Frans Smit reflects on another basic concept in archival theory: authenticity. His
essay gives an overview of how this concept is used regarding archives. He argues that
to gain a better understanding of the authenticity of records in a digital
environment, it is necessary to redefine the nature of records and their context. He
uses the concept of hyperobjects, originating from ecological philosopher Timothy
Morton, to gain a better understanding of records in a data-immersed society, and as
a starting point to rethink the way authenticity of records in such an environment
can be asserted.
Information ethics is the central issue of the essay by Martijn van Otterlo. He
explores the ethics concerning digital archives from the perspective of data science,
and with an emphasis on the role of algorithms. Ethical principles, about access,
have been formalised and communicated in the form of ethical codes, or: codes of
conduct. This last topic brings us from the intended, human archivist in physical
domains to the intentional, algorithmic archivist, of: algivist, in the digital domain.
Which codes of conduct should be made for the latter, and how to implement them?
The book concludes with interviews in which two internationally renowned
scholars. Archival theorist Eric Ketelaar and information philosopher Luciano
Floridi share their reflections on the subjects raised in this book. The interviews
mainly concern the nature (and future) of records, the (digital) ethics concerning
archives, and the role that the various professional communities on information
should play nowadays.
As editors we hope that this book will stimulate the exchange of ideas, concepts and
critical thinking from different areas. We also hope that it can be of help in taking
further steps in building bridges between archival thinking and the many other
fields of research concerning the quality of information. We hope that the book
offers some anchors of thought in these liquid times, maybe even anchors for new
programs of research into the nature, the position and the societal importance of
archives in our data-immersed digital information society.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following persons, without whom this book would not
have been realised. First, we would like to thank Luciano Floridi for his continuous
support for this project, from our interview in 2014 for the Dutch Archievenblad
(Glaudemans, Jonker, Smit, 2015) until our visit to the Oxford Internet Institute in
2017. Geert-Jan van Bussel has been a close and critical supporter of our project. Not
only did he produce two important contributions, but he also gave feedback on
several essays. We would like to thank Martijn van Otterlo for sharing his insights
and experience that was helpful to avoid some pitfalls during the realisation of this
project. Geoffrey Yeo gave us some fundamental thoughts on the character and the
title of the book, for which we are very grateful. Patrick Allo gave very valuable advice
and assistance at the start of our adventure. We thank Eric Ketelaar for his
cooperation throughout the last stages of the project, including his preface and
his interview. We would like to thank Meike Geerlings for editing the English
language of several essays. Marius Jansen from the Regional Archives of Tilburg and
Nadine Groffen of the Dutch National Archives were most helpful on several
occasions and we thank them for their hospitality. We are grateful to Prof. Charles
Jeurgens and the University of Amsterdam for giving the opportunity to present our
book during a special symposium. And finally, we would like to thank Hans Berende,
and with him the Stichting Archiefpublicaties, for the possibility to produce and
publish this book. If it were not for Hans and S@P, this book would never have come
into existence.
Arnoud Glaudemans
Rienk Jonker
Frans Smit
introduction
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Literature
Baricco, A. (2006). Ibarbari, saggiosulla mutazione. Milano: Feltrinelli.
Bauman, Z. (2007). Liquid Times, Living in an Age of Uncertainty. Cambridge (UK): Polity Press.
Gilliland, A.J., McKemmish, S., Lau, A.J. (eds.) (2016). Research in the Archival Multiverse.
Clayton, VIC: Monash University Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.26530/OAPEN_628143
Glaudemans, A., Jonker R., Smit F. (2015). The right people and the right forces need to get
together, Interview with Prof. Luciano Floridi, Archievenblad, L-F, 01/2015. Retrieved from
http://www.youblisher.com/p/1048348-Archievenblad-uitgave-van-de-Koninklijke-
Vereniging-van-Archivarissen-in-Nederland/
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