Rare ‘hidden’ trans archives to be digitized to bridge generations

Hundreds of at-risk, rarely seen, audio visual items that document the history of Trans+ activism will be made digitally accessible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that preserves and improves research and learning.

University of Victoria Libraries received a landmark Digitizing Hidden Special Collections & Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices grant in the amount of US $289,218 from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) announced on Monday, Nov. 4 to digitize historical Trans+ archives for community education.

One of only 18 applications recommended for funding from 133 submitted applications, the Trans(formation): Digitizing the Rikki Swin Institute Trans+ activism and outreach media collection project will digitize, preserve, describe, and make accessible 521 at-risk items.

This investment will help UVic Libraries amplify the voices of historical Trans+ figures through a community-centred model with the hiring of two term positions to support the work: a Transgender Archives Metadata Librarian, and an Outreach and Ethics Coordinator who will act as a catalyst to an international community of Trans+ people. The impact to the work that lies ahead is immeasurable and will fill in the gaps of the history of the Trans+ movement with living Trans+ elders and activists.”

—Jonathan Bengtson, UVic’s University Librarian

The majority of the video and audio files consist of recordings from the 1970s to the 1990s, including: Fantasia Fair Conferences featuring workshops, individual and panel interviews, awards and fashion show events; video and audio interviews with prominent activists, educators and physicians such as Dallas Denny, Richard Doctor, Ariadne Kane, Allison Laing, Virginia Prince, Joann Roberts, Dr. Eugene Schrang, and Stephen Whittle; and conference audio recordings, among many other items.

The UVic Libraries’ Transgender Archives is the largest collection of original materials chronicling Trans+ history and activism in the world. With evolving technology turning media into quick obsolescence, there is an urgent need to document and make accessible the fragile digital history of the Trans+ community.

The reality for Trans+ people during most of the 20th century was one of profound isolation, secrecy, silence, and shame. Due to media fragility and hardware obsolescence these items are completely inaccessible in their current state, and at risk if not digitized. With proper care we can preserve this collection and make it available to the originating communities, to researchers, to Trans+ people everywhere, and to others who support social justice and equity.”

—Aaron Devor, Chair in Transgender Studies, Founder and Subject Matter Expert for the Transgender Archives

The unique magnetic media items (316 video recordings, 205 audio recordings) record significant historical and cultural events, and include interviews with prominent activists, educators, and physicians. Over the next two years, UVic Libraries will create advanced metadata to promote, enhance, and support future learning and research with the digitized collections by working closely and in consultation with Trans+ elders; the world’s only Chair in Transgender Studies; and with the Trans+ community at the 2025 Moving Trans History Forward conference at the University of Victoria.

UVic Libraries is one of only four Canadian academic libraries to receive a CLIR grant since 2021.

This project is supported by a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). 

A media kit is available on Dropbox. 

-- 30 --