Critical Digital Archives: A Review from Archival Studies

Given the blurring of boundaries between historians and archivists in the digital realm, this article urges historians to pay more attention to discussions surrounding digital records and archival practices emerging from critical archival studies. More specifically, this article identifies and summarizes seven key themes and corresponding debates about digital records in contemporary archival studies scholarship: (1) materiality, (2) appraisal, (3) context, (4) use, (5) scale, (6) relationships, and (7) sustainability. A deeper knowledge of digital archival theory and practice—how records came to be in digital archives, the infrastructures that maintain them, and the tools necessary to provide access to and context for them—is not ancillary to historical work, but provides important context to do digital history better.

RECONFIGURAÇÃO DO ACERVO DA SEÇÃO DE MEMÓRIA E ARQUIVO DO MUSEU NACIONAL APÓS O INCÊNDIO

Este artículo analiza la reconfiguración de los archivos afectados por los representantes digitales de la colección original perdida, teniendo en cuenta el caso de la Sección memoria y archivo del Museo Nacional (SEMEAR), que sufrió incendio en septiembre de 2018. Con esta tragedia, SEED se perdió prácticamente toda la colección. Con el fin de reconstruirlo, la idea de reconfigurarlo surgió de sus representantes digitales. En vista de esto, surgió el problema de esta investigación: ¿Es posible reconfigurar colecciones siniestras de representantes digitales, desde el punto de vista de la teoría archivística clásica? ¿Cuáles son las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas? Desde el punto de vista metodológico, se buscaron los principios básicos de la Archiveología en la literatura nacional e internacional. En este sentido, se contextualizan los principios del Orden y la Provenencia Originales, identificando sus características y prerrogativas. Esta investigación adopta una posición conceptual sobre el uso de representantes digitales que los caracterizan como documentos de archivo, lo que permitirá la reconfiguración de la colección. This article analyzes the reconfiguration of archives sinistered by means of digital representatives of the original collection lost, considering the case of the Memory and Archive Section of the National Museum (SEMEAR), which suffered fire in September 2018. this tragedy, SEMEAR was lost practically the entire collection. In order to rebuild it, the idea of reconfiguring it emerged from its digital representatives. In view of this, the problem of this research arose: Is it possible to reconfigure sinister collections from digital representatives, from the point of view of classical archival theory? What are the theoretical and practical implications? From the methodological point of view, the basic principles of Archiveology were sought in national and international literature. In this sense, the principles of the Original Order and Provenance are contextualized, identifying its characteristics and prerogatives. This research adopts a conceptual position on the use of digital representatives characterizing them as archiving documents, which will thus allow the reconfiguration of the collection. Este artigo analisa a reconfiguração de acervos arquivísticos sinistrados por meio de representantes digitais do acervo original perdido, considerando o caso da Seção de Memória e Arquivo do Museu Nacional (SEMEAR), que sofreu incêndio em setembro de 2018.Com essa tragédia, a SEMEAR perdeu-se praticamente todo o acervo. No intuito de reconstruí-lo, emergiu a ideia de reconfigurá-lo a partir de seus representantes digitais. Diante disso, surgiu o problema desta pesquisa: É possível reconfigurar acervos sinistrados a partir de representantes digitais, sob o ponto de vista da teoria arquivística clássica? Quais são as implicações teóricas e práticas? Do ponto de vista metodológico, buscou-se na literatura nacional e internacional os princípios basilares da Arquivologia. Nesse sentido, contextualiza-se os princípios da Ordem Original e da Proveniência, identificando suas características e prerrogativas. Esta pesquisa adota uma posição conceitual sobre o uso dos representantes digitais caracterizando-os como documentos de arquivo, o que possibilitará, dessa forma, a reconfiguração do acervo.

Reviewing the Department of Manpower and Immigration collection: a case study on item-level descriptions of immigrants in government archives, MRP

This MRP explores the need for item-level descriptions for a collection of twelve photographs of Yugoslavian immigrants held in the Department of Manpower and Immigration Collection, government documents section, Library and Archives Canada. Drawing on archival theory and the history of governmental photography in Canada, it argues that such descriptions help to properly contextualize the photographs as performative, visual records of immigrants and thus help situate photography’s role in Canadian immigrant history. Exploring the history of the collection to which the images belong, the MRP shows how images produced to promote successful immigrant integration into post-War Canada, can be understood as a more historically nuanced and valuable collection. Focusing on power relationships formed during accession practices within archival spaces, it also addresses the unintentional information provided by the prints and how it has been ignored during record creation to describe the departmental function of the photographs.

Reviewing the Department of Manpower and Immigration collection: a case study on item-level descriptions of immigrants in government archives, MRP

This MRP explores the need for item-level descriptions for a collection of twelve photographs of Yugoslavian immigrants held in the Department of Manpower and Immigration Collection, government documents section, Library and Archives Canada. Drawing on archival theory and the history of governmental photography in Canada, it argues that such descriptions help to properly contextualize the photographs as performative, visual records of immigrants and thus help situate photography’s role in Canadian immigrant history. Exploring the history of the collection to which the images belong, the MRP shows how images produced to promote successful immigrant integration into post-War Canada, can be understood as a more historically nuanced and valuable collection. Focusing on power relationships formed during accession practices within archival spaces, it also addresses the unintentional information provided by the prints and how it has been ignored during record creation to describe the departmental function of the photographs.

Provenienzprinzip und archivisches Denken

The following paper discusses the ‘principle of provenance’ as a fundamental concept of archival theory and practice. Whereas traditional archival practice follows an understanding of provenance as singular in origin, current discussions in the field of archival science open up this specific notion of provenance towards more complex forms of contextuality.

A reliable reflection? Challenges when documenting physical infrastructure

Purpose Maintaining infrastructures such as roads, bridges, railways and other civil constructions requires long term documentation that ideally should comprise a reliable reflection of the physical structures. However, the Swedish Transport Administration (TRA) states that its documentation is currently inadequate and that new working method are needed. The purpose of this paper is to study how the agency is working to improve their recordkeeping, by taking a closer look at two new positions that now coordinate the delivery of documentation from the building process teams to the agency. What is their role and what challenges do they face with regard to creating, sharing and preserving records with other areas across the TRA? The study’s purpose is also to discuss the concept of the archive in the current environment and how existing archival theory can be applied to long term documentation. Design/methodology/approach The study used a case study method, as the aim was to explore and understand recordkeeping practices and theoretical implications, without seeking to generalize the findings outside the Swedish Government. Two positions – the delivering coordinator and the receiving coordinator – were chosen as relevant focuses, due to their function as links between departments in which it was previously indicated that creating and maintaining reliable recordkeeping was difficult and where organizational structure might challenge the traditional archival theory. Documents and reports from the agency were used as research material through documentary analysis and a questionnaire consisting of 10 questions was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 10 coordinators at the agency. Findings Obtaining the correct documentation at the right time and of appropriate quality from contractors and entrepreneurs was difficult, despite detailed contractual rules and regulations identifying what should be delivered. The work of the coordinators was formally connected to the important tasks of creating, sharing and preserving records with other areas within the TRA, but in reality, the coordinators faced several difficulties due to expectations of their professional role, practices in information management between different departments and archives creation at the entire agency. The interviewees therefore had differing perceptions of what was meant by TRA’s “archive”: it was variously perceived as only including the registry; comprising only the records preserved by the archives department or encompassing only those records in the registry or in the agency’s business system/s. Findings indicate that the concepts of multiple provenances and the recordkeeping “single mind” might provide insights to better inform the recordkeeping principles needed to improve the current environment. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to the 10 interviewees in 2 roles, although there are more positions involved in handling records. Future studies may solidify or contest the different themes identified in the present paper, through interviews of those additional roles at the agency. This paper uses the Swedish concept of the archive as a point of departure in its analysis. Originality/value By increasing the knowledge about positions that are responsible for handling records at an agency, this paper can get a better understanding of how they affect the ultimate creation of archives. This will give Swedish public agencies and other organizations, better results when they are creating strategies to preserve reliable records for the future.

Introduction

The introduction establishes the critical and cultural contexts of the study and makes the case for the value of an archival exploration of Vivien Leigh’s working life and career. It positions the book in relation to existing work on Leigh and on star archives and explains how the book as a whole seeks to reframe her legacy. More broadly, the case is made for a reframing of star studies through feminist historiography, focusing on the laboring life of female stars. The introduction outlines the major claims of the book and how it navigates the fields of feminist film historiography, archival theory, and star studies, and details the main archival collections with which the book engages.

Russian Relations

This article explores the unlikely collaboration between a Swedish art and dance historian, a Russian amateur historian, and a Russian-Swedish doctoral student to seek out the early career of migrating dancer Anna Robenne (one of her names). The article looks into the activist ways in which the explorers interacted with Russian, Swedish, and Finnish archives in order to both reveal and make accessible cross-border materials and knowledge pertaining to Robenne. To explore the relationship between the Robenne materials, the archival institutions, and the group of collaborating historians, the authors draw on Caswell and Cifor’s notion of “radical empathy”. The article thus brings new archival theory into the performing arts domain and makes a dance contribution to the broader field of critical archival and heritage studies. To cross borders to account for Robenne’s Russian legacy counters previous historiography’s disinterest in following the careers of non-canonized migrating artists in the Nordic-Baltic region.