The website that I chose to explore was the UC Berkeley Library Digital Collection. As I mentioned in a previous post, the collection offers digitized books, manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, and more. Its interface is easy to use and I found it simple to look through the archives. As a UC Berkeley student, I was fascinated to discover that we had a digital collection — I was previously unaware of this fact. Thus, I wanted to spend some time distinguishing between how our digital collection may differ from our physical one. I also hoped to learn more about our school’s culture and history. Consequently, I delved into The Bancroft Library archive, where I found 2 specific projects I want to focus on: “The Daily Californian, May 19, 1954”, and the “Free Speech Movement, 1964-65”. These two projects stood out to me, highlighting the diversity of digital archives through history, culture, and social movements. Nonetheless, they were both important to me, as they cover different aspects of archival work, including cultural documentation and political activism.

Description of Digital Projects

“The Daily Californian, May 19, 1954” (hereafter referenced as “DailyCal”) depicts a picture of a newspaper issue from The Daily Californian. On it, there is an article entitled, “Today is Women’s Day! all eyes are on the ladies,” by Joan Didion. The article includes the day-to-day activities of the women, pictures, and illustrations of women from various backgrounds, and advertisements targeted towards the female community. This collection thus captures the cultural and social context of the 1950s, allowing us to gain a look into the societal norms and culture of the time. I chose to study this project because the changes in DailyCal’s presentation of news and the depiction of women through history interests me.

The “Free Speech Movement, 1964-65” (hereafter referenced as “FSM”) is a picture of UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza on Oct. 1, 1964. In the image, you can see a man, Mario Savio, standing on the roof of a car. He is speaking to a crowd of students who are surrounding the vehicle. Based on historical context, this archive thus showcases the activism and political climate in the 1960s, emphasizing a crucial time for civil rights and student activism. I chose to study this project because it reminds me of the recent civil unrest regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; As someone who cares deeply about activism, I felt that this was extremely relevant.

Readings & Analysis

When analyzing these projects, I remembered several themes from the readings. Notably, Marlene Manoff’s article, “Theories of the Archive from Across the Disciplines”, emphasizes the continuously changing nature of archives, as well as their interdisciplinary nature and their importance in understanding historical narratives. In just the past decade, interest in the concept of archives has increased across various academic fields, playing a crucial role in research. The digital collection at UC Berkeley as a whole embodies this, as it includes historical content from various backgrounds for the public to gain, including history, sociology, political science, media, and more. More specifically, the “DailyCal” archive referenced above provides a strong example of this, as it not only shows media representation, but also gender studies and cultural history. Additionally, I felt that Kathleen D. Roe’s “Why Archives?” was also relevant towards analyzing the 2 projects I selected. In her article, Roe highlights the need for advocacy and raising public awareness about the importance of archives. This can be done by making historical documents accessible and comprehensible, thereby supporting education and awareness. In the “DailyCal” archive, the newspaper itself provides insights into the social dynamics of the 1950s, which helps educators and students alike grow their understanding. On the other hand, the “FSM” archive directly shows the result of student activism — gathering on Upper Sproul — and can be paralleled to student activism today — the Pro-Palestinian encampment. Moreover, “Dear Students” by Ricardo L. Punzalan stresses the role of archivists in preserving social justice. He calls them to be “agents of truth and accountability”, ultimately ensuring that voices are documented and accessible for generations. As previously mentioned, the “FSM” archive documents the fight for free speech and civil rights, hence providing evidence of the struggles and achievements of activists. Without evidence from this archive, historians may not have gotten an accurate portrayal of the movement.

Personal Reflection – What Are Archives?

After conducting this research, I believe that archives are collections of records that are preserved for their historical, cultural, and sociopolitical benefits. Collections of these archives can be effectively applied in the digital realm, as shown through the UC Berkeley Library Digital Collection. They are crucial for understanding the past, present, and future, and can impact a wide diversity of topics, including politics, economics, history, art, and culture. Nonetheless, I feel that through my research, these archives need to follow principles of authenticity and originality, otherwise it can affect future learnings. When I am creating my own archives for my final project, I hope to focus on maintaining the context and authenticity of my records. I want to make sure that I avoid personal bias and plagiarism, while verifying that all my sources are objective. I also hope that my archive can be easily accessible and engaging for more than just this class. In this way, it might have a historical impact on future generations!

Readings Cited

Marlene Manoff, “Theories of Archives across all disciplines.”
Ricardo L. Punzalan, “Dear Students:Becoming an Archivist in a Time of Uncertainty and Unrest,” The Library Quarterly 87:4 (2017): 303-305
Kathleen D. Roe, “Why Archives?.” The American Archivist 79, no. 1 (2016)