Keepers, users, and funders: Building an awareness of archival value

Abstract

Archivists need to build an awareness of "archival value" among the general public if they are to command the support the profession deserves, and they need to work together with the community of public and academic historians in creating this awareness. The recent emphasis on outreach indicates that archivists are becoming aware of this need. But is outreach moving in the right direction? Merely educating the public about what archivists do is not enough. Archivists must create a larger body of users. By doing so, the profession will not only build a larger advocacy base for its fiscal support but will also help create a citizenry more aware of the sources and value of history and heritage.