Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Seeking An Identity: The Portrayal Of Archivists In Film, Anne Daniel, Amanda Oliver

Anne Daniel

The image of archivists in media can sometimes seem nebulous. From descriptions of dusty, unorganized vaults and cardigan-clad gatekeepers, there appears to be many stereotypes perpetuated in media. Building upon previous research in this area, this study aims to investigate how archivists are portrayed in film. Films involving archives and archivists were selected and a content analysis of these films was conducted to address the following questions: is there an archivist in the film and how is the character portrayed? Can specific stereotypes be identified? Do archivists have their own distinct identities in films or is the archivist a non-descript …