Restoring Order: The Ecole Des Chartes and the Organization of Archives and Libraries in France, 1820-1870 by Lara Jennifer Moore

by Lara Jennifer Moore

According to most histories of French archives and libraries, the nineteenth century was a period of slow but steady recovery from the trauma of the revolutionary era. In contrast, Moore argues that the organization of archives and libraries in nineteenth-century France was neither steady nor progressive. By following the development of the Ecole des Chartes, the state school for archivists and librarians, Moore shows that conceptions of "order" changed dramatically from one decade to the next. More important, she argues that these changing notions of "order" were directly connected to contemporary shifts in state politics. Since each new political regime had its own conceptions of both national history and public knowledge, each one worked to "restore order" in a different way.

Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jess]

Really interesting content in many respects, but the focus is exactly what's in the title. I was hoping for moments where the perspective would pull back and show how what happened then formed the context of what happens now. But it's not that kind of academic writing.

That's my fault for making assumptions, not the book's fault. DNF at about 30%, no rating because the book just isn't my jam.