ABSTRACT
Arrangement and description are processes traditionally associated with the transformation of an individual or corporate archive into a broader archival framework in order for it to function, alongside other such archives, as accessible collective memory. They are integral to maintaining the authenticity, integrity, and reliability of records in an archival environment so that they may continue to function as evidence of the activities and contexts in which they were created and used. This entry outlines the principles underlying archival arrangement and description, discusses the construction of arrangement and description traditions, and explores their transformation in response to the recordkeeping challenges of the twenty-first century.
