Archives 2.0: If We Build It, Will they Come?

The emergence of Archives 2.0 is less about technological change than a broader epistemological shift concerning the very nature of the archive, and particularly traditional archival practice which privileges the 'original' context of the archival object. In 'Archives 2.0' the archive is less a physical space than a digital architecture that enables participation. Here users contribute to the archive, engage with it and play a central role in defining its meaning. In this presentation, I will analyse the emerging discourse around an 'Archives 2.0,' identify some of the key challenges concerning the transformation of the archive from physical place into 'thriving social network,' including the lessons that are currently being learned from existing '2.0'projects. Since the term first 'Web 2.0' was first coined in 2004, '2.0' has become a weighty signifier, a shorthand for an entire set of transformational processes that might be called 'postmodern' and that are now accelerated by the rapid evolution of technologies where users are increasingly become the creators and not just consumers of content. Such transformation and opportunity has triggered a healthy strain of evangelism amongst the archival profession around the need to embrace 2.0 as a 'mindset' and not simply a set of technological applications. The archival profession itself has been a late adopter of '2.0, a fact often decried by these young archival evangelists, but the growing number of Archives 2.0 projects certainly indicate a growing trend. But what lessons are we learning about how the vision of 'Archives 2.0' becomes a reality or a failed vision? What motivates users to contribute content and engage in the archive? Evidence shows that we might understand the technology needed to make 2.0 happen, but we perhaps understand less about how we use them to build robust communities of practice. I'll explore these questions in the presentation, and invite the audience to contribute to the discussion.