Canonization, Archivalization, and the

Abstract

In this paper, I argue that there are archival counterparts to the constructs of literary canon formation. Using Eric Ketelaar’s concept of ‘archivalization,’ which is the sociocultural process that determines whether something will be archived, I subsequently define the concept of ‘archivicity’ as the abstract set of properties of a record that determines if a record is ‘archival’ or ‘non-archival.’ We will also investigate the institutional embodiment of a holistic ‘archival paradigm,’ wherein archives and archivists recognize their role as preserving and potentially interpreting records as a form of cultural capital. However, as we will see, this paradigm also has a central role in the perpetuation of ideology. Finally, we will investigate ways in which to ‘open the archives’ by transforming and rethinking archival practice given our analysis.