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Abstract. Archival interfaces are critical nodes in archival systems where archivists negotiate and exercise power over the constitution and representation of archives. Drawing on notions of interfaces from physical, technological, and computer systems, archival interfaces are both a metaphor for archivists' roles as intermediaries between documentary evidence and its readers and a tangible set of structures and tools that place archival documents in a context and provide an interpretative framework. Interfaces in modern institutions and technological systems are neither natural nor neutral. In probing archival interfaces, what may appear as neutral and objective processes are revealed as places where archivists determine what constitutes legitimate evidence of the past and shape social memories. The emergence of computer interfaces as an increasingly common mode of user interaction with archives demands that archivists confront the interpretative nature of their work and exploit opportunities to place themselves visibly in the interfaces they construct. Keywords: archival description, archival systems, digital documents (electronic records), interfaces, representationTo modem planners, engineers, and systems designers, interfaces serve the vital function of connecting components and subsystems into efficient and rational systems. 1 The best-designed interfaces are invisible to the user because they appear to be natural, if they are visible at all. As such, interfaces enable and constrain certain activities in ways that are inconspicuous and often taken for granted. Doors and hallways provide interfaces between the interior and exterior of modem buildings that allow people to enter the

The collection, organization, and long-term preservation of resources are the raison d'être of archives and archivists. The archival community, however, has largely neglected science data, assuming they were outside the bounds of their professional concerns. Scientists, on the other hand, increasingly recognize that they lack the skills and expertise needed to meet the demands being placed on them with regard to data curation and are seeking the help of ''data archivists'' and ''data curators.'' This represents a significant opportunity for archivists and archival scholars but one that can only be realized if they better understand the scientific context.