Re-release of new edition Italian Lives on “archives day”
CBU Press recently partnered with the Beaton Institute at Cape Breton University to host a book launch in conjunction with International Archives Day (June 9, 2017).
Long out of print, Italian Lives, Cape Breton Memories, edited by Sam Migliore and A. Evo DiPierro, was first published in 1999. Earlier this year, CBU Press breathed new life into the book, including making it available as an e-book.
A strong and vibrant Italian presence on the island dates back more than 150 years. The book conveys the rich and varied experiences of Italians living in Cape Breton in their own words—the immigration experience; work experience in the home, the steel plant and the coal mines, and life in business, politics and other areas of endeavour.
Many of the chapters in Italian Lives were contributed by members of the local community, many relying on archival materials for their research.
The connection between culture, history, archives and books is vital; They go way back :-)
A great many of our authors – even fiction writers – spend countless hours in archives gleaning insights from the past for their work, including Sam Migliore and Evo DiPierro.
According to the International Council on Archives, “it’s the documentary of human activity retained for its long-term value.”
Catherine Arseneau, director of the Beaton Institute, told the audience said that archives are essential to our understanding of our community. “The records created by individuals and organizations as they go about their lives provide a direct window on past events.”
“We are the custodians of society’s memory,” she added.
The theme for International Archives Day 2017 was “Archives, Citizenship and Interculturalism,” and it was under that banner the Beaton Institute and CBU Press teamed up for the re-launch.
We’ve had some nice comments/reviews about the new edition of Italian Lives, Cape Breton Memories, including the Halifax Chronicle Herald, The Casket and the Cape Breton Post, and Italocanadese.com.
