not only because it makes everyone's job easier, but also because it can add an extra layer of meaning to the stuff they are donating. Particularly for minorities, who are more often than not, left out of the official narratives, so sometimes amateur/community researchers, archivists and historians are pure gold in helping to preserve these stories!

YES!

A lot of communities don't have archives, or access to them, or trust in that their stories will be respected, and I always think of amateur archivists like Allan Bérubé, who did such priceless work for the queer community precisely because he recognised this social and political decision to ignore some communities, and knew that no one would be able to chronicle the queer experience better than queer people themselves!

Yes, yes! And I've found that in many, many communities, these elders exist. There was a guy in Louisville who extensively documented the queer community in an amateur (but excellent) way and only years later did he entrust them to the archives.

. I think there's a sort of emotional justice there, you know, in making communities realise the importance of preserving their story and in them seeing them that it's worthy of being preserved.

Indeed!

I enjoyed your thoughts immensely!