About the Archives
Mobile shelving inside the archives.
What Are Archives? And Why Do They Matter?
The computer information boom, coupled with a growing interest in genealogy, has elevated the importance of religious and church archives. In fact, few archival records are more important than church archives because they record the essential activity of saving souls. The vital statistics they yield are priceless. There is no greater gift that one generation can leave behind for another than taking good care of the church records that have survived to the present.
The term "archives" signifies both the records that have been selected for permanent preservation because of their value as well as the physical space that houses the archives collection.
Archival records are a major link to our history. They help us understand who we are, where we came from and many important things about our churches, including the reasons for their location, architecture, artwork, interior design, selection of worship materials, organizational structure, forms of worship, choice of pastors, support of missions, ministry to the community, social concerns, leadership patterns, and countless other facets of church life. Reflecting on this past helps us better determine the future directions of our ministry. In addition, archives yield an inspirational value by sharing with us information about the people who created our heritage and of whom we are the proud heirs.
Differences between Archives and Libraries
It's helpful to understand the distinctions between an Archives and a library. Libraries contain commercially produced materials that have been mass-produced. In a library, the basic standard unit will be a book, videotape or magazine. Library collections are generally arranged around one of two major classification systems. The Dewey Decimal System is used in public libraries where books are collected on a full range of subjects. The Library of Congress Classification System is used chiefly in academic and specialized collection libraries (like the Seminary Library) where subjects are collected in much greater depth. Additionally, libraries lend most of their materials.
By contrast, Archives generally contain unique materials that were created by an organization in the ordinary course of its business, such as minutes and letters. Very little is mass-published. The smallest unit in an Archives is a single-page document or photograph, which pose unique problems for arrangement and retrieval when compared to a library. Neither Dewey nor LC works ideally, and archives follow other arranging principles such as original order and arrangement by creator. Because of their uniqueness and age, archives also demand special considerations for preservation and security. Above all, archives are not for lending. Once materials are given to the Archives, they are under the care of the Archives and usually never leave it again.