Remembering things differently: museums, libraries and archives as memory institutions and the implications for convergence

Abstract In Australia and internationally, museums, libraries and archives are often described as ‘memory institutions’ in discussions about their possible convergence in the digital and physical realms. Yet a wider variety of organisations, such as schools, universities, media corporations, government or religious bodies could also legitimately be ascribed this title. In what special ways do museums, libraries and archives engage with the concept of ‘memory’? Do the roles of these organisations in shaping ‘memory’ align sufficiently for this concept to form the basis on which to ground arguments in favour of convergence? This paper interrogates the idea of ‘memory institutions’ and proposes that such a generic concept is not especially productive in facilitating the thorough, critical analysis necessary to highlight both the synergies and discords in the history and memory-making techniques of museums, libraries and archives.

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