Introduction
Archives are a reflection and a result of what happens in society. This means that
they also (re)present society's changes and dynamics. Today, archives areundergoing
fundamental changes in every aspect that one might think of. Digitisation and
globalisation are turning our world upside down and reshape it. The same applies for
archives, the archival profession and archival science. Therefore, in the entitling of
this book, we decided to follow the metaphor of sociologist Zygmunt Bauman
(2006), who characterized contemporary society as being in "liquid" times. By this
he meant that present-day (western) society is in such a state of dynamics that it is
difficult to get a grip on life. All foundations are shaking. In our opinion, Bauman
has a case in stating that it is the main feature of the period we are now witnessing
and are living in. That is why you are now reading a book that has the title: "Archives
in Liquid Times".
This book is inspired by several motivations and convictions. First, the editors are
convinced that discussions and debates about archives in the digital age should
become part of the broader discourse on information quality. This discourse should
take place on several levels, for example on fundamental, conceptual and ethical
issues. Our observation is that this integration is hardly happening. Archives and
the archival community are in danger of being marginalised and 'doomed', when
- and because of - losing connection to debates about for example the ethics of the
internet and the development of data science. On the other hand, archival
science's rich and detailed knowledge of the nature and function of records is hardly
considered in fields like information science or philosophy. Building bridges
between communities dealing with information quality is not a mere luxury - it is
a necessity.
Our conviction is that paradigms and concepts that formed the basis of
recordkeeping in the analogue world have lost their central place. Attempts to create
a new paradigm or a new overall concept on archives in the digital information
society have not yet been convincing. This reflects our liquid times, which the
archival profession is also going through. The recent, extensive publication by
Monash University tries to cover as much as possible research developments in the
"Archival Multiverse" (Gilliland, McKemmish, Lau, 2016). In our view this
multiverse itself is subject to radical changes regarding its own context, its subject
matter, and its relevance to society.
Maybe we are all in the new landscape that Alessandro Baricco (2006) has described
in his socio-cultural critique "I barbari". In his account we are witnessing a mix in
which all former boundaries between for example high and low culture and between
fields of research fall apart. Most importantly he argues that present-day society
is not interested in "Why?" questions anymore, but only in Howquestions. His
Barbarians surf their network all the time trying to find correlations without
wondering about a reason or explanation of their environment. This network is
essentially very liquid.
Literature
Craig, Barbara L. (1996). Serving the Truth: The Importance of Fostering Archives Research in
Education Programmes, Including a Modest Proposal for Partnerships with the Workplace.
Archivaria 42, 105-117
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
Ketelaar, Eric (2000). Archivistics Research Saving the Profession. American Archivist 63,
322-340.
Lepecki, André (2010). The Body as Archive: Will to Re-Enact and the Afterlives of Dances.
Dance Research Journal 42 (2), 28-48.
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