Today’s session provided insights on several archives across the country. Each of the speakers began by describing their respective archives in terms of structure, approach, members, methodology and scope. Questions from the audience largely centred around what it takes to set up an archive, what kind of information and material one needs to be equipped with and what to keep in mind. The value of all material, even the most seemingly insignificant ones, was one crucial point brought up by several archivists as they discussed the use of everything from student yearbooks to balance sheets and small office notes. Methods used to conduct institutional surveys, to compile archival books that serve to visibilise oral histories et cetera, were also brought up. Interestingly, most of the archivists also mentioned the considerable overlap that occurs between archives, as for example, the Godrej Archive which also contains material on recruitments from IIMAhmedabad.
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