Why Do Archives Exist?

Archives essentially exist to preserve documents and records. The need for preservation of these objects varies depending on the objects themselves. These documents might define the laws of a government, contain important clues to historical events or simply be records of businesses transactions.

One of these reasons is to regulate government. Archives can do this in several different ways and on several different levels. On a larger level documents recording creation of laws and the laws themselves are kept in archives. The record of these laws can be used to protect or harm citizens. One example of how they can protect citizens given by O’toole and Cox is our constitutional rights, which are guaranteed to us through the records kept by the United States Government.[1] On the other hand detailed records like those made by the East German Regime, could be used to prosecute and control the people.[2] Governments also use archives to keep records of different department operations. Creating archives of communications and memos, makes it possible to review operations and department functions in the future when issues arise or changes need to be made.

Archives also exist to preserve history. Primary sources are important resources for researchers to be able to learn about the past. Certain archival collections are created to preserve these documents. These documents could be records of land transfers, marriage licenses or birth certificates. They could also contain much more personal information such as diaries and letters. Historians could use these to reconstruct events or learn about the lives of historical figures. Blouin and Rosenburg assert that “every historical moment was capable of being understood if sufficient factual material was available in the archives.”[3] This statement, which is not necessarily realistic, at least represents an ideal that archives can strive for in representing history.

One interesting example we discussed in class was the “Who Speaks Wukchumni?” video, which discussed the surviving members of the Wukchumni tribe’s attempts to preserve their language. With out this record being archived, this language would be lost, and future historians would have no knowledge of the language to understand the tribes culture. [4]

Archives also exist in organizations to maintain records of operations. These archives might contain financial documents that might be needed for later audits. They could also contain records of employment, e-mails or memos that provide evidence of the organizations functions.

Archives don’t simply exist to hold these documents. They exist so people can use these documents. These documents must also be accessible for people to use, not simply stored. This is where the essential role of archivist comes to play. The archivist must organize and create their own records of the collection to make these documents usable. They must also ensure the environment for delicate objects, which might be susceptible to deterioration, which might render them useless. Wendy Duff makes suggestions of ways for the archivist to create a more user friendly environment in her article “Archival Mediation.” She discusses researcher interviews and organization methods than can make visitors feel welcome and help them to find what they need. [5]

Archives exist to preserve documents and records of many different types of organizations, but they do not exist to simply hold the documents. They also function to preserve the integrity and of the documents and make sure that they are usable and accessible for as long as is can be determined necessary.

Endnotes

[1] James M. O’Toole, Understanding Archives & Manuscripts., p. 12

[2] O’Toole, “Cortes’s Notary.” p. 56

[3] Blouin and Rosenberg, “Authoritative History and Authoritative Archives.”

[4] Vaughan-lee, “Who Speaks Wukchumni?”

[5] Duff, “Currents in Archival Thinking.”