Halted by the Archive: The Impact of Excessive Archival Restrictions on Scholars

Abstract

This article, written from the dual perspectives of a scholar and an archivist, considers the impact of excessive archival restrictions on scholars who seek access to primary material in order to ensure the integrity and accuracy of their research. Ruth Panofsky's view is that of a literary scholar whose work is informed by archival research. Michael Moir's view is that of a university archivist who has facilitated scholarly access to York University's archival holdings. Together, they argue for access to fonds held in public archives and the need for archival institutions to provide and lobby for such access. In this article, author Panofsky draws on her recent work with the Adele Wiseman fonds, held in the Clara Thomas Archives, Scott Library, York University. Since that research was undertaken with great difficulty, the narrative that follows may dishearten some scholars. The eventual overcoming of the barrier of restricted access to archival material, which, for a number of years, hindered the progress of the Wiseman project, was due largely to dogged determination — her own, and that of the archival staff of York University. As this article shows, when scholars and archivists alike recognize ‘the archival home’ as a site ‘of constant discovery and excitement,’ 2 the viable outcome is research that is both vivid and sound.