Archiving Activism in the Digital Age
Ann Rigney et al.
In the collected volume on Archiving Activism in the Digital Age, part of the ERC-project Remembering Activism and the Marie-Curie project Memorights, Daniele Salerno and Ann Rigney brought together academics, archivists, and activists to explore some of the many new sites where activist archives are being produced.
The evolution of archiving practices
The archiving of social movements has long contributed to their cultural impact. Given the wide availability of digital tools for the making and storing of records, ‘autonomous’ archiving is today becoming a significant part of the activist toolkit itself.
In parallel, professional archiving has undergone significant change. This lead to more participatory and community-based practices that belie the idea of ‘the Archive’ as an institution merely serving the interests of the state.
Case studies and insights
With case studies ranging from Turkey, Afghanistan, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and the US, Archiving Activism in the Digital Age offers new insights into the opportunities and challenges posed by digitisation as well as into the tensions between autonomy and long-term sustainability. It shows above all the potential of archives to become sites of renewed critical engagement.
Archiving Activism in the Digital Age, edited by Daniele Salerno and Ann Rigney, is published open access with the Institute for Network Cultures (Amsterdam). Copies of the book in PDF form can be downloaded directly here
Free hard copies are also available on a first-come first-served basis. If you would like a hard copy to be sent to you by mail, a copy can be also ordered here.