Why volunteer for SAA service? Let me make a few cases for volunteering and sharing your time.
A case for earnestness. On a recent New York Times podcast episode, poet and novelist Ocean Vuong said “. . . earnestness is kind of frowned upon because it almost means you’ve been duped—it’s like, ‘Oh you believe in this too much? You clearly haven’t thought that deeply about it.’”
What does it mean to be earnest at this moment? It seems much harder than it ever has been to go all in on something. And therefore, being earnest is a radical act.
A case for showing up. Civil Rights leader Julian Bond said in a speech about student protests (ca. 1980), “I remind you that for visions to become reality people must act. And one of the most effective means of action is political involvement.” We can take Bond’s notes about action as a call to become involved in meaningful causes and efforts. Coupling earnestness and showing up are acts of care.
A case for hope. Many of us have felt the direct impact of recent upheavals—massive reductions in federal agencies, elimination and cancellation of grants that sustained our work, the federal shutdown that has disrupted livelihoods, attacks on and outright prohibitions on IDEA work. The uncertainty is real, and the challenges facing our field are significant.
And this is precisely when showing up matters most. When volunteering with SAA, we make hope visible. We demonstrate that regardless of what's happening around us, the future we want for our field is worth our sustained commitment and collective effort.
A case for joy. Yes, joy, even in these times. I’m always moved by the work of American poet and essayist Ross Gay, who claims that he studies joy, and has written one book of essays about joy and two books on delight. For Gay, joy is a radical act.
Make an impact that matters.
This is the moment when professional associations become essential infrastructure. When federal support becomes unreliable, we create alternative networks of support and knowledge-sharing. When funding shrinks or disappears altogether, we help each other identify new pathways forward. When institutional stability wavers, we strengthen the foundations of our field through the daily, disciplined work of showing up.
Develop yourself while serving others.
Here's the beautiful mutuality of service—as you contribute your time and effort, you grow in ways that matter:
- Build leadership capacity
- Open doors to leadership opportunities
- Connect with mentors, collaborators, and friends who provide support both professionally and personally
- Provide insider perspective on how our field navigates complexity and finds resilience
Ready to make hope visible?
When we show up—especially when it's hard—hope becomes visible. When we work together—especially now—hope becomes powerful. As former SAA President David B. Gracy II wrote in the American Archivist (Winter 1984), “we must begin somewhere, let it be here. We must begin sometime, let it be now.”
Join SAA in upholding the idea that archives are essential to a democratic society. Volunteer now!
—Brenda Gunn, CA FSAA, SAA Vice-President/President-Elect
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SAA Headquarters
Society of American Archivists
Chicago IL
saahq@archivists.org------------------------------