Weird Digitization: Alternative Strategies for Archival Materials

Abstract: This thesis draws on the theory of new materialism to posit an alternative approach to cultural heritage digitization. Modifying the method of critical digitization and synthesizing it with the method of thick description for the study of damaged cultural heritage, this thesis proposes the method weird digitization which seeks to challenge traditional selection criteria for cultural heritage digitization as well as challenging practices of mass digitization. Seeking to identify the cultural heritage objects that may be overlooked using traditional selection criteria as well as ones that may pose challenges to digitization, this approach seeks to highlight the value of damaged or otherwise “weird” cultural heritage while exploring how the digitization of these materials may practically be undertaken. This approach is practically assessed through the exploratory digitization and analysis of selected damaged photographs in the IKFF (Internationella Kvinnoförbundet för Fred och Frihet) collection housed within the KvinnSam (the Swedish National Resource Library for Gender Studies) archive at the Gothenburg University Library. The discussion explores the pragmatic, affective, and artistic benefits of such an approach to cultural heritage digitization.