ABSTRACT
Different countries have arrived at a range of different models for managing their public and private archives. In some there is a conscious attempt to keep the acquisition, custody and management of public archives distinct from that of private ones. In others, public and private and personal archives coexist happily side by side within the same archival institution. The exploration of perceptions and practices in the management of personal papers will be undertaken within this broad context. This chapter explores the nature of personal records and where this overlaps with those of private and official records; the growing tendency to personal self-expression and the impact on personal record keeping; the traditional role of the archivist and historian in relation to both organizational and personal papers and how this might be changing; and the standards and tools available to the archivist to assist in their management.
