Articles

Documenting the Difficult or Collecting the Controversial

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Abstract

Conflict has traditionally been a wellspring of historical research and interpretation, for it is inherently interesting. Examining controversy permits study not only of the contested issue itself but also of the context in which it is found and the factors that led to its appearance. Despite such inherent interest many archival and manuscript repositories have failed to document relatively recent conflicts in their areas of collection responsibility. Why, as a profession, are we reluctant to document the battles over school prayer, integration, abortion, gay rights, and even the fluoridation of water?

How to Cite:

Lamoree, K. M., (1995) “Documenting the Difficult or Collecting the Controversial”, Archival Issues 20(2), 149–153. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/archivalissues.10651