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1.
What are historical records?
Historical records
are the raw materials of history. The words "historical records" make many
people think of the Magna Carta, the
Declaration of Independence, the
Gettysburg Address, a
letter from Theodore Roosevelt, or the Communist Manifesto.
Certainly these are important historical records, but they are not the only
valuable ones.
There are many other kinds of information created by groups, individuals and
organizations that have enduring value. They may include written documents such
as wills, tax assessment records, letters, military service records, and birth
records -- and visual resources such
as photographs, maps,
posters, films, and architectural
drawings. With the growing use of the computer, documents might be automated databases of
marriages, crime statistics, or computerized maps. Records such as these exist in
many countries.
Historical records can be hundreds or thousands of years old -- or they may have
been created today. All historical records
contain useful information about people, places, events, and subjects –
information that people need or can use in accomplishing their daily activities.