What is the difference between retention and preservation?

They sound similar but address different questions. Retention is about how long to keep records before disposition; preservation is about keeping records usable for the very long term once they’ve been determined to have enduring value.

Retention

Retention governs the whole population of records. A retention schedule sets, for each record type, a retention period and a final action. The vast majority of records are temporary: retained for their required period, then destroyed. Retention is fundamentally about keeping records exactly as long as required — and no longer.

Preservation

Preservation applies to the small fraction of records appraised as permanent — those with enduring historical, legal, or evidential value. Instead of being destroyed, they’re kept indefinitely, and the goal shifts to keeping them authentic and usable over decades. For digital records that means active digital preservation: format migration, fixity checks, sustainable formats, and redundant storage.

How they connect

The two meet at disposition. When a record reaches the end of its retention period, the disposition action decides its fate: destroy (most records) or transfer/preserve permanently (the few with enduring value). Retention is the broad, everyday discipline; preservation is the specialized, long-horizon care for permanent records.

A common confusion

Don’t conflate either with backup. Backups are for short-term recovery, not retention or preservation. And keeping everything “forever” isn’t preservation — it’s over-retention, which is costly and risky. Real preservation is selective (only enduring-value records) and active (ongoing care), while retention is about disciplined, time-bound keeping followed by defensible disposal. See the archives and preservation hub for more.