Dilemmas in archiving contemporary material: the example of the British Library

Abstract

The dilemmas faced by institutions in archiving contemporary materials are exemplified by current practices at the British Library. With a growing collection aiming to be comprehensive and of use to researchers, tensions between selectivity and universality in acquisition are soon brought to the fore. Similarly, a sensible collection strategy must balance the demands of openness against the needs for privacy.

Keywords:

• archiving
• British Library
• oral history
• secondary research
• e-publishing
• acquisition strategies