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An Archive of Our Own: After Fanlib back in May 2007 and Strikethrough2007 in June there was a sense that fandom wasn't entirely welcome in its current home and perhaps needed to take care of itself. An Archive of Our Own seemed like a fabulous idea: something maintained by fans, explicitly not for profit and not at the mercy of a single individual's enthusiasm (and resources).
Organization for Transformative Works: I've watched the OTW come into being as a response to the call for an Archive and in retrospect it seems obvious that if we were to build an Archive, it would have to belong to a collective organisation, not a heroic individual. Further if you're planning for continuity of management and funding, a non profit organisation makes a lot of sense. It also seems obvious that any organisation thus formed would then get horribly excited and spawn other projects - hence the slightly bewildering shift from people saying Archive! to OTW!
Umbrella Organisations: Many years ago when I was younger and sillier I was contracted by a non government organisation to write a directory of services for people and organisations that deal with family violence. I met some powerful and passionate people - mostly women - and learned a lot about the power of community. The organisation performed an umbrella role supporting existing organisations, liaising with government, non government services and community groups. What this translated to was emergency housing for battered women, long term shelters, groups sharing resources, lobbying to government to fill gaps and publishing a directory of services. It wasn't All Things To All Women but what it did was valuable.
To my mind, the OTW has a similar role - oversight (when people want it) and projects. I'm keen on the Archive project and wish to support it.
On that note: The OTW is open for membership and donations which will go towards "operating costs for both the organization and the archive". If this is your thing and you're in a position to support, now is a good time.
Organization for Transformative Works: I've watched the OTW come into being as a response to the call for an Archive and in retrospect it seems obvious that if we were to build an Archive, it would have to belong to a collective organisation, not a heroic individual. Further if you're planning for continuity of management and funding, a non profit organisation makes a lot of sense. It also seems obvious that any organisation thus formed would then get horribly excited and spawn other projects - hence the slightly bewildering shift from people saying Archive! to OTW!
Umbrella Organisations: Many years ago when I was younger and sillier I was contracted by a non government organisation to write a directory of services for people and organisations that deal with family violence. I met some powerful and passionate people - mostly women - and learned a lot about the power of community. The organisation performed an umbrella role supporting existing organisations, liaising with government, non government services and community groups. What this translated to was emergency housing for battered women, long term shelters, groups sharing resources, lobbying to government to fill gaps and publishing a directory of services. It wasn't All Things To All Women but what it did was valuable.
To my mind, the OTW has a similar role - oversight (when people want it) and projects. I'm keen on the Archive project and wish to support it.
On that note: The OTW is open for membership and donations which will go towards "operating costs for both the organization and the archive". If this is your thing and you're in a position to support, now is a good time.
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