This greatly impedes the work of the historian. For example, many of Isaac Newton's manuscripts were sold at auction in the 1930's and vanished without trace, an irreparable loss to our understanding of an entire era. If the owner of a collection is concerned about taxes, patent rights, literary rights or other circumstances of a gift or deposit, or if the owner wishes to place restrictions on the use of the collection, these items should be worked out with the archivist who will be happy to cooperate. Usually deposits of papers are made as simple gifts without encountering such technicalities. The best time to arrange for their preservation is now, while they are still intact.
Many people make arrangements with a repository long before they have reached retirement age.
Our ability to evaluate the computer era and its impact on society depends, in large part, upon our attention to preservation of historical materials. Such actions will provide the source materials for scholarly studies essential to any understanding of our times. Arranging for the preservation of papers is an acknowledgment that our work is a link not only with the past but also with the future.