This book traces the trajectory of the community archives movement, expanding the definition of community archives to include sites such as historical societies, social movement organisations and community centres, and explore new definitions of what community archives might encompass, particularly in relationship to disciplines outside the archives.

Over ten years have passed since the first volume of Community Archives, and inspired by continued research as well as by the formal recognition of community archives in the UK, the community archives movement has become an increasing important area of research, recognition and appreciation by archivists, archival scholars and others worldwide. Increasingly the subject of papers and conferences, community archives are now seen as being in the vanguard of social concerns, markers of community-based activism, a participatory approach exemplifying the on-going evolution of professional' archival (and heritage) practice and integral to the ability of people to articulate and assert their identity. Community Archives reflects the latest research and will also include practical case studies on the challenges of building and sustaining community archives.