Archivist and polymaths. Blog 3

 

The reading by Elizabeth Yankel has made me think about two topics that have been on my mind since the beginning of the course. The first one, which refers to the work of archivists and the limits of their profession. The second one, which I have discussed in the previous blog, is related to "dead archives", the author's reflection on "What is a record?" has served as a way to ensure the validity and vitality of these repositories.

Regarding the issue of the scope of archival work, as we discussed in class on one occasion, the article goes on to detail the tasks that, in my opinion, are exclusive to archivists. These tasks range from the method of organizing collections, always seeking to make repositories as user-friendly as possible. Hence, the context of information needs, and context of primary sources is taken into consideration.

On the other hand, the author contributes a fundamental element to this discussion, one that has inspired me to choose the title of this blog. Beyond administrative and organizational functions, the researcher emphasizes the dimension of the archivist's "Knowledge." According to the definition of Dauport and Prusak, knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experiences, values, context information, and expert insight, which leads her to call the archivist a "Scholarly colleague" of the researcher.

I absolutely love this expression. In my personal experience, it is completely true. The archivist is not limited to the passive role of moving documents back and forth for researchers; on the contrary, they are also researchers. The material knowledge that archivists have about the sources can contribute to the researcher's work in evaluating and understanding them. The four roles of the archivist as a translator, knowledge broker, boundary spanner, and gardener, to use the terminology of the article, turn the archivist (over the years) into a true "renaissance man," whose contribution to the conclusions a researcher can reach is vital, if mutual understanding is fluid.

Secondly, when the author revisits the concept of a "record," she sheds new light on the function and validity of "dead archives." As a result of this relationship between archivist and researcher, the record is not a passive container of 'content' but active processes of the record-keeping system that created the record. In this way, the recirculation, reclassification, or better understanding of the production context of a document can make old documents continue to provide "new" information. In this sense, we must recognize the advantages that digitization brings to the validity and circulation of repositories among a larger number of researchers.

Dead Archives?

 Do "dead archives" really exist?

After yesterday's discussion in class and in light of Terry Eastwood's reading, I've been wondering if so-called "established" archives are truly dead. My academic interests have led me to search for documents related to the Franciscan order's involvement in the Christianization process of Central America. The vast majority of these documents are not found in the Central American Isthmus.

Many of the archives from the ancient convents of Mesoamerica, by twists of fate, have ended up in private collections of universities and foundations in the United States, while another significant portion of these records remains in the hands of the Franciscan order.

The collections held by private institutions, such as those safeguarded by the University of Texas or the Academy of American Franciscan History, are much more accessible to researchers due to their standardization, arrangement, and the advanced state of digitization of their materials.

On the other hand, as I mentioned in yesterday's class, during a visit I made a couple of years ago to the Franciscan Archive of the Celaya convent in Guanajuato, Mexico, I could confirm that the organization of their collection was complicated and not very user-friendly.

It is my understanding that the Franciscan order in Mexico is consolidating all the archives related to the colonial period into a single archive, located in the city of Zapopan, Guadalajara.

This leads me to think that there are no "dead archives." Despite the institutions that produced these collections having disappeared or transformed over time, the act of mobilizing all these archives from different geographic areas to place them in one location, where they are expected to have their final resting place, represents a new archival endeavor.

I'm curious to know how the Franciscan order is organizing all this material. Is there a particular method the order uses to organize groups, subgroups, and series? Are they considering digitizing their archive? What are their criteria for maintaining private archives?

I guess I'll have to wait until I can visit them and find out the answers for myself. However, this class is providing me with valuable tools for analyzing these archives.

Digitalization here and there.

While reading Historians’ archival research looks quite different in the digital age by J. Abrams, I  meditated on my own circumstance. The author reflects on the work of archivists in times of digitization, although his concerns largely refer to the work of archiving in the future, it made me think about my present and the great benefits that the digitization of archives has brought us Central American researchers. I understand that the author is based on his experience from the technologically developed world. However, in the less developed regions of the world, the digitization of archives has opened the door to documents that were previously impossible to access, except at great financial expense, which in many cases are in the pockets of the researcher.

Large quantities of documents from the colonial period were extracted from countries, even in some cases in a violent or deceitful manner. Many of those documents are lost in private collections, only God knows where. However, others are found in important repositories in the United States, such as the library of the University of Texas in Austin, the Hispanic Society in New York, and others. The work, still partial, that these institutions have done to digitize these documents, has meant great advances for researchers in Latin America who no longer need to physically travel to the archive to access the documents. The amount of digitized material is still minimal, however, it is already significant.

On the other hand, I return to my personal circumstance. The article has made me think about all that other material that still, fortunately, remains in the original countries, but whose archivists work with very limited resources, and the dream of digitization is still distant on the horizon For these professionals, although the future already outlines the questions that the author raises in his article, their greatest concern is trying to keep pace with a world that advances rapidly, but that within the walls of its archive, seems to slow down.