"An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located."
Introduction to archives, their functions, and how they serve as repositories of human memory and evidence.
History of Archival Science: This topic involves understanding the evolution of the archival profession and the changes in archival practices over time.
Archives Management: This topic focuses on the management of archival collections, including acquisition, appraisal, processing, and preservation.
Arrangement and Description: This topic covers the principles and practices of organizing and describing archival records to facilitate access and retrieval.
Preservation and Conservation: This topic deals with the techniques and methods used to prevent deterioration and damage to archival collections.
Digital Preservation: This topic explores the challenges and strategies for preserving digital records, including electronic records and born-digital materials.
Records Management: This topic addresses the principles and practices of managing records from their creation to their disposition, including records retention and destruction.
Access and Outreach: This topic concerns providing access to archival records and engaging with users and stakeholders, including outreach and education programs.
Legal and Ethical Issues: This topic involves understanding the legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities of archives and archivists, including privacy and confidentiality issues.
Metadata and Cataloging: This topic covers the creation and management of metadata, including standardized descriptive tools and classification systems used for organizing archival records.
Oral Histories and Audiovisual Materials: This topic focuses on the preservation and documentation of oral histories and audiovisual materials, including best practices for recording, storing, and providing access to these materials.
Historical Archives: These archives collect documents, manuscripts, photographs, and other materials related to the history of a place, organization, or individual. They enable researchers to study historical events, social changes, and cultural practices of the past.
Government Archives: These archives contain documents, reports, publications, and other records of government bodies at the local, state, or national level. They help researchers to gain insights into the decision-making processes of the government and its policies.
Institutional Archives: These archives collect documents and materials related to the activities and functions of an organization or institution. They include records of academic institutions, corporations, hospitals, and non-profit organizations.
Personal Archives: These archives collect materials related to the lives of individuals, such as personal papers, diaries, letters, photographs, and audiovisual materials. They offer insights into the personal lives of individuals and their relationships with others.
Scientific Archives: These archives collect materials related to scientific research, such as laboratory notebooks, data sets, and research papers. They enable researchers to study the development of scientific knowledge and discoveries over time.
Artistic Archives: These archives collect materials related to the work of artists, such as sketches, paintings, sculptures, and other artworks. They enable researchers to study the creative process, techniques, and critical reception of artists.
Digital Archives: These archives store digital materials, such as electronic records, websites, social media posts, and digital photographs. They enable researchers to study the impact of digital technology on society, culture, and communication.
Audiovisual Archives: These archives collect audio and visual materials, such as films, videos, and audio recordings. They enable researchers to study the history and development of mass media, popular culture, and entertainment.
Religious Archives: These archives collect materials related to the beliefs, practices, and traditions of religious organizations. They offer insights into the spiritual and cultural life of communities.
Oral History Archives: These archives collect materials related to the personal experiences and memories of individuals or groups. They enable researchers to study the social, cultural, and political history of communities from the perspectives of those who lived it.
"Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime."
"They [archives] are distinguished from documents that have been consciously written or created to communicate a particular message to posterity."
"In general, archives consist of records that have been selected for permanent or long-term preservation on grounds of their enduring cultural, historical, or evidentiary value."
"Archival records are normally unpublished and almost always unique, unlike books or magazines of which many identical copies may exist."
"This means that archives are quite distinct from libraries with regard to their functions and organization."
"A person who works in archives is called an archivist."
"The study and practice of organizing, preserving, and providing access to information and materials in archives is called archival science."
"The physical place of storage can be referred to as an archive (more usual in the United Kingdom)."
"The physical place of storage can be referred to as an archives (more usual in the United States)."
"The physical place of storage can be referred to as a repository."
"They have been metaphorically defined as 'the secretions of an organism' and are distinguished from documents."
"They are kept to show the function of that person or organization."
"Archives are records that have been naturally and necessarily generated as a product of regular legal, commercial, administrative, or social activities."
"The computing use of the term 'archive' should not be confused with the record-keeping meaning of the term." (Note: The above paragraph does not contain 20 distinct study questions.