Joining the ‘great conversation’ – the fundamental role of annotation in academic society

Annotations can often be seen as an interruption, something to be expunged from carefully maintained library collections and the version of record. However, drawing on their research and writing practice, Remi Kalir and Antero Garcia present a different view of annotation, as a vital mechanism by which academics have historically connected and interwoven their own thinking with contemporaries and those who have gone before them. Reflecting on how new digital tools have re-invigorated annotation and contributed to the creation of their recent book, they suggest annotation presents a vital means by which academics can re-engage with each other and the wider world.