Overview of archival processing, for Society of Indiana Archivists Fall Workshop 2011

1. Overview of Archival Processing
Or where on earth do I start with this
stuff?
A hands on exercise.
By jennifer whitlock, archivist at Indianapolis Museum of Art
for the Society of Indiana Archivists Workshop October 7, 2011

4. What is an archive?
Archives are the non-current records of individuals, groups, institutions, and
governments that contain information of enduring value.
Examples of Types:
•College and University
•Corporate
•Government
•Historical Societies
•Museums
•Religious
•Special Collections
•Other…

5. Category Libraries Archives
• Published • Unpublished
Nature • Discrete items • Groups of related items
• Independent significance • Significance from relationship to
• Available elsewhere other items
• Unique records
Creator Many different individuals or organizations Parent organization or institution
Method of Separate, independent actions Organic: normal course of business
creation
Method of • Selected as single items • Appraised in aggregate
receipt
• Decisions revocable • Decisions irrevocable (destruction
is forever)
Predetermined subject classification Provenance and original order (relation
Arrangement to structure and function)
Level of Individual items (books) Aggregate (record group or series)
Description
• Built into the published item (title • Must be prepared by the archivist
Descriptive page, table of contents, index)
media • Card catalog, online public access • Guides and inventories, online
system (OPAC) systems
Access • Open stacks • Closed Stacks
• Items circulate • Items do not circulate
Adapted from Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives by Gregory Hunter

6. What does an archivist do?
Triple threat:
Organizes
Preserves
Provides access
But that’s not all…

7. How does an archivist do
it?
Key archival concepts and activities:
1. Surveying the collection
Provenance or respect du fonds
Original order
2. Appraisal
long-term research value
not $$ value
3. Arrangement & Description
not cataloging!
Controlled vocabulary
4. Preservation
5. Access

8. Format is irrelevant!!
What is a record? Audio visual materials
Data or information Digital files
Hand-written or typed or ink-jet
in a fixed form that is Architectural plans
created or received Photographs
in the course of Letters
Manuscripts
individual or Publications
institutional activity Brochures
and set aside Ephemera
Drawings
(preserved) Invoices, forms, reports
as evidence Meeting minutes
of that activity 3-D objects
Clippings
for future reference. Websites
Emails
Punch cards
Musical score
Etc
etc

10. Accessioning and surveying the
collection

11. What do we have here?
Get the context of the
materials:
•Who made this collection?
•What is the size and
scope?
•Can any organizational
scheme be found?
Answering these questions
as you process will guide
the arrangement and
description of the

12. Provenance
Respect du fonds
Respect for Original Order

13. Appraisal
Long-term research value, NOT $$$$$$$
Usually takes place prior to donation or at accessioning:
Do we want this? Make a collecting policy and mission
statement!
Other
appraisal
considerations
:
•Provenance
•Content
•Authenticity
•Reliability
•Completenes
s
•Condition

14. Record Values
Primary Value
Administrative Value
Fiscal Value
Legal Value
Historical Value
Secondary Value
Evidential Value
Informational Value
Other Values
Research Value
Intrinsic Value

15. Appraisal
Small appraisal decisions
happen during processing:
Often called weeding…
Is this a duplicate?
Does this gum wrapper have
any research value?
Can we keep these explosive
nitrate films?
Why did someone save this?

16. Arrangement

17. Description

18. Preservation

19. Access

20. Fundamentals books from SAA:
Boles, F. (2005). Selecting & appraising
archives & manuscripts.
Kurtz, M. J. (2004). Managing archival &
manuscript repositories.
O'Toole, J. M., & Cox, R. J. (2006).
Understanding archives & manuscripts.
Pugh, M. J. (2005). Providing reference
services for archives & manuscripts.
Ritzenthaler, M. L. (2010). Preserving archives
& manuscripts.
Roe, K. (2005). Arranging & describing
archives & manuscripts.

21. Internet resources for Archival theory &
practice
Society of American Archivists Statement of Principles
http://www.archivists.org/news/custardproject.asp
Society of American Archivists Code of Ethics
http://www.archivists.org/governance/handbook/
app_ethics.asp
Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology
http://www.archivists.org/glossary/index.asp
More Product, Less Process: Pragmatically revamping
Traditional Processing Approaches to Deal with Late
20th-Century Collections by Greene & Meissner
http://ahc.uwyo.edu/documents/faculty/greene/papers/
Greene-Meissner.pdf

22. Internet resources for Preservation
Northeast Document Conservation Center
(NEDCC)
http://www.nedcc.org/resources/introduction.php
Library of Congress Preservation
http://www.loc.gov/preserv/preserve.html
National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA)
http://www.archives.gov/preservation/
LYRASIS
http://www.lyrasis.org/Preservation/Resource
s-and-Publications.aspx
Holliger/Metal Edge Archival Supplies

23. Questions??
Let’s get started!
(this is the hand’s on exercise part)