Meeting #7: Archives of the People, by the People, for the People

Wednesday, May 7, 4:00

SML 409

Discussion Leader: Tom Hyry

We will discuss Max Evans' article "Archives of the People, by the People, for the People," in the most recent issue of American Archivist (Vol. 70, No. 2, Fall/Winter 2007, pp. 387-400).  Abstract:

Archivists today are caught between an expanding volume of records and a growing public

expectation that every page in every document is online and indexed. With so many records

and so few resources to provide on-demand access to them, the problem seems intractable.

More money alone is not the answer; larger appropriations or donations cannot solve this

problem. Instead, archivists must fundamentally shift the way they think about their roles and

develop alternative means and methods for doing archival work.

 

This paper introduces the concept of commons-based peer-production as a means of

turning collections inside out. It encourages archival institutions to reinvent themselves, and,

in collaboration with other archives and with other types of organizations, to organize archival

work in concert with a curious and interested public.

 

For SAA members, the article can be accessed via the American Archivist Online or downloaded at max_evans_article.pdf.