Evaluating Access as Social Interaction

Abstract

Memory institutions rely on the communal use of their services to properly serve their purpose as repositories of information. If the very people who use and support these institutions cannot access library or archival services, they hold no value at all. Access, then, is an essential component of any study on the field, as any processes or services rendered by archives and libraries cannot be obtained without first establishing consistent access to them. This is emphasised all the more by changes in technology, particularly developments brought by the digital age, which have exponentially increased both the possible routes by which users can access information and the complications brought by increases in scale. When considering the importance of establishing connections between users and the records and items held within memory institutions, any evaluation and assessment should focus on defining what access is in the context of archives and libraries and how best to implement access in an increasingly changing field.