Since 1960, several satellites have been exploring the ultraviolet sky. The longevity (over 16 years) of the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and its photometric stability are providing unique opportunities for archival investigations and highlight IUE observations as a prolific source of science.
This paper describes the different aspects and applications of the IUE archives and summarizes all available output products such as the many atlases, bibliographic references and the Uniform Low Dispersion Archive together with the IUE Final Archive (IUEFA) which is currently under production processing with a new and enhanced spectral image processing software (NEWSIPS).
We also describe the continuing efforts in both, to provide an easier access to and to improve the contents of the IUE archive with the objective of promoting an optimal usage of its capabilities by scientists interested in UV spectroscopy.
Finally, we outline some of the future projects of the IUE archives.