8c Post-script – File Notes on the Stephen Hawking Archive
Tracks
Practice and Identity
| Tuesday, October 18, 2022 |
| 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM |
Presentation Type
Traditional Paper -- Moderator: Michaela Hart. --
Video On Demand only available for a limited time
Session Information
'Changing Practice' means moving from where you are to somewhere new, taking some of the present and the past with you. One paper in this session addresses the necessity of applying principle-based description to the variety and complexity of recordkeeping systems that archivists now encounter; another considers the benefits of professional reciprocity models and sharing the specialist knowledge involved in managing cultural heritage collections. The third is a meditation on an archive that straddles the shift in formats, from handwriting to computer-generated media, and the inevitable questions raised about archives in the current 'post-script' era.
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Dr Katrina Dean
Keeper Of Archives And Modern Manuscripts
Cambridge University Library
Post-script – file notes on the Stephen Hawking Archive
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Please note: Video on Demand for this presentation is available for a limited time only
Manuscript culture is imbued with handwriting as a primary format, one that has been (or is in the process of being) replaced by computer generated media. The Stephen Hawking Archive instantiates this shift to post-script, or at least to new scripts. This paper reflects on my experience of accessioning the Stephen Hawking Archive, interacting with multiple stakeholders who attributed significance to the archive. I started with the question: what constitutes a personal archive? I consider questions of authorship, networks, and mediation. I wonder, has this script already been written? Or what can this remarkable archive tell us about archives?
Manuscript culture is imbued with handwriting as a primary format, one that has been (or is in the process of being) replaced by computer generated media. The Stephen Hawking Archive instantiates this shift to post-script, or at least to new scripts. This paper reflects on my experience of accessioning the Stephen Hawking Archive, interacting with multiple stakeholders who attributed significance to the archive. I started with the question: what constitutes a personal archive? I consider questions of authorship, networks, and mediation. I wonder, has this script already been written? Or what can this remarkable archive tell us about archives?
