‘These are not just pieces of paper’: Acknowledging grief and other emotions in pursuit of person-centered archives

Abstract

This article reports on findings of a series of interviews conducted with 27 archivists on the topic of grief and other emotions in archival work. Centering the words of the interviewed archivists and demonstrating a research ethic of deep listening, this article describes how the interviewed archivists encounter and experience grief and other emotions as part of working with records, researchers, and donors. Interview participants highlighted a lack of preparation for the emotional dimensions of archival work as well as difficulty and damaging silences surrounding emotions in the archival work. This article argues that a first step toward transformative change in the way archival education programs and workplaces address the emotional dimensions of archival work requires sincere and committed acknowledgment of these dimensions and of archival work as person-centered and relational.

On ‘Holding the Process’: Paying Attention to the Relations Side of Donor Relations

“…The interviews, which were approved by the University of British Columbia's behavioural research ethics board, followed a semi-structured interview protocol, where participants were provided in advance with a series of questions related to how grief was involved in participants' work with donors and creators, with records, with records subjects and with researchers; about other emotions involved in these types of work; about how prepared participants felt for the emotional dimensions of archival work; and about any relevant resources they found helpful, as well as about resources they wished existed. 11 During the interviews, additional related questions were asked to clarify or add detail and participants were encouraged to ask questions and to direct the conversation as needed to share their own experiences and stories.…”

Temporalities and Values in an Epistemic Culture: Citizen Humanities, Local Knowledge, and AI-supported Transcription of Archives

“…Most archival records, and not least the police reports, have an 'intrinsic humanity'. 40 It is through 'facts' (street names, geographical locations, legal jargon etc. ), intertwined with the interpretation and emotions associated with the fate of individuals -'why are they committing these crimes'-that participants return to in explaining how they develop knowledge and meaning in the project.…”

Created, Intended, Articulated and Projected: Four Perceptions of Purpose Around the Archival Document for Expert Users

“…Interaction is used to summarise the processes involved to create a state where the user can critically reflect, 24 conceptualise and/or 'make meaning' in relation to the archival documents they use within an archival organisation. Interaction includes the user's emotional responses to the archival document itself, 25 and encompasses the notion of information use behaviour and the mental acts involved in finding, accessing, and engaging with the archival document within an archival organisation, interpreting it, and 'incorporating the information found into the person's existing knowledge base'. 26 This may involve reflective practices such as 'awareness of constructive and literary aspect, the specific characteristics of the sources, and the narratives built in archives and documents as well as the narratives derived from them'.…”