Archive

An archive is a collection of records. The term is also used for the location in which these records are kept.^[1] Archives are made up of records which have been created during the course of an individual or organization's life. In general, an archive consists of records which have been selected for permanent or long-term preservation. Records, which may be in any media, are normally unpublished, unlike books and other publications. Archives may also be generated by large organisations such as corporations and governments. Archives are different from libraries in that archives hold records which are unique. Archives can be described as holding information "by-products" of activities, while libraries hold specifically authored information "products".^[2] The word 'archives' is the correct terminology, whereas 'archive' as a noun or a verb is related to computer science.

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.

1. ↑ "Glossary of Library and Internet Terms". University of South Dakota Library. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
2. ↑ "A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology". Society of American Archivists. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-04-06.