ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that archives need respect and support for the unremarkable work they routinely do, while at the same time they need to re-think their practices and attitudes toward digital access – as some national archives are notably doing. One crucial obstacle is the complex state of film ownership, differently defined in various jurisdictions. Film archives would benefit greatly from recognition of their status as outside the commercial field, both in terms of ownership and the market for footage sales. Above all, most archives need to demonstrate their continuing value to their hosts and paymasters. Exactly what they do and why it matters needs greater articulated clarity.
