The next issue of Comma (2017:1), a special issue based around the Section of Archives of Literature and Art (ICA-SLA) is due to be circulated to members, and will be available online, during October. Since its reconstitution in 2010, SLA has worked to ensure that its representation of literary archives is a truly global one, and the special issue will include contributions which, geographically, range from Namibia to Russia, and from Finland to Brazil. The issue also addresses strategic concerns of the Section, notably the nature and management of diasporic archives, of the papers of dissident authors – the latter in the context of the Sections alignment with the ICA Basic principles on the role of archivists and records managers in support of human rights – and digital literary archives.
A Miscellany issue is currently also very near completion and will be published by the end of the year. ICA members responded to a Call for Papers, and the resulting issue covers a diversity of topics, in English, French and Spanish. Again, the range of those topics is wide, and includes access to the documentary heritage in Zimbabwe, records management in Morocco, autoclassification software, the role of the archivist vis-à-vis indigenous knowledge, and in international organisations.
Subsequent issues are in the planning stage, and the Editor-in-Chief would be delighted to hear from Sections, Regions or projects who are considering contributing to a future issue.”