For colleagues who might be new to the idea of arkivism, here’s a bit of background. At its annual meeting in 2024, ASTRA highlighted the book Arkivism by Helene Larsson Pousette and Lina Thomsgård, which empowers everyday people to participate actively in changing history and the way history might be written in the future by drawing attention to the lives of people who have not (or not always) been considered properly historical. This happens in multiple ways. Arkivism first seeks to demystify archival work. While not shying away from addressing the violent potential of what can be cold, intimidating state institutions, the book importantly encourages us to think about the critical role that archives play in helping society to function. The book draws upon the experience of archivists, authors, journalists, and artists who use archives to do their work in inspiring ways. Taking the underrepresented history of women in Sweden as its central example, Arkivism offers practical tools and inspiration for non-specialists and specialists alike to unearth traces of the lives of individuals who weren’t always considered important enough to document, whether women, racialized minorities, immigrants, or members of the working class.

Importantly, Arkivism is equally devoted to ensuring that histories written in the future better reflect the diverse world we live in. Guided by the conviction that everyday lives should be documented, the second section of the book, titled “Du är historisk!” “YOU are historical!” lays out straightforward tools for archiving a loved one, a local organization, or yourself. Arkivism is a practice for anyone and everyone.

Put otherwise, Arkivism is part of ongoing work documenting contemporary life and revising histories in Scandinavia, alongside projects like Stockholms Kvinnohistoriska Museet and Black Archives Sweden.

ASTRA adopted Arkivism to explore how either section of the book might inspire new approaches to research and teaching with the potential to generate public-facing humanities research and foster connections between our institutions and broader communities. We also believe that arkivism has the potential to bolster active participation in democratic institutions, raise consciousness about the need for inclusive history writing for the future, and help our students and our language programs to understand that they too are historical and deserve to be preserved for the future, especially in the age of AI.

This year’s symposium has been made possible with generous support from The Barbro Osher Endowment in Swedish Studies, The Arestad Endowment for Excellence in Norwegian Studies at the University of Washington, and Svenska Institutet. 

We are delighted to be able to cover travel costs for TAs, graduate students, and independent or precariously employed scholars in our networks, particularly those without access to research funds. It might also be possible to subsidize travel for other participants. If you would like to be considered for travel reimbursement, please indicate this when registering and include an estimate of your flight cost.   

Lodging for two nights at the Silver Cloud Inn [University District] – Thursday and Friday night— will also be covered for registered participants traveling to Seattle. We have reserved a block of both single and double rooms. If you would like to stay in one of these rooms, please complete the registration form. 

Any additional nights of lodging you require may be booked directly through the hotel website, though the cost for these must be covered by you.

We kindly request that you submit your conference registration by 20 September at the latest (and sooner if possible!). We also appreciate that you include precise information so that we can avoid unnecessary additional expenses. If you know of someone who should have received this email, but didn’t, please forward it. 

Directions to the hotel from SeaTac airport and UW campus:

To get there from the airport, we recommend the Light Rail (train)—if you follow the signs in the airport and through the parking garage, you will get to the Light Rail platform (tickets are $3.00 and can be purchased from machines before going up to the train platform, or simply on your phone).  Sea-Tac Airport | Sound Transit  You can then take a train heading in the direction of Lynnwood – you will need to get off at the U-District Station: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to U District, Seattle, WA 98105 - Google Maps. 

From there, you can get an Uber/Lyft/taxi to the hotel.  Alternatively, you can take the Light Rail to the University of Washington station and then catch a bus: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Silver Cloud Hotel - University District - Google Maps.

The first activity on 10/15 will be held in the Petersen Room of the Allen Library, and walking directions from the hotel are: Silver Cloud Hotel - University District to Suzzallo and Allen Libraries - Google Maps, or if you prefer to take a bus ($3.00, you can pay cash – exact change – when you board, or buy a ticket with your phone: Transit GO Ticket - King County, Washington), these are directions for that: Silver Cloud Hotel - University District to Suzzallo and Allen Libraries - Google Maps.

Email: arkivism@uw.edu with any questions you might have.