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The Story of the Stuff: Issues in Temporary Memorial Preservation Main MenuWhat Are Temporary Memorials?A DefinitionThe Problem of Temporary MemorialsEssential Questions to BeginCase StudiesCase Studies IntroductionTexas A&M & the Bonfire Memorabilia CollectionCase StudyVirginia Tech & the April 16th Condolence ArchiveCase StudySandy Hook Elementary & the Story of the StuffCase StudyFurther StudyQuestions & Recommended ReadingsAshley Maynor5adce0171052a8cc24f02b7c0a0c96951154dfb5Self-Reliant Film
"Saving everything is a burden."
12015-09-16T17:17:22-07:00Charlene Kirkpatrickaaff0b465fe57dd3461d61c03aca4d2b6297884460702Counterpointplain1599532015-09-16T17:29:45-07:00Ashley Maynor5adce0171052a8cc24f02b7c0a0c96951154dfb5While it may seem impossible to keep every item, consider how you would select which items to keep in the collection and which items to weed out. Who would make those decisions? How would they be perceived by the community?
Most libraries and archives have collection development policies that guide what libraries collect or don't, but many of these policies do not address unthinkable and unforeseeable tragedies, such as mass shootings or acts of terrorism.
Consider if your institution's collection development policy would be adequate if faced with guiding the preservation a spontaneous memorial. What changes could be made to it in order to accommodate for such an event? If you aren't affiliated with an institution, consider how you might approach the early stages of the selection process in the event of tragedy.
In the case studies that follow, we'll see how three different communities developed their own ad-hoc responses to unthinkable tragedies and the "stuff" that arrived in their wake.