Personal records archives keep the personal and professional records we wish to hold on to for the long term. They have traditionally been physical records, such as school papers, photo albums, films and letters. Today many of those records are produced and stored digitally, or we keep a digitally scanned version of a physical item.

Just like physical records, digital records can be fragile and deteriorate with time. However, the causes of damage and steps that can be taken are quite different.