What is the purpose of removing duplicate items from a collection in digital archival practices?

Removing duplicate items from a collection in digital archival practices primarily serves the purpose of streamlining data access. When duplicates are eliminated, users can easily navigate the collection without sifting through redundant information, making the search process more efficient and improving the overall user experience. A streamlined collection enhances the ability of users to find unique, relevant materials quickly, which is essential for maintaining the effectiveness of an archive.

The other options do not align with the primary objective of duplicate removal. For instance, removing duplicates does not enhance the size of the collection, as it typically reduces the number of items. Ensuring variety in a collection is achieved through careful selection and curation, not by deleting duplicates. Additionally, while reducing duplicates could impact storage requirements, the intent is not to increase these requirements but rather to optimize space by eliminating unnecessary copies. Thus, the correct answer aligns with the goal of making the collection more user-friendly and efficient for access and retrieval.