Information culture and the archival record

Abstract

New technologies pose new challenges for archivists not only because they change the material nature of archives, but also because they change ideas about information and its place in our culture. This article uses contemporary cultural theory to consider the intersections of information, culture, and technology in archives. It argues that context is essential to understanding archives and that archives are creators and reinforcers of power and authority. Finally, it considers two archetypal archives, assemblages of clay tokens in the ancient Near East, and today's World Wide Web, to suggest the importance of considering archives' connectivity and context in order to understand their use and power.