Information as Capital: The Commodification of Archives and Library Labor

Abstract

This paper explores the commodification of archival information through the exploitation of library labor related to the ongoing management, preservation, description, and digitization of unique and rare materials. Through this discussion, the author highlights the cultural, social, and economic factors that play a central role in creating an ideal environment for the sale and distribution of public information by commercial vendors. The result of this commodification is a reclassification of library labor from what Marx defines as “unproductive” to “productive” labor, which the author demonstrates through a case study at her own institution. Finally, the author provides recommendations for maintaining core values and open access to information as a public good, while still participating in the market structures in which libraries and cultural heritage institutions are entrenched.