UT Div of Archives (2024)

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the National Archives? ›

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people.

Archives are important because they provide evidence of activities and tell us more about individuals and institutions. They tell stories. They also increase our sense of identity and understanding of cultures.

An archives is a place where people can go to gather firsthand facts, data, and evidence from letters, reports, notes, memos, photographs, and other primary sources.

Researchers, scholars and average citizens refer to archives to find proof; to gather research data; to illustrate, illuminate or explain. Archives are tools that people use to look beyond the present moment and understand the wider context of a family, community or society.

If you love history, you'll enjoy visiting this museum. A treasure trove of the United States' founding documents, the National Archives Museum is high on travelers' to-do lists and almost always has long entrance lines.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records.

They play an essential role in the development of societies by safeguarding and contributing to individual and community memory. Open access to archives enriches our knowledge of human society, promotes democracy, protects citizens' rights and enhances quality of life.

Archives constitute the memory of nations and societies and shape their identity. They are the cornerstones of the information society. By providing evidence of actions and transactions, archives support administration and underpin the rights of individuals, organisations and States.

The French National Archives, which possess perhaps the largest archival collection in the world (with records going as far back as 625 A.D.), was created in 1790 during the Revolution from various government, religious, and private archives seized by the revolutionaries.

What is the oldest archive in the world? ›

The oldest known example of a collection consisting primarily of written literary works (poetry, stories, travelogues, etc.) is the Library of Ashurbanipal, assembled at Nineveh (in present-day Iraq) by Ashurbanipal (688-631 BCE), king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

By archiving your important data and documents, they're stored safely in a separate folder—meaning there's less chance you'll delete or lose them. Additionally, an easily accessible digital copy of your important data, particularly if you move between multiple devices, jobs, or countries, can be a lifesaver.

Document archiving is securely storing information (both digital and paper format) that you no longer use regularly. It's important because it: stops you losing data. ensures only the right people can access the right documents.

They work to gather, process, store, access, use, share, and preserve records of enduring value. Archivists focus on their duties, responsibilities, and skills and bring the past to the present and the future.

Archives constitute the memory of nations and societies and shape their identity. They are the cornerstones of the information society. By providing evidence of actions and transactions, archives support administration and underpin the rights of individuals, organisations and States.

The Library of Congress Manuscript Division holds personal papers and organizational records significant to American history. The National Archives and Records Administration is the official depository for United States government records.

The National Archives is, by virtue of our mission, a living, growing repository of evidence, stories and memory. We care for and make available to the public records that aid legal certainty, shed light on personal and shared histories and inform our collective national identity.