Principles for Independent Archives
Seven principles for small, independent archiving projects focused on longevity, openness, and collaboration within the wider network.
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Use open standards
Open, long-lived formats have a better chance of lasting than proprietary ones. Standardised formats reduce the cost for others to use your records.
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Think long term
Plan for shutdown from day one. All projects end. The records should remain accessible long after work on the project has stopped.
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Stay small, let others create meta-collections
Even a few dozen documents on a specific topic are valuable. Build something small and focused rather than trying to be comprehensive.
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Strive for universal accessibility, be accessible by default
Provide multiple ways to access content. Machine readability supports accessibility and makes your project useful to others.
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Store the original record, present its essence over its resolution
Keep the original as you found it—you can’t predict its future value. But present accessible versions so people can access something rather than nothing.
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Work together
Invite feedback and share methods. The network makes these projects valuable by enabling information to be combined.
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Believe in your ideas, an independent perspective is worth a lot
Your failures may be more valuable than successes when properly documented. Stay independent if it supports your goals.