Meet our new Archives Committee

October is American Archives Month -- a national initiative to raise public awareness about the importance of archives and the work of archivists in preserving and making accessible historical documents, records, and other materials.  The 2025 theme is "The Power of Collaboration."

At the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project, we've been archiving hidden history for over three decades, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Archives. As we approach our future, we're raising standards higher than ever to ensure that our history and heritage can always be seen.

In the spirit of powerful collaboration, we've formed a NEW Archives Committee, who will advise the organization on policies, workflows, standards, best practices, and presentations that will protect our past while creating a more interactive, equitable, and inclusive future for Wisconsin.

Our subject matter experts include:

• Eleanor Clement of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, UW Milwaukee Digital Collections and Jewish Museum Milwaukee Archives. 
  
• Scott Seyforth, Ph.D., co-founder of the Madison LGBTQ+ Oral History Project and the Madison LGBTQ+ Archive.
  
• Blake Opal-Wahoske, executive director of the Marathon County Historical Society, board member of the Wisconsin Federation of Museums and the Center for the Visual Arts, and treasurer of Wausau Pride.
  
• Steve Schaffer, lead archivist at Milwaukee County Historical Society, and formerly of the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Archives, Wauwatosa Historical Society, and Marquette University.

Blake and Steve also serve as Community Advisors for the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project.

One of the Committee's first tasks will be establishing workflows for new acquistion processing, including storage, resource, equipment, budget, and workspace considerations.  The team will also focus on making the archive more findable, accessible, and usable for academic researchers, historians, reporters, and other user groups.

Promoting the History Project as a safe and respectful repository for historical memorabilia is especially important.

"Too often, survivors of LGBTQ people throw away their lifelong collections of photos, magazines, matchbooks, and other souvenirs, simply because they don't see them as valuable in any way," said Michail Takach, chair of the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project.  "Our goal is to keep our history out of landfills -- and in our archives where it rightly belongs."

The Archives Committee will be instrumental in the planning of 2026 physical exhibits throughout Wisconsin.

"We want to create a community of like-minded experts who can help solve not only the needs of the History Project, but the needs of local organizations," said Takach. "Wisconsin is fortunate to have a number of LGBTQ history projects and historians elevating our shared heritage. By aligning resources, sharing best practices, and working collectively, we can not only solve history's mysteries, but strengthen each of our individual operations."

We welcome additional volunteers with professional experience in archives management, historical preservation, or library science.

Visit our Collection Policy to learn more about donating assets and artifacts.

Questions? Contact us!