What Makes Something Archival

As it applies to materials and supplies, “archival” means something suitable for long-term contact with important objects, safe and stable to museum or library standards. When artists say “archival”, usually they really mean “durable to the standards of permanent art”.

What is considered archival?

In general, archives consist of records that have been selected for permanent or long-term preservation on grounds of their enduring cultural, historical, or evidentiary value. Archival records are normally unpublished and almost always unique, unlike books or magazines of which many identical copies may exist.

What does archival content mean?

To me the ‘standard’ definition for archiving content is allowing it to be accessible via search, while no longer remaining prominent (if navigable at all) on a user’s website. … Archiving is purely and simply the act of preservation. Access, purpose and use are details that affect consumption of the archive.