Identity Palimpsests

Identity Palimpsests assesses the ways ethnic identities and other forms of belonging are affected by current practices in ethnic archiving. The book begins with an overview of the evolution of the ways ethnic organizations and communities have collected, preserved and provided access to their heritage. It then goes on to examine contemporary practices and theories in the context of a cultural heritage sector that is today defined by the digital medium and the Web. Institutions involved in ethnic archiving include libraries, archives and museums that document the history immigration and ethnicity in the United States and Canada.

Archival science has long challenged the image of the archivist as a neutral guardian of the historical record and recognized her role as an active shaper of archives, but historians have yet to discuss implications for historical research. This book is designed to bring new theoretical insight into the impact of this challenge on ethnic archiving, to suggest ways historians are affected, and to begin to study implications for the archivist's practice. The book also innovates by exploring the impact that archivists have on the very ethnic identities they are trying to preserve. The book's intended audience includes cultural heritage professionals, iSchools and Library Science schools' students and faculty, and historians. While the book deals with heritage institutions in the U.S. and Canada, it appeals to an international audience.