The Guardians of Memory: How Archivists Preserve, Perform, and Produce History.
In the grand storytelling of history, we often celebrate the historians, researchers, and writers who bring the past to life. But behind every compelling historical account, every revelatory documentary, and every well-researched book, there is an unsung hero: the archivist. Archivists are the custodians of history, the gatekeepers of knowledge, and the protectors of our collective memory. Their work goes far beyond storing old documents in dusty boxes. Archivists preserve, perform, and even produce history in ways that shape how we understand the past and navigate the future.
Preserving History: The Keepers of Memory
At its core, archiving is about preservation. Archivists work tirelessly to ensure that documents, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and even digital records are kept intact for future generations. But preservation isn’t just about keeping old things—it’s about protecting the stories embedded within them. From climate-controlled vaults that prevent deterioration to cutting-edge digital preservation techniques, archivists battle time, decay, and even human neglect to safeguard invaluable materials. Without their meticulous efforts, crucial primary sources—like letters from the Civil Rights Movement, indigenous oral histories, or records from pivotal court cases—could be lost forever.
Producing History: Shaping the Narrative
Archivists don’t just preserve and perform history—they help produce it. Archivists shape the historical record by deciding what gets archived, how materials are categorized, and what is made publicly available. Their work influences what future generations will know (or not know) about the past. This responsibility comes with challenges. What happens when historical materials are missing, damaged, or deliberately erased? How do archivists ensure marginalized communities are represented in archives? In recent years, archival institutions have worked to decolonize archives, actively seeking out voices that were once ignored or excluded.
Bergis Jules questions archivists, in his 2016 speech to the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, by asking if they are “ready to confront the fact that professional practices have upheld, and even facilitated, the institutionalized dehumanization of Black people, indigenous peoples, immigrants, trans, and gender nonconforming people, and other marginalized communities.” Sam Winn uses Jules’s speech in her, The Hubris of Neutrality in Archives to support her argument of how neutrality in archiving could be harmful.
Why Archivists Matter More Than Ever?
In an age of rapid digital communication, fake news, and disappearing online content, archivists are more vital than ever. They preserve the tweets and social media posts that document modern social movements, digitize endangered historical records, and ensure that future historians have a reliable foundation to work from.
Archivists don’t just keep records—they keep history alive. They bridge the past and the present, ensuring that we remember where we’ve been and helping us make sense of where we’re going. So the next time you visit a museum, read a historical article, or watch a documentary, remember the invisible hands that made it all possible.
History doesn’t just happen. It is preserved, performed, and produced—one archive at a time.
Jules, Bergis. “Confronting Our Failure of Care Around the Legacies of Marginalized People in the Archives.” On Archivy. Medium, October 22, 2017. https://medium.com/on-archivy/confronting-our-failure-of-care-around-the-legacies-of-marginalized-people-in-the-archives-dc4180397280.
Sam Winn. 2017. “The Hubris of Neutrality in Archives.” On Archivy. Medium, April 24, 2017