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Article
Documenting a Movement: Creating and Sustaining the Occupy Boston Community Archive
Archival Outlook (2012)
  • Meghan Bailey
Abstract
A wave of dissatisfaction swept the country in fall 2011. This uneasiness manifested itself in numerous Occupy movements, featuring throngs of protestors speaking out against income inequality and the corruption in our financial sector. Inspired by Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Boston took root on the Rose Kennedy Greenway at Dewey Square in Boston’s financial district during mid-October 2011. Thriving in the shadow of the Federal Reserve Bank, Occupy Boston was a vibrant and diverse community of individuals, from students to the working class, from professionals to the unemployed. The importance of preserving the Occupy movement quickly became clear. It’s been decades since America has seen such widespread civil dissent. As archivists, not only are we responsible for preserving the past; we also have to consider preserving history as it occurs.
Keywords
  • Occupy Boston,
  • Occupy movement,
  • Boston,
  • Massachusetts,
  • Occupy Wall Street,
  • archives,
  • libraries
Publication Date
May, 2012
Publisher Statement

This article appeared in the May/June 2012 issue of Archival Outlook, published by the Society of American Archivists. For the full issue, visit www2.archivists.org/archival-outlook.

Citation Information
Meghan Bailey. "Documenting a Movement: Creating and Sustaining the Occupy Boston Community Archive" Archival Outlook (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/meghan_bailey/1/