Imagining Archives: Essays and Reflections

by Gordon Dodds (Editor), Gordon Dodds (Editor)

Hugh A. Taylor is one of the most important thinkers in the English-speaking world of archives. A retired civil servant and archival educator, he was named to the prestigious Order of Canada, his nation's highest civilian award. The fifteen essays in this volume are presented in chronological order so that readers may appreciate the broadening evolution and rich interconnections in Taylor's thought as these occurred over more than three decades. These essays link archives to social life and contemporary ideas. Long before postmodern scholars' recent fascination with "the archive," Taylor was intent on constructing archives anew, imagining them as places where archivists connect their records with social issues, with new media and technologies, with the historical tradition of archives, with the earth's ecological systems, and with broader spiritual meaning. Also included are two original essays by editors Terry Cook and Gordon Dodds.

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a poignant read, with all three 'main characters': Terry Cook, Gordon Dodds and Hugh Taylor himself now dead. Taylor's writings are a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a polymath: he constantly relates the work of archivists to work in other fields, particularly postmodernist history, communication theory and environmental studies.

Many of the articles were written just as the computer and networks of computers were starting to have an impact on recordkeeping, and some of Taylor's predictions are prescient. For example, from 1987:

We had better devise systems that are usable by our clients, and user oriented; otherwise, they will be back consulting us "monks at the gate" and much of the advantage of automation will be lost.

I loved his definition of research as "re-search, that is, the recovery of what was once known".

Taylor was deeply influenced by Howard Zinn's call to action in 1970 and proudly identified himself as an "activist archivist". His respect for the natural world and the work of those who try to protect it really shines through in his writings, with terms like bioregionalism popping up here and there. From 1997:

We are presently at a crossroads: either immensely powerful interests now driving an obsolete and discredited modernism will render the planet uninhabitable, or we will recognize the organic context of our lives and recover a sense of community that is in harmony with the "story of the universe."

He was also a deeply spiritual man and felt strongly that archival work needed more of a human dimension and to be used as an active force for change. As another English archivist who made the move across the Atlantic to work in Canada, I feel proud to have followed in Taylor's footsteps.

[Ed Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't heard of Hugh Taylor until his name was mentioned in a recent presentation about Archivematica, so I picked up this collection of his writings. It provides a fascinating view on the evolution of his thinking about the role that archives and archivists play in our society and culture. His views on the importance of the non-textual record, ecology and the political role that appraisal and acquisition serve seem particularly relevant these days. His writing is full of pointers into the archival literature as well, which is useful for me since I didn't get a good grounding in how archives and libraries are similar and yet different. If you are a library/archives nerd and not already familiar with Taylor's work I highly recommend this one.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out the blue Hugh! Some interesting ideas here.