The document discusses the history of public participation in archives from ancient Greece and Rome to modern participatory archiving. It covers how the French Revolution established public access to archives as a right and how independent community archives have expanded what materials are considered worthy of being archived. Finally, it explores how participatory archiving engages others in contributing knowledge to archives online.
7. Greece
Inscribed stelai (both originals and copies) reveal
the nature of Athenian democracy, and the texts of
the decrees issued by the Council and Popular
Assembly during the period from the end of the 6th
c. BC down to the 3rd c. AD shed light on the history
and development of the Athenian democracy over
time.
Exhibit: Athenian Democracy in Australia, organized by the
Epigraphic Museum of Athens in collaboration with Athens
University.
8. Rome
Quaestores:
Young and inexperienced men because the
quaestorship was the first step in the career
of Roman officials …and served for one year
only, so they hadn’t the opportunity of
familiarizing themselves with the records,
and depended entirely on their subordinates,
who were the actual ‘record managers’.
Duranti, 8-9
Palazzo Senatorio seen from the Roman Forum
11. French Revolution: Archives Nationales
The National Archives of France emerge in 1790 as the
place that “would contain the constitution of the nation, the
rights enjoyed by its citizens [and] the laws that emanated
from and formed the state”
12. French Revolution: Archives Nationales
Law of 7 Messidor Year II (June 25, 1794)
…the central depository for the entire Republic.
…all citizens can ask, in all depositories, at the dates and times fixed,
communication of the pieces contained therein
Proclaiming public access to the records.
Milligan, What is an archive?, 161-162
13. French Revolution: Setting the atmosphere
1789 to 1856 was more an “archive making period”
1847 development of the reading room and the establishment
of consult hours
Decree in 1855:
made the deposit of ministerial papers a legal requirement
declare all “the papers held in the Archives ‘inalienable’ property of
the state”
assigned the director of the archives “under the tutelage of the
minister of the state” Courtyard of the Archives Nationales, in Hotel de Soubise
From: Getti Images
14. French Revolution: Setting the atmosphere
Access rules where defined:
the request had to be asked in writing, and had to describe to the detail what they wanted form the archive.
Request could be refused but refusal could also be appeal.
Archival users were identified: laureates, archivists, professors, other recognized scholars, official functionaries
and others with authorization.
Inside the archives:
Document classification
Inventories
Administrative protocols
Personnel
15. French Revolution: Access, what for?
Old Regime vs New Regime
Legitimizing: “the truth was the voice of the official
records”
History of France had to be written
16. French Revolution: Access - Control
While Laborde had faith that the Archives held a single, self-
evident truth, liberal publicité might aid and abet challenges to
the Empire’s interpretation of history and its political
legitimacy…The archival policy of publicité introduced the French
public to its Archives and set the terms for what became a battle
between state and citizen for the right to speak for national
history in Second Empire France.
Milligan, The Problem of Publicité, 20
18. French Revolution: Access - Control
The dilemma that emerged in the context of publicity, however, was
how both to protect and publicize these documents that were legally
held in the name of public interest. The prince argued that a
separation between archives for the public and archives for the
sovereign and his family was necessary for the Bonaparte dynasty to
protect its legitimacy and legacy.
Milligan, The Problem of Publicité, 26
19. French Revolution: Access - Control
Not Found
Surely the Archives could not be blamed
for sequestering documents they did not
even hold or at least that could not be
found.
Milligan, The Problem of Publicité, 27
20. Outside of France
Russia, Austria, Hungary, Prussia, or Bavaria:
Permission before arriving
Reference letters
Notes reviewed
21. French Revolution: Where it begins
Access as a public right - model for other
Archives
Archivist role between access and control
For good or for bad, scholars and documents
were connected from then on.
23. Independent Community Archives
Impact from the outside to the inside
The establishment of a community archive is, for many, a form of
activism that seeks to redress or rebalance this pattern of privileging
and marginalising. In other cases, although there is often an
underlying assumption that these are histories not told or preserved
elsewhere, the inspiration is not so directly political or cultural.
Rather, it is a manifestation of a shared enthusiasm for the history of
a place, occupation or interest.
Flinn, Stevens, Shepherd, 74.
24. Independent Community Archives
Community histories or community
archives are the grassroots activities of
documenting, recording and exploring
community heritage in which community
participation, control and ownership of the
project is essential. This activity might or
might not happen in association with
formal heritage organisations but the
impetus and direction should come from
within the community itself.
Flinn, Community histories, 153.
25. Independent Community Archives
Materials: documents, oral histories, objects, photographs, books,
ephemera, audio-visual materials, clothe, among many others
Intentional and very well thought activity of collecting
Archival significance
26. Independent Community Archives
The point is not that the criteria of value should be the same across
all of these decision-making processes…but that each is deciding
what is an archive on the basis of a set of externally applied criteria
about what is significant within a particular context.
Flinn, The impact of independent,165.
30. Archives 2.0
An approach to archival practice that promotes openness and flexibility.
It argues that archivists must be user centered and embrace
opportunities to use technology to share collections, interact with users,
and improve internal efficiency…It requires that archivists be active in
their communities rather than passive, engaged with the interpretation
of their collections rather than neutral custodians, and serve as
effective advocates for their archival program and their profession.
Theimer, What is the meaning of archives 2.0, 60.
31. Participatory archiving
An organization, site or collection in which people other than
the archives professionals contribute knowledge or resources
resulting in increased appreciation and understanding of
archival materials and archives, usually in an online
environment.
Theimer, “Participatory Archives: Something Old, Something New”
32. Participatory archiving
The archives and archivist soliciting and acceptance of others
contributions
A platform or space where this interaction can take place
Others interested in contributing knowledge or resources
33. Participatory archiving
Participation is an external phenomenon, a challenge the archivists
and archival institutions have to meet by deciding how to archive and
document the (primarily digital expressions of) participatory culture,
and whether/how to professionally engage in the participatory
culture.
Huvila, 364
38. Many historians, to take but one example, are asserting that
identity in the past is shaped by common or shared or
collective memory animating invented traditions, and that
such identities, once formed or embraced, are not fixed, but
very fluid, contingent on time, space, and circumstances,
ever being re-invented to suit the present, continually being
re-imagined.
Cook, 96.
39. Importance
If - as we say we do - our reason of existence is the public, we
should have a solid background on how this relationships were
built so we can:
understand why were are stock in some areas and why we have
advance in others
why access – control / authority – value / evidence – memory /
identity are so constant in our dilemas
identify the barriers that inhibits a trustful and sincere
relationship and constrict our goals
TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD
41. Questions?
What other things or moments do you consider affects public participation?
Do you believe “participatory archiving” is a true and genuine effort? For what
purpose?
Do you think authority is a necessary evil?
Can you imagine a new form of participation?
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