Currents of Archival Thinking

by Heather MacNeil (Editor), Terry Eastwood (Editor)

Archives of all types are experiencing a resurgence, evolving to meet new environments (digital and physical) and new priorities. To meet those changes, professional archivist education programs--now one of the more active segments of LIS schools--are proliferating as well. This book identifies core archival theories and approaches and how those interact with major issues and trends in the field. The essays explore the progression of archival thinking today, discussing the nature of archives in light of present-day roles for archivists and archival institutions in the preservation of documentary heritage.



Examining new conceptualizations and emerging frameworks through the lenses of core archival practice and theory, the book covers core foundational topics, such as the nature of archives, the ruling concept of provenance, and the principal functions of archivists, discussing each in the context of current and future environments and priorities. Several new essays on topics of central importance not treated in the first edition are included, such as digital preservation and the influence of new technologies on institutional programs that facilitate archival access, advocacy, and outreach; the changing legal context of archives and archival work; and the archival collections of private persons and organizations. Readers will also learn how communities of various kinds intersect with the archival mission and how other disciplines' perspectives on archives can open new avenues.

Genres: Nonfiction, Textbooks, School

416 pages, Paperback

First published December 21, 2009

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A text is not a reflection of a pre-existent reality, but, rather, “a constituent agent in the reconstruction of a conception of the real.”

There is no method for knowing when one has reached the truth, or when one is closer to it than before.