Lessons from the Year without Archives

This essay examines the obstacles to scholarly production faced by history instructors outside of the tenure track. The author argues that the global disruption of academic work caused by the Covid-19 pandemic illuminates some of these structural barriers, and especially the role of uncertainty about future employment. The essay then asks whether some of the accommodations offered during the pandemic could be adapted to help adjuncts and other contingent faculty contribute to the historical discipline and publish more original research.