The affective dimension of archival work: understanding the thoughts and feelings of archivists who documented the HIV/AIDS epidemic

Abstract

Introduction. Affect is a vehicle of meaning-making that helps individuals adapt to stressful conditions. Affective experiences help meaning-making during life transitions and crises, but less is known about the affective experiences of information professionals, such as archivists.

Method. Employing a qualitative research approach, we conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with archivists working in LGBTQIA+ archives across the United States. We asked about participants’ thoughts and feelings about their work documenting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.

Analysis. Our emerging findings are based on an analysis of the first 10 interviews of our dataset. Our data analysis relied on inductive and deductive coding, concept mapping, and memo writing.

Results. Archivists who documented this epidemic had to interact with vast amounts of information about loss and grief. Our participants experienced a physical toll due to this, reflected upon the impact of the epidemic on the LBTQIA+ community, and felt a range of negative and positive affects.

Conclusions. Archivists' affective experiences are more complex than just burnout. Our preliminary findings suggest that the affective experiences of archivists documenting trauma and crises may not only lead to burnout but also to experience appreciation for the role of solidarity and the positive impact of documentation on the LGBTIA+ community.