Time spent doing...

For the past two weeks I’ve been studying for an exam. Classical Greek. Now it’s over I can get back to more pleasurable pastimes such as watching tv and having drinks with my friends. I can also concentrate more fully at work where I’ve been reading over the draft of ISIAH, the new international standard for institutions with archival holdings, and trying to rearrange storage space so I can fit more in. What I need is a magical room where space expands at will. My will. That would be cool.

The view from here

The topic of archivists and related professionals in fiction seems endlessly fascinating. Thanks to French Panic for your comments on a previous post. They highlighted a link between my first two posts, namely how archivists/record keepers are viewed by us and the wider world. David Mattison’s website The Fictional World of Archives, Art Galleries and Museums is worth plenty of attention.

I wonder whether record keepers are making more frequent appearances in the world of fiction or whether I’m just noticing it more. As an example, not long ago I read Death at Windsor Castle: Her Majesty Investigates by C.C. Benson (published 1998). This is one of a series of 3 Her Majesty Investigates books. It’s a very good read. A person is found dead in the Throne Room at Windsor Castle, with a sword in his chest. This person is none other than an assistant curator in the Print Room of the Royal Library at the Castle! Turns out he was a nasty piece of work who had enemies enough with a motive to kill, but I was kinda pleased to see a fellow professional in the role of murder victim.