Historiography's Horizon and Imperative: Febvrian Annales Legacy and Library History as Cultural History

Abstract

Were Clio to descend upon the shoulders of academic historical effort, she would undoubtedly discover that the historian's sense of reflection upon his or her enterprise approximates the very problem many academic historians seem loath to entertain. Reflection upon the historical enterprise is often neglected for the actual work of historical research and scholarship. What little concerted reflection occurs is suf ficiently grounded neither in historical theory nor in philosophy of history. Epistemological reckoning is not within the purview of most practicing historians, other than as a seriously defended belief in the veracity of their profession. Questions pertinent to the raison d'etre of such practice necessarily assumes a lessened priority. Reflexivity demands a certain centered position replete with an introspective willingness to undertake a continuously examined ap proach to one's profession. Pierre Bourdieu has accomplished this for sociology and the study of academic disciplines within the French university context.1 His penetrating examination, given its purpose of laying bare the culturally determined conditions of academic activity and its professionalization, offers a viable orientation for his torians. Soul-searching among scholars is generally practiced by those nearing the end of their careers, not unlike major scientists reflect ing upon their courses taken, especially those possibilities left un challenged. If there was ever such an example as the self-reflexive historian, Lucien Febvre offers up quite the paragon. Emblematic of the attempt to reorient historical studies along its entire spectrum, Febvre soared beyond the rigid definitional considerations of the historical profession in the first half of the twentieth century.2