Defining the undefinable: an analysis of definitions of community archives
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-04-2019-0049 |
| Pages | 617-634 |
| Published date | 24 November 2019 |
| Date | 24 November 2019 |
| Author | Sarah Welland,Amanda Cossham |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Defining the undefinable: an
analysis of definitions of
community archives
Sarah Welland and Amanda Cossham
Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to explore definitions and notions of what a community archive is, and the
tensionsbetween different understandings of community archives.
Design/methodology/approach –The paper is a critical analysis of community archives definitions
and understandingfrom researchers and practitioners across the widerheritage information sector.
Findings –Community archives are a growing area of interest for researchers because of the archives’
intrinsic link to the community and their provisionof the evidence of it. While discussion often focuses on a
paradigm of transformativepurpose, existing definitions around community archivescontinue to be tenuous,
reflecting differentreal or perceived types and practices and the perspective of the author and the sector they
work within. Variations in definitioncan also occur because of differences in perspective around theoryand
practice, with many practitioner-based definitions intrinsically bound with the community they represent.
This can result in community archives being defined as “alternative”based on mainstream practice or
“political”based on theoreticalpurview, or “meeting the needs of community”by the community archivists
themselves.
Research limitations/implications –The paper is conceptual and does not attempt to provide one
definition that coversthe perceived extent of community archives. It is part of work in progress on the nature
of communityarchives and the impact such discourse may have on archival theory and practice.
Originality/value –This paper provides an overview of some of the key issues and themesimpacting a
definition of community archives, and in doing so works towards a broader understanding the nature of
community archives. In most cases, the concept of “community”seems to provide a common definitive
element and practitioner definitionsfocus on addressing the needs of self-defined community to a greater or
lesser extent.
Keywords Archives, Archival collections, Heritage information, Community archives, Archival
practice, Archival theory
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
Community archives are a growing area of interest and an often-overlooked aspect of the
wider heritage informationsector. Over the past ten years, there has been noticeable growth
in discussion and research about community archives as a separate and distinct aspect to
large and formally constitutedarchives (Battley, 2019;Caswell, 2014;Copeland,2014). Wider
recognition of the value of heritage material and archives by researchers in the sphere of
cultural heritage, librarystudies, digital humanities and human rights is also noticeable,but
the body of literatureis somewhat dispersed.
The notion of critical archiving and giving voice to marginalised groups is another
aspect that is frequently associated with community archives. Groups seeking to establish
or re-establish their identity or to fostera wider understanding of their needs and problems
Definitions of
community
archives
617
Received29 April 2019
Revised29 August 2019
Accepted16 September 2019
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.68 No. 8/9, 2019
pp. 617-634
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-04-2019-0049
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9342.htm
may use archives to help do this. Marginalised groups include non-dominant cultural,
gender, religious, linguistic, ethnic, political and social identity groups (depending on the
country in question). These community archives sit beside what could be termed more
conventional geographically-based community archives and archives collections in (for
example) public librariesand schools.
While community archivesis used as an umbrella term (both here and elsewhere) to cover
the many archival places and collections that do not fit traditional(mainstream) definitions,
the concept of community archive is still nebulous within existing literature, and in the
archives and heritage communities’perceptions of this phenomenon(see, for example, Flinn,
2015;Jura Consultants, 2009;Ramsden, 2016). Differences in terminology, viewpoints and
approaches also mean that information about community archives can be hidden within a
variety of sector-based frameworks, excluded them from “defined traditional archival
practice”(Ramsden, 2016, p. 4) and making it more difficult to identify themes or concerns
because of this dispersal. Additionally, community archives are considered to have a
transforming role in termsof challenging the dominant modes of archival practice (Gilliland
and Flinn, 2013;Zavala et al.,2017) and as such may be dismissed, downplayed and
undervalued by other archivistsor the wider heritage information sector.
This article explores definitions of communityarchives, drawing on several approaches:
use of the term in the heritage information sector literature; the experience of the authors
researching, engaging in the ongoing discourse on and teaching archives management
(including community archives); and from research into the nature of archives in New
Zealand that describe themselves as community archives (Cossham and Welland, 2018;
Welland, 2015). New Zealand is a bicultural nation that draws on an indigenous M
aori
worldview; this worldviewis being increasingly recognised as important in the organisation
and management of M
aori information and the delivery of information services to M
aori
clients. As such, there is a strong focus on understanding and accepting an indigenous
paradigm as a key part of ensuring that the voices of all New Zealandersare represented in
the nation’s documentaryheritage.
The article discusses the tensions between different understandings of community
archives and identifies some key themes thataffect how they are understood by the general
public, as well as the archivesresearch and practitioner community itself.
Definitions of mainstream archives and community archives
Before looking at definitions of archives, community and community archives, we briefly
scope the kinds of archivesthat are talked about as community archives.
Community archives may be stand-alone entities or they may be part of other
organisations based in a particular community, such as schools, universities, historic
societies, churches, indigenous organisations, cultural or indigenous communities and local
government-supported or quasi-government organisations. They are generally small
collections although there is no particular size definition; most community archives are
small although not all small archives are community archives. As it is costly to maintain a
large archive, large archives are more likely to be government ones. As there is nothing in
existing definitions of community archive that excludes organisational archives from also
being community archives, we are including such archives in this discussion. Events, local
history projects,collections held in libraries, and fully online collectionsand exhibitions may
be called community archives.
Materials may include not only traditional archival items (e.g. manuscripts, papers,
records) but also published resources, copies of records (e.g. shipping lists, electoral rolls),
multi-media, grey literature,ephemera, oral histories, clothing and artefacts; collections may
GKMC
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618
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