The Irish Family History Foundation view is that the first priority in preserving historical records is to remove the originals from use. IFHF centres use a combination of microfilms or other images, or transcripts to access historical records. The centres then index these records on computer as this is the most efficient means of working out the sometimes complex relationships that family history research entails.
Challenging demands for access does not aid preservation of private records. Guardians of records may consider some of the information they hold to be confidential and restrict access. Even if state archives have sufficient facilities to preserve original records, organisations that hold their own records may not avail of these services if they do not feel that their concerns are respected.