Here is a nice example of the relevance of archival repositories for events that are still very fresh and current in our collective experiences. Washington University Libraries (Washington University in St. Louis) is inviting videos, images, artwork and stories in order to build and archive to document the regularly unfolding and developing events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson on August 9, 2014, and the ensuing protests, unrest, rallies, and community meetings in Ferguson and St Louis in general.

The archive itself, along with instructions for submissions, can be viewed here: digital.wustl.edu/ferguson

In this sense, archives and their digital content, in addition to serving as more ‘traditional’ repositories of events from long ago or far away, also serve to document, chart and present living history in our own region as it unfolds. Archives are thus dynamic entities that can provide ongoing and fresh context as well as more static information-as-data.