Constant Change: What Archivists Need to Know About Climate Change and Archives

Constant change: What archivists need to know about climate change and archives

When: October 6th, 2026 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET 

Where: Zoom (zoom link will be provided the day before the workshop via email)

Name pronunciation: Learn how to say my name 

Biography:

Eira Tansey is an archivist, researcher, and consultant based in her hometown of Cincinnati/the Ohio River watershed. She is the founder of Memory Rising, which provides research, consulting, and archival services with expertise in climate change, environmental and labor movements, and Ohio Valley regional history. Memory Rising’s clients have included the Council of State Archivists, METRO, the Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Network, the Digital Preservation Coalition, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. She previously worked as an archivist in academic libraries for fifteen years, at the University of Cincinnati and Tulane University. Eira’s research on archives and climate change has been profiled by Yale Climate Connections, VICE, and Pacific Standard, and has been honored by the Society of American Archivists. Her most recent publication is A Green New Deal for Archives, which received the 2024 Waldo Gifford Leland Award for writing of superior excellence and usefulness in the fields of archival history, theory, and practice. She is an elected Council member of the Society of American Archivists, the governing body for North America’s largest professional association of archivists. Eira is also the researcher and host of NO TIME FOR FEAR, a podcast about the history of the New Deal.

Workshop Description: 

Climate change is already impacting archives, affecting not just buildings and collections, but users and staff. Archivists should understand the threats related to climate change and how it shapes our work. During this one-hour workshop, participants will learn to: 

• Explain basic science and policy issues related to climate change

• Differentiate mitigation and adaptation issues for archival organizations

• Identify climate change and environmental issues specific to the Canadian context

A zoom link will be provided to registrant the day before the workshop.