ABSTRACT

This article argues that archival access systems require a new archival ecosystem (physical infrastructure, access tools, e.g., catalogs, findings aids, indexes, rules policies procedures, and institutional supports) and a broader conceptual framing. Based on the findings from sixteen interviews with archivists, this article proposes a multifaceted, relationship-based access framework. The framework focuses on supporting users studying difficult histories or members of oppressed communities in a physical archives but also highlights elements that all users might appreciate.