So, what is an archive exactly? How
can you define something so diverse?
Archives are a “site of knowledge
production’, they are the “arbiter[s] of truth” and can be used as a “mechanism
for shaping the narratives of history.” (2) Some historians even believe that
almost “everything” can constitute as an archive from documents to memory, to oral
histories, to music. It is also important to remember that an archive is not
the unbiased selection of facts that everyone might assume them to be.
The title of the work, Archive Stories, might be a good place
to look to understand what archives are.
Who knew that an archive had a
story to tell? Archives are “figured” and their relationships with the past
will usually be linked to the archivist or the institution that is given the
task of deciding what is important enough to include and what can be left out.
In the section written by Craig Robertson, he notes that archives can go through
a process of historicization (71)
which simply means that each archive has its own story to tell. Archivists use
their power to exclude and include to write whatever story it is that they
would like to tell which is why “scholars who use archives need to critically
analyze not only documents but also the institutions which house them.” (77)
Such as is stated in the selection on Mr. Peal’s archive: “Our archival stories
should not only recount our work with certain bodies of evidence in particular spaces,
but should also record our own political concerns and intellectual
preoccupations at the specific moments in which we read, transcribe,
paraphrase, and ponder source material.” It is important to keep in mind that
an archive will not provide the researcher with everything that they need, it
is merely tool to use on a very long journey of creating history. As Ann
Curthoys reminds us: “The historian’s proper role is to step into the shoes of
the past, to explain what people thought they were doing…” (357)
One archive tool that I enjoy utilizing
myself is the digital archive. Now that more and more archives are becoming
accessible to the public after becoming digitized, it is more important than
ever that the researcher keeps in mind what story they are being told and
whether or not that fits in with their own version of history. According to
Renee M. Sentilles, the digital archives are making it easier for the historian
to determine where their information is coming from because the digital
archives “raises the demands on historians to read, analyze, and incorporate
vast quantities of documents and information…” (145) More and more historians should be tempted to
take advantage of the wealth of opportunities afforded to them online. Right
now, anyone who wants to can access JStor and browse through hundreds of
periodicals and well organized pieces of data without leaving their home. “History is about how the past is alive and
active in the present, and never is that more clearly illustrated than on the
Web.” (147) So-called “amateur historians” can use this is a great opportunity
as well. How many amateur historians and genealogists sit at home instead of the
library pursuing Ancestry.com? For those who have not used Ancestry before, it
is a great tool full of digitized records. My favorite is the accessibility of
the records, the key words that I can use to search, and the transcription that
comes with many of the documents. You offered a wealth of information through
this digital archive that prior any researcher would have had to travel from
library to library looking through physical archives. I personally enjoy using
the census collections available to find a wealth of information about whomever
I am conducting research on. You can access name, date of birth, occupation,
family, language, etc. It is also perfect for studying a community over time.
Most of the work I can do from computer and it’ll record everything I need for
me. Digital archives are incredibly beneficial for the user. However, just
because the digital archives offer ease, it doesn’t mean that we should focus
primarily on this; but they are a perfect place to “begin and end the research
journey.” (155)
Questions to Consider:
1.
How can a researcher decide what is reliable
information? How can they make themselves aware of what is being omitted?
2.
What is the importance of understanding the “biography”
of an object?
3.
What traits can an individual have that make
them a living archive?
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