The perception of archives, their role and social importance has changed in different historical periods. In the ancient period, during the Middle Ages and in the early modern period archives primarily served as storage places for documents which were important for trade, economy, and property issues. Also, archives were tied to the social elite, such as priests, nobility, and rulers. Since the 19th century, archives gradually became centers of historical research, which was encouraged by the emergence of modern nation-states and the development of historiography. At the beginning of the 20th century archives faced accelerated reproduction of archival material, and to cope with these circumstances, archivists were forced to constantly improve theories of archival appraisal. Nowadays, archives are becoming increasingly important for scientific and broader communities, so cooperation with users is an extremely important segment of archival work. Today's digital environment brings benefits to archives, but at the same time there are many challenges to deal with. In addition, the relationship between archival science and related sciences, librarianship and history, is discussed. In the past, the differences between archives and libraries were not so evident as they are today. Also, history treated archives as institutions completely subordinated to historical research. History and archival science are now equal sciences that cooperate with each other and contribute to the development of society.