What is an Archives?
Most people picture an archives as an old building that stores ancient manuscripts, photographs, and other materials. The dictionary definition of "archive" and the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. tend to affirm this view. Look below to learn about archives. Stay tuned to find out more, and discover how archives collect, preserve, and tell stories important to the histories and lives of individuals across the nation and beyond.

The National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., image from the United States National Archives and Records Administration, http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-image.html?i=/dc-metro/images/archives1-l.jpg&c=/dc-metro/images/archives1.caption.html (accessed June 4, 2010).
ar�chive \��r,kiv, �a,k-\ n -s [F & L; obs. F archive (now archives, pl.), fr. L archivum, archium, fr. Gk archeion government house, archeia (pl. of archeion) archives, fr. arche beginning, first place, government�more at ARCHI-] 1 a : a place in which public or institutional records (as minutes, correspondence, reports, accounts) are systematically preserved�usu. used in pl. b : a repository for any documents or other materials esp. of historical value <as diaries, photographs, private correspondence) (the Trotsky ~s at Harvard>�usu. used in pl. c : any repository or collection esp. of information <the ~s of memory> 2 : public or institutional records, historic documents, and other materials that have been preserved�usu. used in pl.
� Webster�s Third New International Dictionary, s.v. �archive.�
An archives, however, is much more than a building and old documents. Archivists and staff at Cline Library's Special Collections & Archives define it in different ways. Some follow the traditional definition and consider it a physical place dedicated to preserving materials. Others take a more abstract view, seeing archives as the embodiment of ideas, memories, public values, and other intangible qualities. They all agree that archives are essential components of a successful society and vital to understanding past, present, and future people and perspectives. Below is a visualization of the diversity and significance of archives.

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NARA
Although the National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's record keeper, its repositories maintain materials valuable on a local scale.

Street view of the post office and other buildings in Flagstaff, Arizona Territory, 1899, image from the National Archives and Records Administration, Photographs of the American West: 1861-1912, #164, http://www.archives.gov/research/american-west/images/164.jpg (accessed June 4, 2010).
About the Exhibit
The purpose of the Days of Archives exhibit is to highlight the significance of archives using materials and stories from Special Collections, including some records not yet found in the Colorado Plateau Archives. Use the menus at the top and on the left to navigate between and within topics, or use the arrows at the bottom of each page to fast forward or rewind through the program. Many of the stories in the exhibit are introductions to materials in the archives or work performed by archivists, so feel free to explore the additional selected images and content in the right column knowing that this is a mere taste of what Special Collections has to offer.