Scottish writer and activist Sara Sheridan has suggested that “without archives many stories of real people would be lost, and along with those stories, vital clues that allow us to reflect and interpret our lives today.”
More than a repository of dusty documents for historians to sift through, then, archives can serve as a vital bridge between our collective past, present, and future. But what is an archive? How are archives made and maintained? What, and who, are they for? What is their function in in our knowledge economy, and how do different people, professions, and social groups make use of them? Moreover, especially as we lurch rapidly towards a hyper-digital future, what will happen to physical archives and the bountiful treasures from the past that they contain? What does the brave new world of the “digital archive” herald for us?
This faculty/staff panel will explore the notion of the archive from various vantage points. Panelists will include: Matthew H. Ellis (History); Margarita Fajardo (History); Roy Ben-Shai (Philosophy); Sophie Barbasch (Visual Arts/Photography); and Christina Kasman (College Archivist).
This event will take place in person, and is free and open to the public.