This post is part of the Intergenerational Conversations series.

Review of Waldo G. Leland, “The Archivist in Times of Emergency,” American Archivist 4, no. 1 (1941): 1–12, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.4.1.027021201325xq18.

By Shirley Franco, Professor and Coordinator of the Archival Science course at the University of Brasilia’s College of Information Science, Brazil [PDF Full Text] | [PDF Article + Full Text]

As a Latin American archivist, I noticed a particularly intriguing detail in the opening of Waldo G. Leland’s presidential address delivered at SAA’s fourth Annual Meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1940. In the address, titled “The Archivist in Times of Emergency,” Leland mentions that he was on a trip to Lima, Peru, when he received news of his election as SAA’s president. Having visited Lima myself and delivered a “charla” speech in the Escuela Nacional de Archivística[1] (National School of Archivists) in 2007, I found immediate resonance in Leland’s brief mention of the “City of the Kings” and the “fascinating mysteries of Peruvian archeology” (p. 1). I was compelled to research other aspects of his biography, especially the relevance of his work for archival science in the United States and, possibly, in Latin America.

In Brazil, within our sixteen undergraduate archival science programs across federal universities,[2] Leland’s influence can be traced back through the teachings of Theodore Schellenberg, whose works are considered fundamental in these courses. Like many in our field, two of the most prominent Brazilian professors—Heloísa Liberalli Bellotto[3] and Ana Maria de Almeida Camargo[4]—also held Schellenberg[5] in the highest regard and included references to his work in their publications and classes.[6] This inclusion not only demonstrates Schellenberg’s profound influence in shaping archival practices in Brazil but also indirectly connects Brazilian archival science to Leland’s pioneering efforts. Leland’s foundational work in the field set the stage for Schellenberg’s later contributions, which now enrich our academic curricula.

This lineage of archival thought, extending from Leland to Schellenberg, and its relevance to our educational frameworks, was a focal point of my presentation on January 17, 2024, at the “Archival Landscapes: Brazil” event, organized by SAA’s International Archival Affairs Section.[7] My participation in this event is just a minor recent example, alongside the major contributions of my two colleagues, of the continuing interconnectedness of Brazilian archival science with broader, widespread archival traditions—especially those initiated and developed by those two giants of the field, Leland and Schellenberg.

My academic journey began as an archival science student at the University of Brasilia (UnB) between 1994 and 1998, and I have continued my career as a professor in the same program since 2006. Although I have studied Schellenberg’s work throughout my academic career, alongside such seminal books as Richard Berner’s Archival Theory and Practice in the United States: A Historical Analysis,[8] I must confess that I have overlooked the foundational importance of Leland’s influence in the field. This gap in my professional education is shared by many of my Brazilian colleagues and certainly needs to be filled. Delving into the impact of Leland’s contributions reveals the critical and urgent need for access and preservation in the archival field and the crucial function archives play in enriching our historical understanding and shaping our collective future.

Born in 1879 in Newton, Massachusetts, Leland began his academic journey at Brown University before moving to Harvard, where he transitioned from sociology to history. His distinguished career earned him multiple honorary doctorates, acknowledging his profound impact on the field. His collaboration with Claude H. Van Tyne in 1903 to compile the Guide to the Archives of the Government of the United States in Washington, funded by a grant from the Carnegie Institution of Washington, represented a significant advancement in American archival development. This early achievement, coupled with a twenty-four-year relationship with the Carnegie Institution, demonstrates Leland’s influential position in developing the archival profession.[9]

At the first Conference of Archivists in 1909, as noted by Berner, Leland delivered a paper titled “American Archival Problems,” in which he discussed the principle of provenance. According to Schellenberg, it was “the first time” this principle was referenced in such a manner, by advising that “archives should be classified according to their origin; they should reflect the process by which they came into existence. . . . Nothing is more disastrous than the application of modern library methods of classification to a body of archives.”[10] This advocacy for the principle of provenance is especially relevant today, as contemporary archivists deal with the preservation and classification of digital records. Ensuring that digital records are kept in their original context is crucial for maintaining their integrity, a challenge that echoes Leland’s early insights.

Leland’s leadership in the American Council of Learned Societies, his promotion of interdisciplinary thinking, and his fundamental contribution to establishing the National Archives distinguished the latter years of his career. Collaborating with J. Franklin Jameson, he supported the systematic collection and preservation of historical records, culminating in the establishment of the National Archives in 1934—a testament to his and Jameson’s enduring vision for national heritage preservation.[11] As Berner indicated, Leland went on to help found SAA in 1936 and became its second president.[12]

Through his SAA presidency and his landmark speech, Leland provided invaluable guidelines for archival practice under crisis conditions, conditions which he had the foresight to predict even before the US entered World War II at the end of 1941. His acknowledgment of societal change resonated with the archival community, underscoring archivists’ role in preserving history and heritage.

Leland’s address also tackles the persistent issue of collection storage space. He tracks the complexity of the escalating challenge of document overproduction and document allocation, a fact that points to the necessity of strategic planning of space management. Leland stressed the archivist’s essential function in emergency document elimination, stating, “The archivist, who represents the interests of future generations, must be enabled to intervene effectively on their behalf” (p. 6). The 2023 A*CENSUS II Archives Administrators Survey report, which gathered data from 746 archives administrators in the United States, reveals that collection storage space continues to be a challenge.[13]  

Leland called on archivists to devise innovative solutions to manage the surge in document volume effectively, encompassing the transfer of collections, the reduction of documents through selective destruction or compression, and the identification of additional storage solutions in auxiliary facilities beyond urban centers. This approach aims to solve not only immediate space concerns but also ensure the longevity and accessibility of archival materials.

In discussing preparations for addressing space constraints before emergencies arise, Leland noted the prevailing oversight in this area. He accentuated the importance of the “record making” process as a critical preparatory step (p. 6) and emphasized a scenario in which the archivist would play a crucial action in shaping these procedures. With their specialized training and expertise, this approach would ensure that archivists could significantly influence the development and implementation of strategies aimed at efficient document management and space utilization, thus preparing archives to face emergencies more effectively.

Eighty-four years after Leland’s address, the global landscape continues to be marked by turbulence, characterized not by a singular worldwide war but by various localized and regional conflicts, along with tragedies like mass shootings and terrorist attacks. Leland’s concerns about preparedness are thus echoed in perennial efforts to address archival emergencies today. For example, the devastating fire at the National Museum of Brazil in 2018 brought international attention to the need for continuous preservation strategies and emergency preparedness. Initiatives such as the Museu Nacional Vive project[14] demonstrate the archival community’s commitment to safeguarding records and cultural heritage under dire circumstances, ensuring that such treasures are protected and preserved for future generations.

Moreover, the heightened recognition of climate change as a pressing threat to archival preservation has spurred institutions to implement protective measures against environmental risks and proactively develop strategies resilient to severe weather to minimize impacts on archival materials. Recent scholarly work, such as Eira Tansey’s “Archival Adaptation to Climate Change,”[15] exhibits the importance of these efforts and offers a framework for integrating climate considerations into archival practices. Similarly, Keith L. Pendergrass, Walker Sampson, Tessa Walsh, and Laura Alagna’s “Toward Environmentally Sustainable Digital Preservation”[16] reveal the environmentally conscious approaches to digital preservation.

Leland’s insights resonate strongly with other current trends in the archival profession. For instance, the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)[17] has crafted detailed guidelines known as the “Levels of Digital Preservation,” which propose a tiered approach for securing digital content long-term. Similarly, the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC)[18] equips archivists with essential resources and training to manage digital records effectively. These initiatives recall Leland’s advocacy for rigorous training and thoughtful planning within archival practices. Moreover, the persistence of the Ukrainian archival community in safeguarding digital records amidst conflict is a poignant reminder of the pertinence of Leland’s principles.

SAA has also responded to Leland’s call for more resources to support archivists facing wartime threats. Leland emphasized the need for archivists to have immediate access to effective defense strategies against warfare threats, and SAA has significantly advanced this cause through dedicated resources and teams for crisis response and emergency preparedness. SAA’s “Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit,”[19] for example, stands as a central resource. This comprehensive toolkit is designed to promptly equip archivists with the necessary tools, including administrative policies and agreements, to effectively gather materials and documents—ranging from physical and digital content to oral histories—pertaining to community tragedies. With ready-to-use templates and direct links to emotional support, the toolkit aims to simplify the archival process amid traumatic events. This initiative ensures that the crucial work of preserving cultural heritage continues without additional burden on the resources and well-being of the archival community.[20]

Since 2018, SAA’s Crisis, Disaster, and Tragedy Response Working Group (CDTRWG), formerly the Tragedy Response Initiative Taskforce,[21] has developed and provided ongoing resources and assistance to archivists, allied cultural heritage professionals, and their communities in times of crises. The principal focus has been on relief efforts, cultural stewardship, and preservation. SAA also established the Crisis Collecting Assistance Team (CCAT),[22] which is organized by CDTRWG,[23] with the objective of extending remote assistance tailored to the needs of archivists who must navigate the complexities of crisis collecting. Whether by identifying best practices and logistics for documentation, or by providing referrals to allied organizations, CCAT, composed of expert archivists with firsthand experience in documenting both major and minor tragedies, stands ready to guide their colleagues. Archivists in need of assistance can easily reach out through an online form,[24] with the assurance of a response via phone or email within seventy-two business hours, reinforcing SAA’s engagement to supporting its members in real time.

Additionally, SAA promotes “MayDay” on May 1, a day committed to preparedness and emergency mitigation efforts within cultural heritage institutions.[25] Recognizing the unique pressures brought on by the COVID-19 health crisis, SAA curated a resource page on its website titled “Resources for Response to COVID-19 Health Crisis.”[26] This initiative offers essential links for managerial advocacy, aids for displaced archives workers, and other critical resources, embodying the profession’s resilience and adaptability in facing the complexities of a global pandemic.

In the latter segment of his address, Leland stressed the importance of leadership as a core component of training for archivists, tailored explicitly for emergencies. Leland argued that leading is crucial in the archival profession, reflecting the unique combination of being both a subject matter expert and an academic. To concisely present his viewpoints, Leland outlined five recommendations that I have summarized:

1. To protect the integrity and physical security of documents and archives during crises, archivists must acknowledge the pressing need for immediate research to craft effective defense strategies against warfare threats.
2. The difficulties of such situations call for inventive approaches to increase storage capabilities swiftly, ensuring the smooth transfer of documents in urgent conditions. Such efforts would complement the profession’s existing focus on reducing the volume of archival materials and prompt a thorough evaluation of readily available spaces.
3. “A series of brief studies” should investigate the structure of administrative bodies and their historical responses to previous crises to derive lessons applicable to current challenges (p. 11).
4. A “long-term study” should conduct a comprehensive review of government administrative procedures and work methodologies, aiming to streamline and enhance the efficiency of document handling and management (p. 11).
5. Archivists should develop “a manual” that provides comprehensive guidance on collecting and preserving archives in emergencies, aiming for a unified and thoroughly prepared national response (p. 11).

Together, these recommendations aim to fortify the archival profession’s readiness and response to emergencies, reinforcing the archivist’s role as a cultural heritage protector and a key player in crisis management. As previously noted, Leland’s perspectives on how archivists should be prepared resonate with SAA’s current strategies and multiples resources, which aim to strengthen the archival community’s ability to respond to and recover from adversity effectively.

Amidst these advancements, the embrace of diversity, illustrated by my own experience engaging with Leland’s work and the archival community’s push for inclusivity, showcases the profession’s evolving dynamics. The steps taken to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within the field resonate with the progressive values Leland championed, illustrating a current effort to expand the profession’s impact and inclusivity. Although Leland did not explicitly discuss DEIA as we conceive it today, his work demonstrated an innovative mindset toward these values. The accolades he received in many countries,[27] for instance, reflect an openness to diverse archival traditions and a recognition of the value of intercultural collaboration. His SAA leadership, characterized by his inclusive approach and advocacy for interdisciplinary cooperation, aligns with current DEIA efforts by promoting a broad and diverse understanding of archival science.

This engagement with diversity, as evidenced by SAA’s willingness to promote an intergenerational conversation between the prominent figure of Waldo G. Leland and a Brazilian archivist like myself, mirrors Leland’s expansive worldview and his own narrative. Leland’s curiosity and exploration in South America and his subsequent leadership of SAA, as a trained historian rather than an archivist, exemplify a forward-thinking mindset that aligns with the current focus on DEIA within the profession. This alignment reveals not only the progress and the expansion of the archival field but also demonstrates the continuing relevancy of Leland’s ideas—ideas that help to create a wider and more inclusive discussion within the archival community in accordance with the broad objectives that Leland himself envisioned for the profession.

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[1] Escuela Nacional de Archivística, https://www.ena.edu.pe/ (last accessed April 3, 2024).

[2] Arquivo Nacional, “Cursos de Arquivologia no Brasil,” https://www.gov.br/conarq/pt-br/conexoes/links-uteis-1/cursos-de-arquivologia-no-brasil/ (last accessed April 3, 2024).

[3] Professor Heloisa Liberalli Bellotto was the driving force behind the establishment of the Record and Archival Science undergraduate program at the University of Brasilia (UnB) and served as our first coordinator. Her visionary leadership and dedication have been instrumental in shaping our program, setting a high standard for academic excellence and practical expertise in the field. Under her guidance, the Archival Science program at UnB, along with other undergraduate courses in Brazil, has not only flourished but also made significant contributions to the development of records and archival practices in our country.

[4] Professor Ana Maria de Almeida Camargo, a historian, was deeply dedicated to researching archives and preserving collective memory. Alongside Heloisa Bellotto, she is considered one of the two founding masters of Brazilian archival science. Together, they organized the Dictionary of Archival Terms, first published in 1996, which remains a significant reference in the field. Additionally, Camargo and Bellotto were involved in numerous archival initiatives, including the founding of archival associations, directing the Association of Archivists of São Paulo, and serving on editing committees and research tutoring roles.

[5] In 1973, around the time formal archival science courses were beginning in Brazil, Schellenberg’s Modern Archives: Principles and Techniques was translated to Portuguese, one of the first books in this field to be translated in my country. T. R. Schellenberg, Arquivos Modernos: princípios e técnicas (Rio de Janeiro: FGV, 1974).

[6] Unfortunately, both of them passed away in 2023.

[7] Society of American Archivists, “Archival Landscapes: Brazil (IAAS Seminar Series),” posted March 20, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1S317Mz9NY&ab_channel=SocietyofAmericanArchivists.

[8] Richard C. Berner, Archival Theory and Practice in the United States: A Historical Analysis (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1983).

[9] Kratz, “Waldo G. Leland.”

[10] Berner, Archival Theory and Practice in the United States, 15.

[11] Russell, “Influence of Historians,” 281.

[12] Berner, Archival Theory and Practice in the United States, 3.

[13] Makala Skinner, A*CENSUS II: Archives Administrators Survey, Ithaka S+R, January 31, 2023, https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.318227.

[14] “Projeto Museu Nacional Vive,” accessed May 21, 2024, https://museunacionalvive.org.br/apresentacao/.

[15] Eira Tansey, “Archival Adaptation to Climate Change,” Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy 11, no. 2 (2015): 48, https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2015.11908146.

[16] Keith L. Pendergrass, Walker Sampson, Tessa Walsh, and Laura Alagna, “Toward Environmentally Sustainable Digital Preservation,” American Archivist 82, no. 1 (Spring/Summer 2019): 165–206, https://doi.org/10.17723/0360-9081-82.1.165.

[17] “National Digital Stewardship Alliance,” accessed May 16, 2024, https://ndsa.org/.

[18] “Digital Preservation Coalition,” accessed May 16, 2024, https://www.dpconline.org/.

[19] Society of American Archivists, “Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit,” https://www2.archivists.org/advocacy/documenting-in-times-of-crisis-a-resource-kit (last accessed February 20, 2024).

[20] Society of American Archivists, “Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit,” https://www2.archivists.org/advocacy/documenting-in-times-of-crisis-a-resource-kit.

[21] Meredith R. Evans, “WE Are SAA,” American Archivist 84, no. 1 (Spring/Summer 2021): 7–12, https://doi.org/10.17723/0360-9081-84.1.7.

[22] Society of American Archivists, “Crisis Collecting Assistance Team (CCAT),” https://www2.archivists.org/groups/crisis-disaster-and-tragedy-response-working-group/crisis-collecting-assistance-team-ccat (last accessed February 20, 2024).

[23] Society of American Archivists, “Crisis, Disaster, and Tragedy Response Working Group,” https://www2.archivists.org/groups/crisis-disaster-and-tragedy-response-working-group (last accessed February 20, 2024).

[24] Society of American Archivists, “Crisis Collecting Assistance Request Form,” https://www2.archivists.org/groups/crisis-disaster-and-tragedy-response-working-group/crisis-collecting-assistance-request-form (last accessed February 20, 2024).

[25] Society of American Archivists, “MayDay: Saving Our Archives,” https://www2.archivists.org/initiatives/mayday-saving-our-archives (last accessed February 20, 2024).

[26] Society of American Archivists, “Resources for Response to COVID-19 Health Crisis,” https://www2.archivists.org/resources-for-response-to-covid-19-health-crisis (last accessed April 15, 2025). 

[27] Leland’s contributions to archival science and historical research were internationally recognized, earning him prestigious honors such as the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor granted by France in 1929 and his elevation to the rank of officer in 1949. Additionally, in 1933, in recognition of his international influence and contributions, he was awarded the title of Chevalier of the Order of Polonia Restituta. See Lester Cappon, “In Memoriam Waldo Gifford Leland, 1879–1966,” American Archivist 30, no. 1 (1967): 125, https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.30.1.06551379624552w8.