Archives Theory, Archival Practice, Archives History: Three Solitudes or a Trinity?

The transformation of archives education from add-on training to a postgraduate university degree has generated discussion on archives theory and practice and is stimulating research into an area previously poorly served by focused study. One area among the many that are ripe for work is the history of archives, of the archival discipline and of the profession. Archives history has positive contributions to make to the development of theory and to an understanding of the nature of archival work. The use of archives history falls into many categories-social, practical, theoretical, and philosophical. The active pursuit of archives history and its integration with professional education will be a bridge uniting theory with practical work.