Nonarchival

Nonarchival refers to items, data, or materials that are not intended to be preserved for the long term. In information management, nonarchival content is typically temporary or easily replaceable and is retained only for a limited period according to policy or operational needs. In practice, nonarchival designations accompany a plan for eventual deletion, refresh, or replacement, and prioritize accessibility, speed, and cost-efficiency over durability.

In data storage, nonarchival or non-archival storage classes describe data that is not needed to be kept indefinitely. Such data may be stored on higher-cost, faster media and moved to archival tier when it becomes part of long-term retention. Examples include active databases, operational logs, temporary files, and cache data. Retention schedules govern when data transitions to archival storage or is purged.

In libraries and records management, nonarchival materials are those not kept as permanent or historically significant records. They may be circulated, withdrawn, or discarded as part of collection management; they may include duplicates, forms, or non-scholarly items that do not meet archival selection criteria.

Implications for organizations include considerations of data governance, cost control, and regulatory compliance. Nonarchival policies require clear labeling, metadata, and scheduled review or deletion to mitigate risk of unintended data loss and to ensure appropriate access for current operations.

See also: archival, data retention, digital preservation, storage tier, hot storage, cold storage.