First, let me say how much I love our public officials standing up for something that's in the best interest of our country's youth (so it was billed), then back-pedaling after stiff public outcry. Gives me hope for our future and the future of history advocacy in this country (that was sarcasm, if you didn't catch it). On August 26, 2011 (4 days after I posted about the implications of Missouri's new Facebook law for history teachers and archives), a Missouri circuit court judge blocked the new legislation, referring to the law's implications on free speech in this country. A little later in the day, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon called for a repeal of the measure he just signed into law. His reason for the repeal was not about new ways to protect youth from predator educators. Governor Nixon offered this reason for his one-month reversal on his earlier stance, according to the Associated Press: he did so because the new law was "'causing substantial confusion and concern among teachers, students and families' and thus should be stricken." Enough said there. He does go onto say this, though for the life of me I don't know why this wasn't realized before he signed the law: "'In a digital world, we must recognize that social media can be an important tool for teaching and learning,' said Nixon, a Democrat."
The AP article goes onto site several teacher's association advocates concerning the backlash against the law from around the world: "'One third-grade teacher, for example, feared the law could prevent her class from communicating with one in Australia through a closed website. Others raised concerns about virtual classrooms in which students communicate with direct messages,' Fuller said. In its lawsuit, the teachers association said websites such as Facebook and Twitter have become a common part of modern interaction between teachers and students and argued that restricting them would violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." Well, knowing that the Missouri government was not following my blog, I will say that for archives professionals--particularly young archivists such as myself--we have reached a dangerous crossroads for the distribution and sharing of historic records and archival information in a world of rights, protections, and privacy issues spread world-wide in seconds.
As archivists try to gain more following for their institution and thus promote their collections, archives in the U.S. are turning to social media, Youtube, and new technology such as QR codes to keep up with other popular socialization technology and advertising techniques. However, because of the rapid changes, young archivists face resistance from those whom have not embraced or do not understand the technological imperative of instantaneous interaction. An even bigger issue is the fact that these less-use to the new technologies are the most likely future and current donors of archival materials to archives and historical institutions. With attempts to make education about access and speed--rather than about quality necessarily and depth--the cultural divide encountered with the largest group of Americans these days, aged baby boomers (the same group that fought for freedom, youth, and access in the 1960s-1970s), has reached a crescendo. Facebook can be a negative and a positive, but as online education and state universities promote social media-styled communication systems for students (like Blackboard Learn environment being implemented across the country for online classes), the older generation will need to learn that the new technologies are not about young hipsters as much as it is about innovation and imagination.
Archives lack innovation. If you are an archivist, you may not like that. However, after attending a number of sessions at the Society of American Archivists 2011 Annual Meeting in Chicago this past week, I was told in sessions by older archivists that they had the younger students and student-workers do more of the social media posts and help develop the implementation of the new social media programs for archives in this country. When I asked if they had a "Liking" or "Reposting" policy like an archives collections policies, I was misunderstood to have implied that use of social media make it necessary for archives to change their collections policies. What I was asking--and many younger people would have understood this--was "Have you created policies on who you're going to like, the type of posts or content of which you will tag or follow, etc., for Facebook and Twitter?" Yeah, archives are innovative, though it took a year for some of these archivists to figure out how to use photo options in the new social media posts! If archives were innovative, archival usage would be more by younger people than by post-45 year olds and retired individuals with history hobbies or fascination with family genealogy. Now, there's nothing wrong with these things, but my point is that the younger peoples of America are going where they can first be entertained, then next where they can be captivated by innovative devices and technologies. With legislation such as that issued by the Missouri government last month (though it will be eliminated), there is a clear cultural gap being issued that states to youth that innovation is second to the law. Young archivists are feeling the same thing, as they may be looking and preserving a never-before-seen 1936 film by an American tourist on Nazi Germany that they cannot make public because of the issues of copyright. Innovation is recognized and protected under the law, if it produces a financially beneficial or unique artistic/intellectual expression. These same types of innovative expressions by archivists and archives created with the intent of promoting others' unique expressions and making them available for the public is not recognized, except under the definition of "fair-use," which is no real guarantee from legal damages.
Innovation is demanded in the world we live in, yet as long as "what we have always been use to" sentiments and passive dismissals of current trends in technology will make it difficult for young archivists who regularly walk around texting and geocaching with cell phones and GPS locators to connect with their employers, institutional supporters, and major segment of their current constituency. The Missouri Facebook law could have destroyed several years of in-roads Missouri archives and historical organizations had made into the world of social media in reaching school youth with history. Young archivists need to recognize these divides, remain within themselves, do not let frustration undo their better judgment, and seek ways to adhere to institutional policies while making their institution relevant to the younger half of America. I hear all the time that it is hard to get young people interested in working in archives or using archives. But, how many of you more established archivists have gone into your institution at age 15 trying to research the history of Alfred Russell Wallace (co-founder of concept of natural selection) in letters from an American scientist of the mid-1800s? Do you honestly think those young people would be shown more attention over a regular who donates a lot of time and materials to the archives? Usually, the young person feels the vibe that their project is nice and good for experience, but since they are only 15 their work is not going to be important enough to take up a large amount of time helping to locate materials when a donation of 150 boxes of material is coming in to the archives. How do I know? I was that youth. And now, I hold two degrees before the age of 25, have published a book, written five histories or collections of historical materials on subjects, and am seeking a job in your field--a professional archivist. As to the difficulty in attracting young people, it's not difficult if you treat them like people and that you want them there--I've worked with youth for a number of years. You have to care about them, their interests, their needs, and help spark that interest in new ways. Like a "Field of Dreams" thing, if you prepare for and treat them right, they will come.
The Missouri law reversal is great, but the change has come too little too late. Teachers will think twice about doing historical projects and using archival materials through social media (at least for the next couple of years), and the students and archives will be the ones to suffer. Let us not forget to temper wisdom and experience with passion and innovation, led by a desire for truth, understanding, and helping others.
Resource
DAVID A. LIEB, "Mo. judge blocks Facebook limits for teachers," http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gF Dwnn4mQWqI6_MZOSVw5s95vBA?docId=ca563c70bb824739ad919b85899dafef
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