This week, we join the International Council on Archives and colleagues around the world in celebrating archives and their role in empowering knowledge societies. Against a pervasive backdrop of disinformation, manipulated facts, and extreme prejudice which has fostered such horrific pain and suffering in our world, we recognize the value of archives and all those who uphold truth, accountability, and justice.
Archives perform an essential function as keepers of the records of evidence of human activities and experience. They directly encourage:
- the creation of knowledge
- the affirmation of the histories and identities of individuals and communities
- the transparency and accountability of government and other entities of power
Archives are not dusty enclaves of archaic knowledge for the privileged; they are living repositories of information which should reflect our societies, our decisions, and our lived experiences.
Read more about International Archives Week and how archives work to empower knowledge societies on the UCSF Archives and Special Collections blog.