Related Material -- The Arrangement and Description of Family Papers.
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| Title: | Related Material -- The Arrangement and Description of Family Papers. |
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| Authors: | Wells, Elizabeth (AUTHOR) elizabeth.wells@westminster.org.uk |
| Source: | Journal of the Society of Archivists. Oct2012, Vol. 33 Issue 2, p167-184. 18p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Archives, Family archives, Family records, Personal archives, Archives collection management, Provenance of manuscripts, Library special collections, Archival materials -- Abstracting & indexing, Abstracting & indexing, British history sources |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom |
| Abstract: | This article examines the treatment of family papers in a sample of specialist repositories in the UK. It is suggested that there is an inherent tension between thematic collecting policies and traditional archival theories concerning the preservation of provenance. This conflict has sometimes been more broadly characterized in archival thought as the choice between serving the needs of users and that of fulfilling archival requirements. Family papers can serve to highlight these difficulties, due to their often complex provenance and wide-ranging content. It is argued that, through arrangement and description, archivists have sometimes simplified and, in some cases, distorted information about records in their care in order to meet the perceived interests of their users. It is concluded that authority records, if properly developed, could protect provenance, enable easier access and minimize the privileging of information within multifaceted collections such as family papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of the Society of Archivists is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | This article examines the treatment of family papers in a sample of specialist repositories in the UK. It is suggested that there is an inherent tension between thematic collecting policies and traditional archival theories concerning the preservation of provenance. This conflict has sometimes been more broadly characterized in archival thought as the choice between serving the needs of users and that of fulfilling archival requirements. Family papers can serve to highlight these difficulties, due to their often complex provenance and wide-ranging content. It is argued that, through arrangement and description, archivists have sometimes simplified and, in some cases, distorted information about records in their care in order to meet the perceived interests of their users. It is concluded that authority records, if properly developed, could protect provenance, enable easier access and minimize the privileging of information within multifaceted collections such as family papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00379816 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/00379816.2012.722528 |
