Archiving the work of local activist Cris McConkey

I’m honored to announce that Durland Alternatives Library is archiving the work of local activist and videographer Cris McConkey.

As people around the world learned of the powerful grassroots response to fracking in New York State, Cris McConkey was telling the story with media.

Do you know Cris?

Cris McConkey was a long time resident of the Finger Lakes. He’s passionate and dedicated to social change and equity, and dear friend to many.

For those who knew Cris, you’ve probably seen him at an event behind a video camera. Over the years gathered hundreds (possibly thousands) of hours of video documenting the region’s passionate opposition to fracking, among other things.

Cris McConkey’s videos are a document of our region’s passionate vision for alternative forms of energy and economy.

This is how I met Cris–at meetings and events. He was always working to amplify the voice of others.

Making a history we can look back on;

Sometime last year, Cris reached out to discuss archiving his work with Shaleshock Media. He has hundreds of videos, many already hosted online (see www.shaleshockmedia.org), but many are still needing a home. When New York State banned fracking last December, and when We Are Seneca Lake began blockades at the gates of a major gas storage facility, people around the world became interested in the Finger Lakes Region. How did the people here muster such a grassroots response?

As more and more began to mobilize against fracking around the world, Cris McConkey’s videos became a teaching tool.

www.shaleshockmedia.org

Now we’re establishing an archive at Durland Alternatives Library.

Organizing, producing, formatting, and publishing this content online is a lot of work!

But this project which Cris essentially started, is laying the foundation for years to come. We are now in a position to create a comprehensive local archive of grassroots history–people working toward alternatives.

Cris is donating his video collection to the Durland Alternatives Library, and trusting us to be caretakers. I couldn’t be more honored to be included in this project. 

Fortunately, we’ve got help;

Once Sara Hess, one of the founding members of Shaleshock Action Alliance got involved, this project started to take off. I’m endlessly grateful for Sara’s energy, focus, and wisdom.

Sara brought this project from ideas to action, and began gathering resources and consultation to make it happen. Last year, on the day New York’s fracking ban was announced, Sara and I were in a meeting, getting input from experienced archivists at Cornell University’s Kroch Library.

Now the project is moving forward with support from Photosynthesis Productions, a video production studio here in Ithaca. We’ve also received generous donations to buy equipment.

Up and Coming;

Up here at the Durland Alternatives Library, we’re hard at work transferring data around, matching videos to detailed accounts, and building the structure for a lasting archive.

Right now we’re working with internet archive to establish a collection of Cris McConkey’s work that is publicly available both at archive.org and on this website www.alternativeslibrary.org/ We will have 100 videos of this collection available in the Spring of 2016.

Do you want to hear more about the archive as it develops?