Book excerpt: "The 28 essays reprinted in this volume represent significant recent American writings on archives and the role of archivists in modern society. The essays are arranged into nine parts: Understanding Archives and Manuscripts Archival History Selection and Documentation Appraisal Arrangement and Description Reference and the Use of Archives Preservation Electronic Records Management These articles provide important perspectives both on basic elements of archival practice and on fundamental principles in archival theory and methodology. In addition to these nine parts, there is an introduction and a list of contributors, which provide important context for the readings. "What deserves careful reading . . . is Jimerson's seventeen-page introduction. It is brilliant and worth the price of the entire volume. In it, Jimerson lays the groundwork for a commanding understanding of the thought and development of the profession in the two decades of the 1980s and 1990s." -Megan Sniffin-Marinoff,American Archivist (65:1).