ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Archival processing

Archival processing is like cleaning up your toys and putting them away in your toy box. It's a way of organizing and taking care of important documents and things called "archives" so that they can be easily found and used later on.

Archives can be things like old letters, photographs, books, and even electronic or digital files. They are usually very old or important in some way, and people want to keep them safe and preserved for a long time.

When archivists process an archive, they first look through everything in it to see what's there. They might sort things into groups or folders based on topics, dates, or people involved. Then, they might clean the documents if they are dirty or fragile, which is like wiping your toy with a cloth or fixing a torn page in a book.

After that, they make a list of everything in the archive and take a picture of it so they can easily find what they need later on. They might also put the archive in special boxes or folders that protect them from sunlight, moisture, or bugs.

Overall, archival processing is all about carefully organizing and preserving important documents and things so that they can be used in the future.