Preservation and archives personnel are periodically called upon to answer the general public\u2019s questions about personal or family belongings.\u00a0 Along with patrons\u2019 regular concerns, I have lately noticed a new and perplexing question:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is the historical value of my item?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is a significant and complicated inquiry that deserves a good answer.\u00a0 Two main issues puzzle me, and I\u2019d like to consider them separately:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>What does this question actually mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n My hunch is that seeking \u201chistorical value\u201d is to seek a connection between personal and canonical history.\u00a0 Individuals usually have a strong sense of the sentimental and family value of their photos and newspaper clippings.\u00a0 But does that emotional connection have meaning for other people, or within a broader historical context?\u00a0<\/p>\n The historical value question often has a companion, either explicit or implied: \u201cDon\u2019t you want my materials for your archives?\u201d\u00a0 I wonder if we might reinterpret that question as, \u201cDoesn\u2019t my specific experience somehow represent our collective experience?\u201d or more generally, \u201cHow do individual stories compose the larger historical narrative?\u201d<\/p>\n Further complicating things are differing definitions of \u201cvalue.\u201d\u00a0 A conservator looks at a newspaper clipping and sees brittle newsprint and printer\u2019s ink: not very valuable.\u00a0 A patron instead sees a family experience: extremely valuable.\u00a0 Where do we draw the line between the physical thing and the story it represents?<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>What useful answer can I provide?<\/strong><\/p>\n The critical thinking beneath the \u201chistorical value\u201d question is deserving of encouragement.\u00a0 But with patron inquiries, encouragement generally implies a specific, actionable answer.\u00a0 Open-ended answers, like, \u201cYou\u2019ll have to research that for yourself,\u201d\u00a0usually de-motivate busy people.\u00a0 Herein lays the challenge of answering this question.<\/p>\n To my knowledge, there\u2019s no such thing as a contract historian-for-hire who accepts referrals the way an appraiser would.\u00a0 For family items, my best institutional referrals are our local city history center and the state archives where I work.\u00a0 But these options may require substantial follow-through from the patron, and archives staff realistically have minimal time for questions about personal collections.<\/p>\n Perhaps a better strategy would be to assemble a reference list of books on regional history that might offer useful contexts in which to place personal belongings.\u00a0 Handouts and brochures always seem to be well-received, and a reading list might make an encouraging take-away.<\/p>\n I welcome comments about this issue.\u00a0 Questions about historical value, however that’s defined,\u00a0seem to offer a golden opportunity to engage inquisitive members of the public in historical and archival research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Preservation and archives personnel are periodically called upon to answer the general public\u2019s questions about personal or family belongings.\u00a0 Along with patrons\u2019 regular concerns, I have lately noticed a new and perplexing question:\u00a0 \u201cWhat is the historical value of my … Continue reading