Research in the Sacred Space of the Archive: Moving from Undergraduate Training to Professional Duty

Authors

Laura Judd, Brigham Young University
Paul Kerry, Brigham Young University

Keywords

undergraduate training, professional study, archives, historical knowledge

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

History

Abstract

Archives function as a sacred space of the scholar. They preserve the fragile remains of the past, offering access only to the most respectful readers. Perhaps this is why, for the undergraduate history student, the relationship between historian and archive often remains veiled. A typical history student at BYU interacts with the archive mainly through information collected in books; for that student, the archive is understood abstractly as a source of historical knowledge. As my undergraduate education drew to a close, I had the opportunity in July of 2008 to visit some of the most well established archives in the United States. Archival space has become a site for me to literally connect with the past, a space where my undergraduate training in historical practices are able to merge with deep respect for the goals and duties of the historian’s undertaking at a professional level.

Recommended Citation

Judd, Laura and Kerry, Paul (2013) "Research in the Sacred Space of the Archive: Moving from Undergraduate Training to Professional Duty," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 318.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/318