Archiving in Library

Archiving in Library provides a way to remove items from active Library views and search results (including Ask a Question) without permanently deleting them. They end up on the Archived Smart List, which allows for self-recovery of accidentally removed items. Archiving is available for Volumes, folders, files, and links. Archiving is not supported for Categories—deleting a Category will move all of its Volumes to the Uncategorized Category.

Notes:

• To delete an item, you must first archive it.
• Archiving is not available for Microsoft or Google-integrated Library storage providers. Provided the underlying corporate drive is configured to allow it, items deleted in integrated Libraries will be in the “trash” of that drive and can be recovered from there.

Permissions

The ability to archive and unarchive items depends on your assigned Librarian role:

• Category Librarians can archive and unarchive Library Volumes within their assigned Categories.
• Volume Librarians can archive and unarchive folders, files, and links within their assigned Volumes.

How to archive an item

When you archive a Library Item (Volume, folder, file, or link) it’s hidden from its original location and removed from the search index. All the content within an archived Volume or folder, including subfolders and files, are also hidden from the general Library view.

To archive an item:

1. Navigate to the item you wish to archive.
2. Click on the action menu (three dots) for the item.
3. Select Archive.

Note: Archiving an item will automatically disable Scheduled Review and Sign Off for that item. If you unarchive the item later, you must manually turn these features back on.

Using the Archived Smart List

All archived items are moved to the Archived Smart List and will be hidden in their original location. While this list is visible to all Users, only Librarians can see the archived objects they have permission to manage—these permissions are governed by the current permissions of the Volume the Archived item came from, which can be observed on the Smart List.

In the Archived Smart List, Librarians can perform the following actions:

• View Items: Archived files can be opened in the Viewer. They can also be directly accessed by their link. A callout at the top of the Viewer will indicate that the item is currently archived. Note, editing the item's details is not available while an item is archived.
• Download Items: You can download archived Volumes, folders, or files. When downloading an archived Volume or folder, the download will include all its content.
• Sort by Date: The list is sorted by the Archive Date by default, with the most recently archived items appearing at the top.
• Show/Hide Columns: Allows you to manage the visibility of columns in the Archived Smart List table.
• Unarchive: Returns an archived item (Volume, folder, file, or link) to its original location in Library.
• Permanently Delete: Permanently removes an item and all its content from the Library. This action is irreversible and is only accessible from the Archived Smart List.

Tip: To see which items have specific features enabled before archiving, ensure the Sign Off and Scheduled Review columns are visible in your Library table.

Unarchiving items

Unarchiving returns an item to its original location in Library.

To unarchive an item (including Volumes, folders, and their contents), Librarians can:

1. Go to the Archived Smart List.
2. Click on the action menu (three dots) for the item.
3. Select Unarchive.

Unarchiving will be successful if the parent object (Volume or Folder) still exists and there are no naming conflicts in the destination. After unarchiving, the details of the items (created date, views, downloads, etc.) will remain as they were prior to archiving. If unarchiving fails due to a naming conflict or a missing parent location, an alert will appear listing up to five items that could not be restored, along with a count of any additional affected items. You can download those items via the Smart List and re-upload them to a new location to recover them.

Note: You cannot navigate Archived Folders or Volumes within the Smart List. You must first unarchive them to browse or manage their contents.

Permanently deleting items

Permanent deletion is only accessible from the Archived Smart List. 

To permanently delete an item (including Volumes, folders, and their contents), Librarians can:

1. Go to the Archived Smart List.
2. Click on the action menu (three dots) for the item you wish to delete.
3. Select Permanently Delete.
4. In the confirmation alert, type DELETE and click Delete.

Caution: Permanently deleting a Volume or Folder will also delete all of its subfolders and contents. This action cannot be undone.