"Written from an archivist's perspective, this book examines the relationships between archives, communities, and collective memory in the United States Virgin Islands, a former colony of Denmark. Because the historical records of the Virgin Islands reside primarily in Denmark and the United States, Virgin Islanders have had limited access to the primary sources of their history. This has affected their ability to write their own history and construct a collective memory. Archival expert Jeannette Bastian illuminates the story of the United States Virgin Islands and its search for its memory, including an exploration of how the community has formed its memory-to-date and the role that archives have played in this process. Interwoven throughout is a broader analysis that considers the place of archives and archivists in helping communities find their history."--BOOK JACKET.