We keep archives because they serve as a memory - both to records' creators and to the wider community. Archives are kept by records' creators for administrative, legal, and financial purposes. Archival records document transactions, actions, legal rights and obligations. They also provide organizations with a perspective upon which to base future planning. In addition, archives are also kept for historical or cultural reasons.
Researchers use archival records to find evidence of the past.
The photographs, films, posters, letters, personal diaries, and official documents kept in archives tell us about different aspects of our collective history and culture. Archival Principles and Theories Archival work is founded on two principles - provenance and respect for original order. The principle of provenance requires that the archives of an organization or person not be mixed or combined with those of another. This principle is also known as respect des fonds or respect for the source or originator. For example, if the University Archives holds the records of two economics professors, it would not consolidate their records even though both are involved in the same teaching activities and both create similar records.