PRONI has a responsibility to receive and preserve records that are part of Northern Ireland’s archival heritage. This responsibility applies equally to paper and digital records. 

Collections Care is carried out by dedicated teams trained in the long-term preservation of archival materials and digital formats. It informs how records are used, handled, stored, accessed and, when necessary, treated. 

The information below provides further information on how PRONI preserves records for future generations.

Conservation

The Conservation Team at PRONI are trained to understand the material characteristics of physical archival collections, their chemical properties and have the traditional skills required to sympathetically repair fragile documents. 

Their main focuses are:

• Preventive conservation
• Interventive conservation
• Engagement and outreach

Digital Preservation

PRONI has a statutory responsibility to receive and preserve records that form part of Northern Ireland’s archival heritage, including digital records.

Digital Preservation is the active management and maintenance of digital objects to ensure their informational value is retained long-term, even if the original technology used in their creation changes. A range of processes and activities are undertaken to validate the authenticity and integrity of digital public records on an ongoing basis, and make them available for the future.

The digital records that PRONI preserves are created by government departments, public sector bodies and private depositors.