Decolonizing archival description: Can linked data help?

• Published in: Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology
• Main Authors: Douglas, Jennifer, Bak, Greg, McLellan, Evelyn, van Hooland, Seth, Frogner, Raymond
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2018
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pra2.2018.14505501077; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fpra2.2018.14505501077; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pra2.2018.14505501077; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/pra2.2018.14505501077

ABSTRACT Archival description documents the provenance of records, their interrelationships, and the processes of their creation. The concept of archival provenance was first elaborated in the context of 19th‐century European archival institutions and reflects particular socio‐historical perspectives on the nature of records and recordkeeping. Decolonizing archival description is a necessity, not only because it contributes to the discoverability of Indigenous knowledge woven into records of shared provenance, but also because it disrupts traditional concepts of singular provenance, calls attention to complex processes of records creation, and permits more expansive understanding of record contexts. Linked data appears to (1) promise the ability to represent complex multiple provenances, (2) promote multiple perspectives on the creation of records and (3) allow archives and Indigenous communities to work together to implement what the First Nations Information Governance Centre has characterized as Indigenous ownership, control, access and possession of records of shared provenance. From a variety of perspectives, this panel provides a critical analysis of linked data as a candidate solution for decolonizing archival description.