Categorizing Concealment: A Framework from Music Archives

abstract: Concealment in an archival context is usually thought of as something negative to be avoided. But is concealing archival materials always a failure on the part of an archivist or archival institution? By categorizing a series of examples from music archives, I determine that concealment is often, but not always, antithetical to the preservation of records. Then, I discuss the manners in which concealment might appear in a present-day archivist's day-to-day work. Awareness of concealment's role(s) in professional duties allows music archivists to act as more effective, more ethical, and more mindful information professionals.