The Archivist's Mission

An archivist is a person responsible for managing archives. Archives are documents created or received and accumulated by a person or organisation in the course of the conduct of affairs and preserved because of their continuing value. Historically, the term has often referred more narrowly to non-current records deposited or selected for deposit in an archival institution.

The word 'archives' is also commonly used to refer to (a) the organisation, agency or program responsible for the selection, care and use of records of continuing value, and (b) the building or place dedicated to their storage, preservation and use.

Archival documents do not come only as text on paper, but include every known form and format in which information can be fixed in the form of records.

Archivists work in a wide variety of places. The Commonwealth and State governments, and some local governments, employ archivists to manage their archival records. Manuscripts libraries and other institutions which collect archives also employ archivists. Business corporations, religious bodies, universities and schools, museums, professional and trade associations, and community organisations are other examples of groups that employ archivists, and some work as private consultants.

The management of archives is based on theoretical principles, which continue to evolve and which are used to guide the practical work of archivists. In recent years, for example, archival theory has focused on how best to achieve proper archival management of electronic records, to ensure they can be preserved and made accessible for the future.

Generally speaking, the principal domains of theoretical and applied knowledge with which a professional archivist must be familiar are:

• What records and archives are, and how they have evolved in modern society
• How to collect archives and how to assess the long-term value of records
• How to look after archives
• How to understand legal issues and responsibilities including copyright, confidentiality, privacy and access
• How to arrange and describe archives for management control and to make them available
• How to provide services for those wishing to make use of the archives

For more information about archives, and the responsibilities of archivists, recommended introductory reading is Keeping Archives 3rd edition.

The Universal Declaration on Archives serves as a powerful, concise statement on the relevance of archives in modern society.