Archival materials act as memory aids that allow us to recall and relive these activities and events, or to re-communicate information about them at some point in the future.
Archival materials are preserved as evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator or because of their enduring value.
Archival materials can include a wide variery of formats:
Watch this video to learn more about primary sources:
Archives create "finding aids," standardized descriptions of archival material. Finding aids provide information about:
This information should enable researchers to determine whether particular holdings are relevant to their research. Like records in a library catalogue, archival finding aids do not typically include copies of the actual original records themselves. The vast majority of archival material must be consulted on-site.
However, many archives are now digitizing their holdings and making digital copies of records available online. For example, the Archives Catalogue and the MemoryNS.ca website have the ability to "embed" digital copies of archival material directly to the finding aids.