The Archivist as Collector

Abstract

Some archivists and curators of manuscripts collect records; others (the silent majority) wait for the manuscripts to fall into their laps, never looking beyond their duties as care takers. This state of archival affairs has always existed, and doubtless always will; but there are imperative reasons for fresh viewpoints and new procedures if archivists are to keep abreast of current trends in historical research as well as recordkeeping. Simultaneously they will be well advised to hold fast to certain fundamental principles of their profession and to practical considerations, both personal and institutional. In the one world' ' spirit of a complex era, the individualism of the archivist and his institution must give way to the rationale of cooperation; but to what degree? This is the theme of a stimulating essay on The Archival Edge, by F. Gerald Ham,1 recent president of the Society of American Archivists. He contrasts the passive custodians of records with their active colleagues continuing seeking records at the source and ever alert to new sources. He contends cogently that the archivist, au courant with trends in historical research, should be out on the edge [where] you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center (quoting the character, Ed Finnerty, in Kurt Vonnegut's book, Player Piano), prepared to acquire the kinds of records hitherto overlooked because they were not considered to be of historical value. Further broadening his perspective, Mr. Ham advocates a national system of coordinated collecting that would obviate needless competition and utilize more effectively the limited financial resources thus far available for this pursuit. Adapting the aphorism that generation rewrites history, it may be said that each generation collects records anew, not replacing what is already in hand but enriching the accretion. As historical writing reflects the viewpoint and prejudices of the historian and the milieu in which he writes, so the archivist susceptible to current issues in historical context moves in new directions to collect sources

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