ONGOING collaborative web exhibit. Curated by International Council of Archives. ICA : 70 years of international influence Tells the history of the International Council of Archives (ICA), from its founding in 1948 to 2018, in a "virtual exhibition." COMPLETED in-person exhibit. Curated by Chloe Ottenhoff. On display September 14 – December 14, 2018 Building a... Continue Reading →
Review of “Manuscript Circulation and the Invention of Politics in Early Stuart England”
Noah Millstone, Manuscript Circulation and the Invention of Politics in Early Stuart England (Cambridge University Press, 2016). xvi + 358 pp. ISBN: 978-1107120723. In the last quarter century or so, scholars have been busy uncovering a rich manuscript culture in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England too long overshadowed by print. It is now clear that print... Continue Reading →
Quotable History – 1775
"Mettre dans un Chartrier un ordre qui dure éternellement, sans que personne le maintienne, est une chose aussi impossible que de faire une Montre qui aille perpétuellement sans jamais être montée: cependant on peut dire que chaque Archiviste approche plus ou moins de ce point de perfection, à proportion de la bonté de son système."... Continue Reading →
Regional Archival Organizations: History in the Making
With this post, Archival History News engages with the historical memory of archival institutions within the United States. The following two papers by Lee (Leon) Miller (Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University) and Lauren Brown (MARAC Historian, University of Maryland) represent first-person perspectives on the past, present, and future of regional archival associations. Originally presented orally... Continue Reading →
Quotable History, 1980
"Beth Hodge: Do you ever feel invisible in your role as archivist? Deborah Edel: Yes, I have talked sometimes about the loneliness of the long-distance archivist and the ambivalence that I experience. I think you've expressed it more, Joan [Nestle], and I think you feel it even more strongly because you're a writer. It's this... Continue Reading →
Recap: SAA 2018’s “Guide to Navigation in Perilous Times: Journeys Through Archival History and Historiography” panel
At the Archival History Section Meeting, the panel discussed critical issues of justice, equity, and political reform as they related to the use of archives and the employment of archivists in twentieth century America. Over forty attendees listened to current Chair, Dr. Alex H. Poole of Drexel University, and Dr. Ciaran B. Trace of The... Continue Reading →
SAA posts Open Access copy of Archival History Classic
The Society of American Archivists has just made freely available a digital, searchable PDF of Ernest Posner's classic Archives in the Ancient World, originally published in 1972. Reprinted in 2003 with a new introduction by James M. O'Toole, the book has greatly influenced the field of archival history, serving as a formative text in the... Continue Reading →
Upcoming Events
November 15-17 Illuminations: Manuscript, Medium, Message: 11th Annual Lawrence J. Schoenberg Symposium on Manuscript Studies in the Digital Age Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central Library (1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia), with a keynote lecture, and Kislak Center of Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries (3420 Walnut Street, sixth floor).... Continue Reading →
New SAA Intern (Archival History Section)
Natalie Worsham, Louisiana State University In August, Natalie Worsham began her year-long internship with the Archival History Section. Natalie lives in New Orleans and is currently pursuing the dual degree Master of Library and Information Science with a Graduate Certificate in Archival Studies at Louisiana State University, with an expected graduation in December 2019. She is involved with the... Continue Reading →
Quotable History
"Archivists often fail to benefit from our own archives' histories and stories. ...History helps us to understand where specific technologies came from so we can better understand how to use and evolve them; to understand the evolution of our archival principles and practice; and to know ourselves." Nancy Y. McGovern, SAA Presidential Address, Portland, Oregon,... Continue Reading →
