our winning entries, share a reliance on solid data analysis. More broadly, I would say academic libraries can think about campaigns that raise awareness of all the resources available through the library. Many folks, even students, still think of only books at the library, but we know they offer so much more - special collections, art and artifacts, virtual services, faculty support, a social community, etc. And of course, they will always be a place for research and discovery. ATG: What advice do you have for someone interested in applying for the John Cotton Dana award? What separates an award-winning library public relations program from a merely good one? KW: As I noted, a solid approach to data collection is important. The jury members, award winners themselves, look for clear measurements of outcomes versus stated campaign objectives. But beyond just the things that can be measured — library visits, card signups, donations, increased public awareness and perceptions, etc. — I think the jury looks for creativity, like
turning a campus ghost story into a successful community relations campaign. Or using text messages to share learning activities with parents preparing their kids for kindergarten, as Ypsilanti District Libraries did. Or when needing to renovate, creating new public spaces for collaboration and connection, as the Vancouver Public Library did with their rooftop garden campaign. Finally, I think juries note campaigns that support underserved and vulnerable communities, like those without internet access, or that have been disproportionately impacted by library policies, or campaigns that make connections with immigrant communities. There are many good examples of this work from winning entries. ATG: Kerry, thank you so much for talking to us today and telling us about a program that does so much to recognize the outstanding public relations efforts of libraries. KW: Thanks so much to you, Tom and Katina, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about this great awards program.
ATG Interviews Alicia Wise Executive Director of CLOCKSS By Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain) <gilsont@cofc.edu> and Katina Strauch (Editor, Against the Grain) <kstrauch@comcast.net> ATG: Alicia, you’ve had a diverse and successful career in our industry. So why is being the Executive Director of CLOCKSS the right fit for you now? What made you say “yes” when you were offered the position? AW: Thank you, Tom and Katina! CLOCKSS is such a good fit. It’s a collaboration between libraries and publishers, the people best placed to look after and provide access to the scholarly record for the very long term. CLOCKSS is highly international, preserving scholarship written around the globe, in centers of preservation excellence around the globe, with a community of support around the globe. It’s a changing organization too — it’s officially 13 years old right now and teenage years are always exciting! ATG: When you accepted the position, you remarked that CLOCKSS was “a profoundly important service.” For those unfamiliar with CLOCKSS and its mission, can you tell us why it’s so important? What essential services does CLOCKSS offer to those in the world of scholarly communications? Is there anything unique about those services? AW: The mission of the CLOCKSS archive is to ensure the scholarly record remains available for humanity. Scholars have worked so hard to advance knowledge, and their hard work is important to us all and especially to those scholars who will
Against the Grain / June 2022
build on this foundation in the future. Digital preservation is too big a job for any single organization, and even were it possible, it’s too important a job to entrust to any single organization, and so the community approach of CLOCKSS along with, and more broadly, LOCKSS is inspiring. At CLOCKSS we focus on electronic publications. Initially this meant books and journals, but now it means books, journals, and much more. We are preserving all the rich resources that underpin articles and books (think data, protocols, software, visualizations), and entirely new forms of scholarship too (think scholar-led, interactive humanities resources published by academics or libraries). CLOCKSS is a dark archive which means the content entrusted to us is made accessible only after the original or successor creators and publishers are no longer able to look after it. When CLOCKSS provides access to the content, it becomes open access to everyone in perpetuity. ATG: You also noted, after receiving the appointment, that it was “an honour to be entrusted with the next phase of CLOCKSS development.” Can you share your vision for the next phase of that development? What role do you see for CLOCKSS in the overall infrastructure of academic scholarship?
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