ABSTRACT
The idea of the archive is an ancient one and the archive itself is often a locus of power. Archives can take the form of a stone inscription, a clay tablet or perhaps even a recorded memory and need not simply comprise parchment and paper. This chapter moves beyond definitions and interpretations of the archive by examining how an archive is built and developed, the sheer variety of sources that can make up an archive and how the archive can increase or recede in importance depending on the preoccupations and fashions of the day. It examines the preservation of an extensive archive of East European shtetl or small-town Jewry through the YIVO, an institute for Jewish research. By discussing The National Archives at Kew and the concept of community archives, the chapter asks once again not only what an archive is but also whom it should serve.
