[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Scrapbbooking: Plusses and Minuses



This post is in response to the recent discussion by Roy Webb, Beth Harris,
Lisa Demers, Sharon Centanne, and others, on the scrapbooking trend that has
gained popularity in recent years.  I have been following the growth of this
activity with interest but have not yet seen any serious writing on it (the
trend, with its 'archival-quality' supplies, stickers, etc., that seem to be
spawning a mini-industry), either from the historian's perspective or the
archivist's.  Despite the obvious pitfalls (cropping, etc.), I find it very
interesting as a reflection of the way members of society are getting
involved (increasingly, perhaps?) in documenting their activities.  All I've
been able to find thus far in a literature search, however, are a few
journalistic pieces and, largely, the industry perspective--which is telling
in and of itself.  (America, land of commercial opportunity!)

As far as endorsing or condemning scrapbooking goes, I would tend towards
the slightly heretical viewpoint of "if you can't beat them, join them."
First, it seems to me as though archivists have the means and the motive to
help ensure that things are done right.  (Or if not completely right, at
least not horrendously wrong.  This is a popular activity that is going to
continue with or without our intervention.)  Second, we also have here a
golden opportunity to raise the public profile of archivists-if, that is, we
can recover from our horror at the cropping and the overly cutesy
paraphernalia, to step out into the limelight and lend our expertise, if not
our blanket approval.  (I must confess to my own cringing at a lovely
scrapbook page I saw, "At the Beach," with fancy paper, beautiful lettering
and layout, and absolutely no indication of date, location, or names of
persons pictured in the photos.)  Third, the fact that America is 'into'
doing this should be saying something to us as archivists.  Part of our
mission is to document society, is it not?  What should we be looking for on
the micro level (individual examples of this new breed of scrapbooks) and on
the macro level (the overall trend), and what should we say and do about it?

Further comments?  Questions?  Ripostes?  Interest in developing these
ideas, or others you may have on the topic, into a possible future SAA
session?  I will be at this year's SAA conference-attending the albums and
scrapbooks session, of course!-and would love to talk with you.

Rebecca Bizonet
(Neophyte Archivist, U-M '01)
Information Resources Associate, Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library
Manuscript and Reference Assistant, Bentley Historical Library
University of Michigan
email:  biz@umich.edu

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>