arkistoyksiköt

Arkistoyksiköt, or archival units, are the fundamental building blocks of archival arrangement and description. They represent discrete physical or intellectual items that are grouped together for preservation, management, and access. The concept of an archival unit is crucial for understanding how archives organize their holdings and how researchers can navigate them.

In practice, an archival unit can vary significantly in size and scope. It might be a single document, such as a letter or a photograph. Alternatively, it could be a folder containing multiple related documents, a bound volume like a ledger or a report, or even a larger entity like a box or a file cabinet filled with materials. The defining characteristic is that the unit is considered a self-contained whole within the archival structure, treated as a distinct item for the purpose of control and retrieval.

The creation and definition of archival units are guided by principles of provenance and original order. Archivists strive to maintain the context in which the records were created and accumulated. This means that archival units are typically assembled based on the creator of the records and the functional or administrative system they were part of. By grouping related materials into logical archival units, archivists facilitate both the preservation of the records and the ability of users to understand the historical context and relationships between different pieces of information. Describing these units through finding aids allows researchers to locate and access the information they need.