Archives are a collection of important documents and references related to various topics, which are open for public viewing and to some extent reproduction with prior permission. Only registered members can access these archives to obtain the necessary information and there are a number of archives where you can easily get a membership, provided you meet the parameters set forth by the institution.

There are different types of archives, here are a few.

Web archives: With the advent of technology and mainly the increasing digitization, archives can be now accessed online. this is generally known as web archiving which is the process of collecting information from the world wide web and compiling it for reference purposes. This type of archiving can be now automated with a number of software’s that collect information constantly.

Non-profit archive: Not for profit archives are the ones which are run and maintained by organizations and societies. These are set up by private funds and funds from donors, which are utilized to run the archives and for its maintenance and upkeep.

Film archives: Film archives as the name suggests is a repository of all the films made from an earlier date. Generally, film archives are country specific and so are the users of such archives. Avid filmmakers and film school students will have use and interest for such archives. Other film enthusiasts can also visit these archives.

Church archives:  Church records generally consist of architectural drawings of the church, various audiovisual materials, oral histories, photographs, local church records, papal records, manuscripts and more.

Government: The local, national and state governments are responsible for maintaining government records. Government archives are generally open to public and do not require prior permission or appointment for that matter. Users of government archives generally include people who are seeking for information, anything that might be related to their history or their home, students, historians, writers, genealogists, and often frequented by reporters who check facts.

Business archives: These archives re run by private organizations and institutions, these are corporate archives maintained to collect the history and administration of the company for reference. Business archives and not open for public and are handed out to the employees to know more about the history of the company they are about to be part of.

Academic archives: One of the major uses for information, archives which are maintained by any college, institution or university for that matter. These references are for educational and research purposes and are preserved for the institutional history containing administrative records, personal and professional papers of the faculty and more. Access to these archives are possible only by prior appointment.