Unveiling the untold story : emotions in national archives

Abstract

National Archives are entrusted with the preservation of the memory and identity of nations and in so doing they are responsible for extensive holdings that need to be managed professionally and rendered accessible for public consultation. Such a mammoth task forces these institutions to dedicate a lot of energy to the design of systems and procedures aimed at regimenting the handling and access to documentation in their reading rooms. Th is process is a prerequisite to fulfi ll the legal obligations of the institution, guarantee the security of potentially sensitive data and archival items, and provide the widest possible access to information. It thus happens oft en that such a structured approach shift s the focus of the institution onto the records and services rather than onto the creators of the record and the emotions that the interaction with the records stirs in patrons.