Archives: Principles and Practices

Archives: Principles and Practices

Archives

As the “Foreword” by Geoffrey Yeo says, Millar explains archives as “the tools we can use to help us understand where we came from and where we are going” (vii). Her book explains ways of understanding and supporting archives. It sets up important elementary archiving principles for the new and seasoned archivist alike. It defines archives as “the small portion of all the information, communications, ideas and opinions people generate that are recorded and kept” (2). She describes archives as “tangible” and “concrete.” The chapters define important archival concepts, including the fonds, provenance, and original order. They also describe ways of preserving archives. Later, the book covers weeding and deaccessioning. She also discusses ways of making archives available and ends with a chapter on digital archives. While digital archives “solve” the problem of sharing the information with the public, they also create a unique situation because they have seemingly endless storage. However, one of the most important parts of archiving is selecting materials. Digital archives are often called in to question, as well, because of difficulties in tracking provenance.

Millar, Laura Agnes

Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.

2010

Polk, Victoria

Book

ISBN: 1555707262