WHY ARCHIVISTS?

“Could the unassuming archivist be the true peacemaker of our time?” This was the question posed by an article in The New Yorkerthat spotlighted the Scone Foundation’s landmark Archivist of the Year ceremony in which the winners represented both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

There is no doubt that the records we keep influence our understanding of history, and the impact of past events on current probles. Archivists are uniquely tasked with not only maintaining these records, but also helping inquiring minds to discover and interpret new layers of meaning within them. The Scone Foundation dedicates its greatest resources to recognizing outstanding archivists, because without their formidable commitment to historical integrity, we would lose the very essence of what inspires our society to find multicultural solutions to modern-day issues. To know where we’re going, we must determine where and why we have been. Why do we honor archivists? Because, simply put, they are the unsung heroes of human culture – past, present, and future..