Project Overview:

In Our Own Words is a community-centered digital archive rooted in narrative as a form of knowledge. The project treats first-person storytelling not as anecdote, but as lived expertise. Each participant speaks in their own language, tone, and time - without institutional filtering or reduction. These stories are not case studies, diversity statistics, or symbolic representation. They are complex, evolving accounts of professional life, identity, labor, joy, conflict, and hope within librarianship.

What the Archive Includes:

• First-person video narratives

• Participant reflections guided by open-ended prompts

• Still images from recorded sessions (with consent)

• Contextual descriptions accompany each narrative

Each recorded conversation becomes part of a growing digital record of BIPOC presence in librarianship. Rather than privileging administrative documents or institutional reports, the archive preserves voice, memory, reflection, emotion, and lived experience as legitimate archival materials. Narrative here is both documentation and resistance.

Selection of Materials: 

Participants are invited based on their engagement within librarianship and their willingness to share their lived experiences. Materials are selected through a community-centered process that prioritizes self-definition and voluntary participation. Stories are preserved in their narrative integrity rather than edited for thematic uniformity. The goal is multiplicity, not coherence. Each contribution stands on its own terms while forming part of a layered and evolving record.

Ethical and Community Considerations: 

The ethical foundation of In Our Own Words is relational rather than extractive. Participants are not anonymous subjects; they choose visibility and retain ownership of their voices. Because the project creates a lasting digital archive, it operates with explicit consent and awareness of long-term preservation responsibilities.

Interpretation is acknowledged rather than hidden. While participants interpret their own journeys, curatorial decisions-such as invitations, prompts, and presentation- shape the archive’s structure. Transparency about this process is central to maintaining trust and accountability.

The archive does not claim neutrality. It affirms that librarianship is shaped by power, and that preserving lived testimony is essential to reshaping how the profession remembers itself.