This post represents Part I in a series of posts from my time at the 2017 Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) Conference (Part II detailing other highlights to come!). Below is a general outline of the main ideas of my paper – though the difference between the text and slides reflects the fact that my thinking has evolved somewhat since first presenting this at 4S. The usual nerves ensued as I tried to test out some new-ish/half-baked ideas that draw on both existing studies of STS maintenance theory and repair, but also calls from within the archival sector to recognise the work that goes into maintaining archives.

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