n.the usefulness or significance of records based on the information they contain that justifies their ongoing preservationBrichford 1977, 9Where the continuing value of records requires an order convenient for researchers, the archivist appraising the series may consider rearrangement, provided that finding aids cannot provide suitable access.Jones 1980, 45Based solely upon administrative, legal, or fiscal values, relatively few records require permanent preservation. However, many records have continuing value for other purposes.Maher 1992, 5–6“Archives” are the noncurrent records of an organization or institution retained for their continuing value in providing 1) evidence of the existence, functions, and operations of the organization or institution that generated them, or 2) other information on activities or persons affected by the organization.Schellenberg 1996, 37Records are efficiently managed if they can be found quickly and without fuss or bother when they are needed, if they are kept at a minimum charge for space and maintenance while they are needed for current business, and if none are kept longer than they are needed for such business unless they have a continuing value for purposes of research or for other purposes.Cloonan and Sanett 2002, 93Finally, while we once tended to think about preserving materials for a particular period of time—for example, permanent/durable paper was expected to last for five hundred years—we now think about retaining digital media for a period of continuing value.Millar 2014, 120We need to discriminate between records with high, enduring public accountability and enduring value, those with high but time-limited accountability and enduring value, and those with lower accountability but continuing value.
Notes
Many archivists prefer to describe archival records as having continuing value or enduring value, rather than permanent value. The phrase “continuing value” emphasizes the perceived value of the records when they are appraised, recognizing that a future archivist may reappraise the records and dispose of them.
