Founder and Manager
Eira Tansey is an archivist, researcher, and consultant based in her hometown of Cincinnati/the Ohio River watershed. She is the founder of Memory Rising, which provides research, consulting, and archival services with expertise in climate change, environmental and labor movements, and Ohio Valley regional history. Memory Rising’s clients have included the Council of State Archivists, METRO, the Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Network, the Digital Preservation Coalition, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. She previously worked as an archivist in academic libraries for fifteen years, at the University of Cincinnati and Tulane University.
Eira’s research on archives and climate change has been profiled by Yale Climate Connections, VICE, and Pacific Standard, and has been honored by the Society of American Archivists. Her most recent publication is A Green New Deal for Archives, which received the 2024 Waldo Gifford Leland Award for writing of superior excellence and usefulness in the fields of archival history, theory, and practice. She is an elected Council member of the Society of American Archivists, the governing body for North America’s largest professional association of archivists. Eira is also the researcher and host of NO TIME FOR FEAR, a podcast about the history of the New Deal.
Values
Climate Justice
Climate change impacts everyone, but its effects mirror existing societal inequalities. Communities that have contributed the least to climate change are the most vulnerable to its effects, and their needs must be prioritized in climate change work.
Valuing Labor
Rank and file workers at institutions of all kinds have enormous expertise due to their proximity to the populations they serve. Their work deserves respect, recognition, and resources.
Local Knowledge
Local knowledge is essential to understanding and solving problems of all kinds. Cultural memory work is strongest when it incorporates local knowledge for trust, accuracy, and accountability.
Memory Rising adheres to the Society of American Archivists Core Values of Archivists and the Code of Ethics for Archivists.