The concept is articulated as an 'attempt to document all aspects of historical development, seeking the records not just of officialdom or of a governing elite but of all segments of a community,' and 'combining official administrative records and relat

The concept is articulated as an 'attempt to document all aspects of historical development, seeking the records not just of officialdom or of a governing elite but of all segments of a community,' and 'combining official administrative records and related private files, architectural drawings, maps, microfilm, and other documentary forms all touching on the development of the organization or region. . . ." [Citing Canadian Archives, Report to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Ottawa, 1980), pp. 63–64. ]