Recortes

Records are also produced because of societal customs and traditions. Document forms have been around for a long time, and the forms not only mirror the functions they are meant to perform but they also reflect social conventions and traditions. There are events dictating the creation of a document, if one is to be socially responsible. The death of a friend, for example,  requires the writing of a letter of condolence, even if today we might scribble the letter in to a prepackaged greeting card or send in via electronic mail, short-hand approaches indicating that the societal customs and traditions are always evolving, even if slowly. Every document we examine, from a letter to a check or receipt to various legal forms, are the result of generations and even centuries of development. We instantly recognize the intent of a document by its form. […] Even if we cannot read the language of the document, we can usually guess its purpose (if not its specifics) by the form and structure of the information.

COX, J. Richard. Personal archives and a new achival calling. redings, reflections and ruminations. Duluth, Minnesota: Litwin Books, LLC, 2008, p. 140