An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of that person or organization. As usually understood by professional archivists and historians, archives are records which have been naturally and necessarily generated as a product of regular legal, commercial, administrative or social activities – they have been defined as "the secretions of an organism" – rather than those which 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 Archival records are normally unpublished and almost always unique, unlike books or magazines for which many identical copies exist. This means that archives (the places) are quite distinct from libraries with regard to their functions and organization, although archival collections can often be found within library buildings.
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.
When referring to historical records or the places they are kept, the plural form archives is chiefly used. The computing use of the term 'archive' should not be confused with the record-keeping meaning of the term. When records and archiving professionals use the term 'archive' they are referring to the permanent storage of records, not merely their removal from current usage.
Read more about Archive: Etymology, History, Users and Institutions, Standardization
Other articles related to "archive, archives":
... Exhibitions of Oil Paintings from 1760 to 1880, London George Bell and Sons, http//www.archive.org/stream/adictionaryarti00gravgoog#page/n7/mode/1up, retrieved 6 ... London Henry Graves Co and George Bell Sons, http//www.archive.org/stream/royalacademyofar01grav#page/n9/mode/2up, retrieved 6 November 2010 ... Henry Graves Co and George Bell Sons, http//www.archive.org/stream/royalacademyofar02grav#page/n9/mode/2up, retrieved 6 November 2010 ...
... Storefront maintains an archive as an open public resource for anyone interested in experimental art and architecture available by appointment ... A brief version of the archive can be found on-line within Storefront's webpage ...
... The International Council on Archives (ICA) has developed a number of standards on archival description including the General International Standard Archival Description ISAD(G) ... States, ISAD(G) is implemented through Describing Archives A Content Standard, popularly known as "DACS" ...
... Himself Alvah Bessie - Himself Lester Cole - Himself Gary Cooper - Himself (archive footage) Henry Daniell - Himself (archive footage) Howard Da Silva - Himself Edward Dmytryk - Himself ... Mayer - Himself (archive footage) Joseph McCarthy - Himself (archive footage) Zero Mostel - Himself Otto Preminger - Himself Ronald Reagan - Himself Martin Ritt - Himself Dore Schary - Himself Gale ...
Famous quotes containing the word archive:
“To a historian libraries are food, shelter, and even muse. They are of two kinds: the library of published material, books, pamphlets, periodicals, and the archive of unpublished papers and documents.”
—Barbara Tuchman (19121989)