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. 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. Manuscript 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.