New SAA Book Forthcoming in October

Archival literature is full of examples of what archivists do and how they do it. In Archival Virtue: Relationship, Obligation, and the Just Archives, Scott Cline raises questions that grapple with the meaning of what archivists do and, perhaps more important, who they are. Embracing the language of moral philosophy and theology, the book explores ideas of moral commitment, truth, difference, and just behavior in the pursuit of archival ideals. Cline proposes that if virtues are sources of power that inspire us to act justly on behalf of a better world, then archival virtue is a form of radical empowerment, one that obligates us to cherish and sustain human dignity, which is the essence of archival justice. Forthcoming October 2021 | 226 pp | $55 (SAA Members $39)