Intergenerational Conversations fosters ongoing dialogue between current voices in the archives profession and authors whose work shaped the professional literature years ago.

Reviewers provide critical evaluations of specific articles from the literature along with personal reflections on the major themes of these works and their relevance today. In the first year of the series, we focused on the work of archives scholar, practitioner, Society of American Archivists (SAA) Fellow, and former SAA President John Fleckner. In the second year of the series, we will focus on SAA presidential addresses.

We hope this series will provide an opportunity to reflect on the enduring values of the archives profession and spark new conversations about our collective future. In the spirit of collaborative discourse, we encourage you to share your thoughts on these topics by commenting on these pieces. Comments should adhere to SAA’s Code of Conduct.

SAA Presidential Addresses

“Intergenerational Conversations 2024: SAA Presidential Addresses,” by Rose Buchanan and Stephanie Luke [PDF Full Text]

“Trudy Peterson’s Speculation on the Textual in Archives in a Changing Literacy Landscape,” by Elliott Kuecker [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Homo Archivalis Americanus: The Evolution of the American Archivist in the Age of Capital, 1956–2024,” by Emma Barton-Norris [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Found in a Pop Culture Landscape,” by Samantha Cross [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“The Manager and the Archivist: Robert Bahmer’s Presidential Address and its Relevance Six Decades Later,” by Caitlin Birch [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Future Goodness and Continuing Hope,” by Genevieve Preston [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Our Future Is Still Now: Revisiting David Gracy’s Presidential Address,” by Ashley Williams Clawson [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“A Window on the Past: Measuring How Far We Have Come in Eighty Years,” by Heather Briston [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Keeping Leland in Perspective: Archival Teachings Across Times and Boundaries,” by Shirley Franco [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“A Well Constituted Store,” by Courtney Bailey [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Has F. Gerald Ham’s 1974 Archival Edge Become the Archival Center?,” by Liz Bedford [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“In Review: Year Two of Intergenerational Conversations,” by Rose Buchanan and Stephanie Luke [PDF Full Text]

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John Fleckner

“Intergenerational Conversations: Reflecting on the Work of John Fleckner,” by Rose Buchanan, John Fleckner, Rand Jimerson, and Stephanie Luke [PDF Full Text]

“Fleckner Revisited: Reflections on Being an Archivist, Then and Now,” by Jessica C. Neal [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“From Common Practice to Common Goals,” by Jennifer Johnson [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Answering the Call: Archival Literacy and Teaching with Primary Sources,” by Matthew Strandmark [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Meeting the Challenges that Come Our Way,” by Krista B. Sorenson [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Relating Through Time, Space, and Smudged Glass: A Reflection on John Fleckner’s 2000 Keynote,” by Brenna Edwards [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Tribal Archives is Self-Determination,” by Vina Begay [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Building Bridges between Past and Future: Reflections on John Fleckner’s ‘The Paradox of Change and Continuity,'” by Amanda Greenwood [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Nineteen Years Since the Last Revolution and the Next: More Connectivity, More Technology, and now Generative Artificial Intelligence,” by Kate Thornhill [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Community-centric Collections: Reassessing John Fleckner’s Perspectives on the Commonalities Between Museums and Archives,” by Selena Ortega-Chiolero [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“Records Surveys and a Healthy Collection Lifecycle,” by Jordan Jancosek [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

“In Review: Year One of Intergenerational Conversations,” by Rose Buchanan and Stephanie Luke [PDF Full Text]