What Is the Meaning of Archives 2.0?

Abstract

and why I think it's a concept that deserves broader attention from the profession as a framework for discussing shifts in practice and values.My initial thoughts on Archives 2.0 were influenced by the Library 2.0 phenomenon.1 2 Note that although I used Library 2.0 as an inspiration for my conception of Archives 2.0, I associate a broader group of changes with Archives 2.0 than the library world does with Library 2.0. Like other uses of "2.0," Library 2.0 harkens back to the system used by software developers to signify new versions of software-that is, by assigning a new whole number (rather than using, say, 1.8 or 1.9), the developers signal that a software release has significant changes and differences. Therefore, terms like Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Archives 2.0 refer to new "versions" of a concept.I had the opportunity to restate and condense my vision of this new "version" in my introductory remarks for the session "The Real Archives 2.0: Studies of Use, Views, and Potential for Web 2.0" at the SAA Annual Meeting in 2009. 3 In that session, I argued that Archives 2.0 is a useful concept for characterizing the systemic and interrelated changes already well underway in the archival world. Many people use "Archives 2.0" to refer to the implementation of Web 2.0 tools in archives, such as launching wikis and blogs, contributing digitized content to social media sites such as Flickr and YouTube, and communicating with users through Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. Certainly taking advantage of Web 2.0 opportunities is one aspect of the changes underway in the profession, but it is by no means the only driver-or result-of these changes. I have two purposes in presenting a case for a broader meaning for Archives 2.0: first, to establish a common usage for the term, and second, to begin a conversation about the broader range of changes underway in the profession, which include, but are not limited to, the use of Web 2.0 and social media tools. D e f i n i n g A r c h i v e s 2 . 0At the 2009 SAA Annual Meeting, I needed a brief definition of Archives 2.0 and so developed a short list of what Archives 2.0 is not. Included in that list is that Archives 2.0 is not "something in the future." It's also not "a passing fad," "just Archives + Web 2.0," or "just for 'tech people.' " 4 1 2 Michael Casey is credited with coining the term "Library 2.0" on his LibraryCrunch blog in 2005. For a good introduction to the topic, see Michael E. Casey and Laura C.

Archives, libraries and museums in the Nordic model of the public sphere

“…Compared to libraries and museums, archives do however take on a more passive role in communicating with the citizens, although dissemination is emphasized in national policies (Meld.St., Nr. 7, 2012, and scholars have argued that archivists have taken on a more active role in their communities (Theimer, 2011b, Cook, 2013.…”

“…Although archives and archivists are moving in the right direction (Theimer, 2011b, Cook, 2013, Hosar et al, 2016, there still remain a lot of work to be done for archives in realizing this great potential for contributing to an enlightened public discourse.…”

“…Even though there is an emerging literature on libraries (Widdersheim and Koizumi, 2016) and museums (Barrett, 2011) as public sphere institutions, and archivist have started to actively engage with their communities (Theimer, 2011b, Cook, 2013, most of the literature on these topics is too general to account for regional differences in the role of ALMorganizations for national public spheres. One region of Europe that is commonly described as comprising a specific societal model is the Nordic region.…”

Revolutionary Digitization: Building a Participatory Archive to Document the January 25th Uprising in Egypt

“…1 Theimer states, "archivists must be user centered and embrace opportunities to use technology to share collections, interact with users, and improve internal efficiency." 2 By embracing a collaborative, Archives 2.0 approach to collection development and management, archivists at AUC have been able to build a participatory archive of millions of web documents, digital library assets, and scholarly communications.…”

Moving Image User-Generated Description

“…For more detailed and broader reviews of participatory archives, seeEveleigh, 2017;Flinn, 2010;Oomen and Aroyo, 2011;Theimer, 2011a;and Theimer 2011b. …”