Sustainability Now: Funding and Rights Considerations for Collections
April 21, 2025 3:30 ET / 12:30 PT
To register for this free webinar, click here: Registration
As many collections face increasingly difficult times, it is more important than ever to support one another and arm ourselves with tools and knowledge that enable resistance, persistence, and perseverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. An essential way to build advocacy for and ensure the sustainability of collections is to provide as much access as possible to materials, or in other words activating our collections. This can only be accomplished with a strong foundation in copyright law (e.g., knowing how much access can be provided to what materials) and having adequate resources to fund access to collections.
Webinar presenters Eric Harbeson (Authors Alliance, ARSC Copyright and Fair Use Committee) and Jesse Johnston (University of Michigan, National Recording Preservation Foundation) will give a quick overview of the legal and funding landscape when it comes to activating audio collections, and address some challenges to providing physical and online access. Then, they’ll take questions about turning your collection activation ideas into successful grant narratives and applications, and avoiding common pitfalls that keep projects from being sustainable.
This webinar is the final installment of ARSC’s Continuing Education Series centered around archival advocacy and sustainability, funded by a grant from the National Recording Preservation Board, administered by the National Film Preservation Foundation.
Eric Harbeson is the Scholarly Publishing Legal Fellow at Authors Alliance. Prior to joining Authors Alliance, Eric worked in libraries for 30 years before pursuing a JD at the University of Oregon. He has been a vocal advocate for the copyright interests of libraries and archives and is a frequent writer and presenter on the subject. He holds master’s degrees in music (Cleveland State University) and Library and Information Science (University of Illinois). In addition to his writings on copyright, he is the editor of two critical music editions, both published by A-R Editions.
Jesse Johnston is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, where he teaches courses on digital collections, data curation, and information organization. In 2024, he was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to serve as Secretary of the National Recording Preservation Foundation. Johnston has worked in the cultural heritage sector in various roles, including as a librarian, archivist, and grants officer.
