Institutionalizing an Archives: Developing Historical Records Programs in Organizations

The primary purpose of an institutional archives is the management of the records of a parent organization. The archivist is likely to work in isolation from other archivists and, unlike a historical society or library-based employee, cannot expect preservation of historical records to be defined as an institutional priority. Thus the roles of the archivist and the archives must be well-defined if the archivist is to function as an advocate for the archives and an educator for the institution's staff. The author emphasizes the importance of developing long-term goals that go beyond ensuring the mere survival of the institution's records.