Archiving COVID-19: A Historical Literature Review

Abstract

The goal of this historical literature review is to make a macro-to-micro analysis of the effort to archive the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with a global view, moving to a national view, focusing on New York State, and ending with the examination of personal narratives within communities. This literature review will discuss the procedures and theories behind how the pandemic was archived from March 2020 to August 2021, with the intention that it will serve as a resource to help individuals understand this difficult and uncertain time from multiple perspectives. This investigation also aims to illuminate the differences in archival approaches to documenting the pandemic and suggests areas for deeper analysis and further research. A macro-to-micro analysis of archival work during the pandemic can also help archivists reevaluate their current methods and consider other ways to collect, evaluate, curate, and preserve history for posterity in times of crisis.