Hello Friends!
I have now been in the archives for about a week, just in time for American Archives Month. It's interesting to note the desire to raise awareness for the conservation and use of facilities that literally keep historical documents safe and secure for posterity.
I have been reading a lot from http://www2.archivists.org/about-archives to get a sense of the work that archivists across the country are doing. The people who have dedicated their life to preserving our history face a number of issues which range from bureaucratic non-sense to natural disasters. The spectrum of possibilities that threaten the existence of archives is terrible, but through education, more people can become aware of the existence of their local archives, historical societies, and museums.
Archives are truly amazing and hold answers to questions that future historians will ask about the past and the present. I sometimes ponder what future historians will think when they look at the use of memes and GIFs while they analyze the current election.
One of my reading assignments from the last couple of weeks included a reading from American Archivist. Randall Jimerson, a former president of the Society of American Archivists, who wrote an article called "Embracing the Power of Archives" in which he gives a series of images related to what an archive can be to patrons.
He begins with with calling the archive a temple: something that is awesome (inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear) which holds the heart and soul of humanity. The fact than many old libraries and museums were built to reflect Greco-Roman architecture to increases the feeling of reverence towards the materials housed within its walls. But because within the temple walls the artifacts are precious, to access the materials, it becomes a prison, with the archivists as the guards, making sure that the material being looked at does not get damaged or stolen. Then the prison becomes a restaurant, as the archivist provides a menu that outlines the available material. But, instead of getting a complete meal, the materials are letters, government documents, photographs, and journals that make up a person's life or a period of time in a community. It is then that a the visitor- the historian, must take the ingredients given to them. They read, analyze, and write down their best interpretation of the material.
Sometimes that interpretation is very hard. My second semester of grad school I took a class with Dr. Clayton Lehmannm a, classics professor, at the University of South Dakota. It was about Alexander the Great and a great deal of the class involved reading the sources from Ptolemy, Plutarch, and Curtius Rufus. I struggled as I read their account of Alexander's exploits. I wanted more materiel in order to better understand the events. Alexander historians were limited to archaeological evidence and the few surviving writings from the time make and support their arguments. Medieval scholars face the same strugle. Dr. Nicole Hamonic, the resident Medievalist at USD talked about her luck with archives concerning her research, but told us that due to a number of reasons, like war and other such disasters, some archives are no longer in existence.
The concept of even having archives is a complicated matter all together. Jimerson highlights perspectives from George Orwell and George Lucas, two pop culture icons that both had important commentaries regarding the nature of the archive.
George Orwell, ever the realist, warned of the consequences of archives. Due to the under-representation of certain groups such as slaves, women, and the poor the written historical narrative has for many years left out those histories. It has only been in the last forty years or so that a push to find and include other voices has been a concern.
George Lucas, as Jimerson argues, has a better opinion regarding archives. Due to the nature of the Star Wars universe, the Jedi Temple archives contains everything and, according to the archivist is absolutely secured. When Obi-Wan Kenobi is trying to find information about Kamino, he asks the archivist Jocasta Nu, for help. She is unfamiliar with the name and is certain that if it is not in the system that it simply does not exist.
Jocasta's faith in the archival is not meant to be over-zealous, but knows and understands the steps that the Jedi archives have taken to protect the contents of the archive. She believes that it is impossible for the archive to be corrupt.
It is not until Yoda reveals to Obi-Wan that only a Jedi can delete information within the archive that the story moves to the serious revelation of the clones located on Kamino.
Below are a two videos of the archive scene (because the all knowing internet did not have one video of the entire archive scene)
I understand Orwell's worry that some voices have not been represented and could be lost or silenced by the "victors". But I want to have the faith in archives that Jocasta Nu has in Attack of the Clones. I believe in order to mitigate the worries of Orwell is to make sure that the public is aware and invested in the order and maintenance of the archives.
The Jimerson article's essential message is that for better or for worse archives hold an incredible amount of power and influence over the future of our historical narrative and it is the job of the historian and archivist to do their best in preserving as many voices and stories possible.
As I continue to learn about the archives I hope that can share more fun and interesting stories and information that I find about the archives with you!
Peace,
-Kylie
I have now been in the archives for about a week, just in time for American Archives Month. It's interesting to note the desire to raise awareness for the conservation and use of facilities that literally keep historical documents safe and secure for posterity.
I have been reading a lot from http://www2.archivists.org/about-archives to get a sense of the work that archivists across the country are doing. The people who have dedicated their life to preserving our history face a number of issues which range from bureaucratic non-sense to natural disasters. The spectrum of possibilities that threaten the existence of archives is terrible, but through education, more people can become aware of the existence of their local archives, historical societies, and museums.
Archives are truly amazing and hold answers to questions that future historians will ask about the past and the present. I sometimes ponder what future historians will think when they look at the use of memes and GIFs while they analyze the current election.
One of my reading assignments from the last couple of weeks included a reading from American Archivist. Randall Jimerson, a former president of the Society of American Archivists, who wrote an article called "Embracing the Power of Archives" in which he gives a series of images related to what an archive can be to patrons.
He begins with with calling the archive a temple: something that is awesome (inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear) which holds the heart and soul of humanity. The fact than many old libraries and museums were built to reflect Greco-Roman architecture to increases the feeling of reverence towards the materials housed within its walls. But because within the temple walls the artifacts are precious, to access the materials, it becomes a prison, with the archivists as the guards, making sure that the material being looked at does not get damaged or stolen. Then the prison becomes a restaurant, as the archivist provides a menu that outlines the available material. But, instead of getting a complete meal, the materials are letters, government documents, photographs, and journals that make up a person's life or a period of time in a community. It is then that a the visitor- the historian, must take the ingredients given to them. They read, analyze, and write down their best interpretation of the material.
Sometimes that interpretation is very hard. My second semester of grad school I took a class with Dr. Clayton Lehmannm a, classics professor, at the University of South Dakota. It was about Alexander the Great and a great deal of the class involved reading the sources from Ptolemy, Plutarch, and Curtius Rufus. I struggled as I read their account of Alexander's exploits. I wanted more materiel in order to better understand the events. Alexander historians were limited to archaeological evidence and the few surviving writings from the time make and support their arguments. Medieval scholars face the same strugle. Dr. Nicole Hamonic, the resident Medievalist at USD talked about her luck with archives concerning her research, but told us that due to a number of reasons, like war and other such disasters, some archives are no longer in existence.
The concept of even having archives is a complicated matter all together. Jimerson highlights perspectives from George Orwell and George Lucas, two pop culture icons that both had important commentaries regarding the nature of the archive.
George Orwell, ever the realist, warned of the consequences of archives. Due to the under-representation of certain groups such as slaves, women, and the poor the written historical narrative has for many years left out those histories. It has only been in the last forty years or so that a push to find and include other voices has been a concern.
George Lucas, as Jimerson argues, has a better opinion regarding archives. Due to the nature of the Star Wars universe, the Jedi Temple archives contains everything and, according to the archivist is absolutely secured. When Obi-Wan Kenobi is trying to find information about Kamino, he asks the archivist Jocasta Nu, for help. She is unfamiliar with the name and is certain that if it is not in the system that it simply does not exist.
Jocasta's faith in the archival is not meant to be over-zealous, but knows and understands the steps that the Jedi archives have taken to protect the contents of the archive. She believes that it is impossible for the archive to be corrupt.
It is not until Yoda reveals to Obi-Wan that only a Jedi can delete information within the archive that the story moves to the serious revelation of the clones located on Kamino.
Below are a two videos of the archive scene (because the all knowing internet did not have one video of the entire archive scene)
I understand Orwell's worry that some voices have not been represented and could be lost or silenced by the "victors". But I want to have the faith in archives that Jocasta Nu has in Attack of the Clones. I believe in order to mitigate the worries of Orwell is to make sure that the public is aware and invested in the order and maintenance of the archives.
The Jimerson article's essential message is that for better or for worse archives hold an incredible amount of power and influence over the future of our historical narrative and it is the job of the historian and archivist to do their best in preserving as many voices and stories possible.
Jimerson, Randall C. "Embracing the Power of Archives" The American Archivist
Vol. 69, No. 1 (Spring - Summer, 2006), pp. 19-32.
As I continue to learn about the archives I hope that can share more fun and interesting stories and information that I find about the archives with you!
Peace,
-Kylie
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