ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Archival appraisal

Archival appraisal is like when you clean up your toys and decide which ones to keep and which ones to give away. But instead of toys, we're talking about papers and documents that are important for history, like old letters or photos.

Just like you might want to keep a special toy that your grandma gave you, historians and other people who study history want to keep important papers and documents. Archival appraisers help decide which papers and documents are important and should be kept for a long time, or even forever.

They look at things like how old the documents are, how important they are for history, and how unique they are. They might also consider if someone else already has a copy of the document, or if it's in good condition.

It's important to make sure that important historical documents are saved and protected so that people can always learn from them. So, archival appraisal helps make sure that the right documents are kept safe for a long time.