Engaging with Records and Archives

The cogent discussion of how archives participate in - or are excluded from - power structures and culutral memory, especially in the chapter on "archival silence", will be fascinating to many, especially in today's political climate. The volume includes interesting international perspectives, especially from countries such as Malawi, Italy and Poland.

The diverse papers submitted by eleven authors make challenging reading, so this book will interest academics and can be used as a textbook in history or archives courses. It may also interest records managers and scholars in media studies and history, as well as data curation, art history, library science, and other disciplines.

It is a welcome, and almost necessary, addition to the shelves of academic institutions and to those of practicing archivists, especially those wanting to keep up with the developments and issues of their field...It's not often that such an intellectual book is also eminently approachable. The editors and contributors should be well pleased with their efforts; no doubt readers will be, too.

...it is certainly the case that the majority of articles are engagingly written, the authors are well-informed and expert commentators, and the topics themselves relevant to many professionals.

The editors have compiled a book that is both remarkably open-minded and forward-thinking, while still retaining the rigor of traditional historical and archival practices. Each essay stands firmly on its own yet complements the others in a refreshing way; not unlike when you introduce a favorite piece of music or artwork to someone who has never seen it before and they point out something poignant and meaningful that you had overlooked, adding to the complexity and beauty of your own perspective. Sometimes that new information is hidden in plain view, as several of these essays illustrate, but it brings a more holistic outlook that unites all involved in creating, using, and appreciating that piece. This book accomplishes that for records and makes familiar topics new again, ready to be rediscovered in promising ways.