What kinds of stuff do the archives take?
We think of libraries as collecting books, while museums collect artifacts. So, what do you find in archives?
Section Overview
In this section, we'll talk about what kinds of materials you'll generally find in an archive. We'll also define a certain kind of material that archivists refer to as "records," and explain why archivists might say no to some materials even if they think they are important or interesting.
If you're using the donor workbook, we'll encourage you to consider what kinds of stuff that you have that an archivist will want to make sure that you hang on to.
Not interested? Next >
[ At this point, we're into unfinished filler text but feel free to have a gander ]
Records... ?
When talking to an archivist, you might hear them refer to your stuff as "records." Records have a particular meaning to archivists: they are "by-products" of your activities which you have set aside for future action or reference.
Think of a note that you write to remind yourself to pick up groceries. The note could be considered a record because you've created it as part of your daily activities - you don't (normally) write the note because you think that one day you'll be famous and people will want to know that you bought a particular brand of cat food.
You'll probably also destroy that note fairly soon after you've written it because you don't need it anymore. But there will be other kinds of records that you do keep because they're significant for some reason. The kinds of records that interest archives are those that people want to keep for a long time.
In personal archives, records are most often documents, such as letters, cards, diaries, writings, drawings, photographs, and so on, however, in some cases they can be other types of materials, such as objects, clothing, paintings, etc.
Records are interrelated: each record has a unique bond or relationship with the other records in the fonds, and the hierarchical structure of arrangement tries to maintain these relationships in order to preserve the context of the records.
Archivists use their mandate to guide what 'stuff' they take
Archives have mandates, and acquisition policies based on these mandates, which dictate what they can and cannot accept from donors. If an archives is unable to accept your records don't panic! The archivist may be able to direct you to a nearby archives which will be able to preserve your records.