How much do people value a public archive? This study examines community perceptions of the Public Archive of Minas Gerais by measuring citizens’ willingness to support it through taxes or donations. The findings reveal who values the archive most, who tends to overlook it, and why stronger public awareness and funding are essential.
What We Wanted to Know
This research aimed to understand how much people value the Public Archive of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Founded in 1895, the archive is the oldest cultural institution in Minas Gerais. It preserves documents related to public administration, law, history, geography, and regional cultural life. It is also part of Circuito Liberdade, a network of cultural institutions in Belo Horizonte’s city center.
Archives are not always visible to the general public. Unlike museums or libraries, many people encounter them only when they need specific documents for legal, administrative, or historical purposes. Nevertheless, archives play an essential role in preserving collective memory, supporting academic research, and protecting citizens’ rights. We therefore sought to understand whether people recognize this importance and whether they believe the archive deserves financial support.
In simple terms, our main questions were: Do people perceive value in the archive? Who values it the most? Do people know about the Public Archive of Minas Gerais and the role it plays in society?
How We Measured It
To answer these questions, we used the contingent valuation (CV) methodology, which was applied for the first time to a public archival institution.
A survey of 366 individuals was conducted online and in person between October 2023 and March 2024. Before asking about financial support, we provided clear and accessible information about the archive’s activities. This step was important because many people are not familiar with its services.
The survey measured cultural practices (such as visiting museums, reading, or attending cultural events) and socio-demographic characteristics. We also asked whether respondents were already aware of the archive and whether they had ever used its services. Finally, we asked two key questions about financial support. First, would they be willing to allocate part of their taxes to support the archive? Second, would they be willing to make a one-time personal donation? These questions help measure what economists call “willingness to pay,” which simply refers to how much people are willing to contribute to maintain a public service.
Descriptive statistics and a Probit regression model (a statistical method used to analyze and predict the probability of an event, such as an individual responding “yes” or “no”), controlling for variables associated with respondents, were employed to identify the determinants of willingness to pay. We then analyzed the responses to identify patterns. For example, we examined whether education level, income, or cultural engagement influenced people’s willingness to support the archive.
What We Found
The survey showed that people who already use the archive—especially those with higher education and those living in Belo Horizonte—tend to value it highly. They recognize its importance in preserving historical memory and supporting research and public policies. For these individuals, the archive is not merely a repository for old papers; it is a place that safeguards the state’s documentary heritage and contributes to public life, thereby highlighting its cultural value.
However, the study also revealed that many people who might benefit from the archive in practical ways—such as accessing documents for legal or civil rights purposes—do not fully recognize its relevance to their personal lives. In other words, the archive’s civic function is not widely understood outside academic or specialized circles.
When it comes to financial support, most respondents indicated that they would be willing to support the archive through public funding, that is, through taxes already paid. Fewer respondents were willing to make a one-time personal donation. This data suggests that people perceive the archive as a public responsibility that should primarily be funded by the government rather than through private contributions.
The results also showed that willingness to support the archive is influenced by education, cultural habits, and satisfaction with its services. Individuals who are more engaged in cultural activities and have a better understanding of the institution are more likely to support it financially.
Overall, the archive is valued, but mainly by a specific segment of the population. Its broader social role is not yet fully recognized.
Looking Ahead to Improve the Archive’s Social Acknowledgement
The contingent valuation method can be applied to public goods even when measurable economic benefits of preserving cultural heritage are limited, as cultural value serves as an independent motivating factor. In this regard, as this study suggests—and in line with Throsby (2003)—public policies are needed to correct market failures and ensure adequate funding.
Moreover, because cultural value is socially constructed, institutions such as public archives must be recognized for their important role within communities. These communities are themselves essential in defining and attributing value to cultural heritage.
One of the main conclusions of the study is that the archive’s social visibility needs to be strengthened. Although it maintains a presence on social media and offers educational activities, these efforts do not seem sufficient to reach a broader non-academic audience. Communication strategies could be expanded through wider media channels, such as public radio and television, to explain in accessible terms why archives matter to society.
Stronger public funding is also essential. The findings indicate that citizens believe the government should take primary responsibility for maintaining the archive. Public policies that ensure stable and adequate funding are therefore crucial.
By strengthening communication, outreach, and public support, the archive can better fulfill its historical, civic, and administrative roles and become more widely recognized as a vital institution for society.
References
Almada, Márcia, Ygor Souza, Spiros Zervos, and Alexandre Oliveira Costa. 2025. “Superando a Invisibilidade: Em Defesa da Valorização Social dos Arquivos Públicos.” Acervo 38 (1): 1–28.
Bille, Trine. 2024. “The Values of Cultural Goods and Cultural Capital Externalities: State of the Art and Future Research Prospects.” Journal of Cultural Economics 48: 347–365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-024-09503-3.
Machado, Ana Flávia, D. Faria, Sibelle C. Diniz, Bárbara F. Paglioto, R. C. Michel, and G. V. Melo. 2017. “The Evaluation of Public Goods: Systems Thinking in the Case of Circuito Liberdade.” In Systems Thinking in Museums: Theory and Practice, edited by Yuha Jung and Rowson Love, 131–145. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Throsby, David. 2003. “Determining the Value of Cultural Goods: How Much (or How Little) Does Contingent Valuation Tell Us?” Journal of Cultural Economics 27: 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026353905772.
About the article
Ana Flávia Machado, Márcia Almada, Cínthia Santos Silva (2026). Attributing Value to Cultural Facilities: The Case of a Public Archive in Brazil. International Journal of Arts Management (IJAM), v. 28, n. 3, p. 72
This paper is part of the project “Economic Valuation and Technological Development in Public Archives,” funded by FAPEMIG – Foundation for Research Support of Minas Gerais – Project No. APQ 0237-
About the authors
Ana Flávia Machado is a Full Professor in the Department of Economics at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
Marcia Almada is an Associate Professor in the Fine Arts School at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Cinthia Santos Silva is a PhD candidate in Economics at the Center for Development and Regional Planning at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (CEDEPLAR)
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