authoritarian influence. Yet, in the face of these challenges, grassroots and community-led archiving efforts continue to flourish. They remind us that memory itself can be a form of resistance—and that remembering together is a step towards justice and peace.

As one contributor to our collaborative project, Hong Kong’s 2019 Protest Amid a Half-century’s Struggle, writes:

“Through this pluralistic and multidimensional record, we hope to show that the Hong Kong community is not monolithic, and to foster cross-community understanding and mutual respect… Hongkongers are not merely victims of history, but active agents with subjectivity and initiative.”¹

This spirit of community archiving lies at the heart of this manual. The chapters that follow offer practical guidance on physical and digital archiving, trauma-informed practices, ethical reflection, and case studies from diverse contexts. Together, they invite you to consider what it means to document not only what has happened, but also how people have lived, resisted, and hoped.

May this manual serve both as a tool and as a companion—a resource to strengthen your own archival practice, and a reminder that every archive, however small, contributes to the wider pursuit of truth, justice, and peace.

Eric Lai
Senior Fellow, Centre for Asian Law, Georgetown University
Editorial Member, Hong Kong Social Movement Oral History Project

Ken Lui
Data Curation Specialist, Map & Data Library, University of Toronto

1. https://medium.com/hksmohproj/introduction-hong-kongs-2019-protests-amid-a-half-century-s-struggle-an-oral-history-ae452f1aab66