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Organizing Your Archives PART 1: ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION

Discover Your Resources 2014 GSUSA History Conference

What will we discuss? � Arrangement and Description (jargon) � Finding Aids (more jargon) � Archives Content Management Systems

(even more jargon) � Resources for your Work Back Home (not

really jargon)


What will we not discuss? � How to deal with electronic records � One computer program for everyone � How to set up specific programs

� Description, Cataloging and Metadata (will be another session this afternoon)


So, what do you have?


So, what do you have?

Traditional Archives

� Paper records � Photographs � Audio cassettes � Videotapes � Digital files � Textiles

Girl Scout Specific

� Badges � Fun Patches � SWAPS! (of course) � Cookie prizes � Camping equipment


Where do you have it?

Possible

� Closet � Storage Room � Under a pool table � Outbuilding on

camp property

Best Practices

� Climate-controlled � Secure facility � Records off floor at

least a few inches


How can researchers find it?

“Old Fashioned”

� Lists of collections � Spreadsheets � Finding Aids typed

up on typewriter or in word processor

Online

� HTML pages � EAD Finding Aids � Searchable

catalog


Collections: How you want items to come to you…


Collections: How items usually arrive…


Arrangement 1.  The process of organizing materials with

respect to their provenance and original order, to protect their context and to achieve physical or intellectual control over the materials.

2.  The organization and sequence of items within a collection.


Levels of Arrangement 1.  Repository 2.  Collection number or Record Group 3.  Series 4.  Folder 5.  Item

Oliver W. Holmes Modern Archives Reader, 1984

(Classic)


Potential Record Group Level �  National Records �  Council Records �  Service Unit Records �  Troop Records �  Camp Records �  Special Collections/

Manuscripts


Camp Wind-A-Mere, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto

Potential Subgroup Levels for Camp Records � Troop Camping � Service Unit

Camporees � Summer Programs � Buildings � Special/Council

Events


Camp Civitania in Mableton, Georgia, (now Camp Timber Ridge) turns 90 this year.

Potential Series Levels for Special/Council Events Records � Katniss Weekend � Leaders Weekend � Camp CEO


� Family Volunteer Day � Open House � Winter Wonderland

Description 1)  The process of creating a finding aid or

other access tools that allow individuals to browse a surrogate of the collection to facilitate access and that improve security by creating a record of the collection and by minimizing the amount of handling of the original materials.

2)  (Records Management) A written account of the physical characteristics, informational content, and functional purpose of a record series or system.


Finding Aids 1.  A tool that facilitates discovery of

information within a collection of records.

2.  A description of records that gives the repository physical and intellectual control over the materials and that assists users to gain access to and understand the materials.


What can you make a finding aid with? What do you need?


You can make a finding aid with….


OR, you can make a finding aid with….


Finding Aids: Elements 1.  Title Page 2.  Summary Information 3.  Access and Use 4.  Related Materials 5.  Subject Terms/Access Points 6.  Biographical/Organizational Information 7.  Scope and Content 8.  Arrangement 9.  Contents Listing (Container List/Box & Folder)


Finding Aids: Title Page

The beginning of the finding aid---includes: •  Name of archival repository •  Title of collection •  Finding Aid creation

information •  Date range of materials


Finding Aids: Summary Info This section lists: � Creator of materials � Size and extent of collection (in linear or

cubic feet) � Call numbers and storage locations � Language in collection � Brief description/abstract of collection

contents


Finding Aids: Summary Info


From the Lowcountry Africana website: http://www.lowcountryafricana.com/2013/02/28/south-carolina-historical-society-placing-finding-aids-online/

Finding Aids: Access & Use If there are any restrictions placed on the collections, note them here. Other information can include � How archives received collection � Copyright � Preferred citation


Finding Aids: Access & Use


From the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collections website: http://www.doaks.org/library-archives/icfa/atom-do-faq

Finding Aids: Related Materials

Includes references to other collections in same repository or a different repository.


Finding Aids: Related Materials


From the Field Book Project of the National Museum of Natural History website: http://nmnh.typepad.com/fieldbooks/2013/02/the-method.html

Finding Aids: Subject Terms & Access Points


CONTROLLED VOCABULARY � Library of Congress Subject Headings

(personal names, corporate names, topical subjects)

� Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus (helps describe the physical nature of the collections)

Finding Aids: Subject Terms & Access Points


Finding Aids: Biographical/Historical Information


�  Includes biographical details and/or historical information about the collection and how it was created

Finding Aids: Biographical/Historical Information


From the San Diego State University Library website: http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=8&pid=34

Finding Aids: Scope & Content


� Provides an overview of the types of materials in the collection and how they have been arranged.

� Different sections of the collection (series and subseries), organize collection content by type of material, format, topic, or some other filing system determined by the archival staff and/or the original creator of the collection.

Finding Aids: Scope & Content


From the UC Davis Archives: http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/specol/exhibits/attic/index.php?view=attic-14

Finding Aids: Arrangement/Series Listing


Finding Aids: Contents List or Box and Folder List


Content Mgmt Systems


Content Mgmt Systems � SUGGESTIONS ONLY—NOT A MANDATE

� Use what fits your �  Staffing/volunteer levels �  Available technology �  Research needs



“Free” as in… or….



“Free” as in… or….


� Wonderful benefit � Effortless � Enjoyable � No investment of

money or time

� Requires lots of time and attention

� Needs expertise on volunteers’ part

� Has to have a place to live


Open Source

� Free � Requires server

configuration � May need to be

available on an online server

Off the Shelf

� Does cost money � Ready-to-go � May need to be

slightly configured by vendor


Content Mgmt Systems: OPEN SOURCE



http://www.collectiveaccess.org/



International Council on Archives “Access to Memory”

https://www.ica-atom.org/



https://www.archivematica.org/wiki/Main_Page


Content Mgmt Systems: PURCHASED and/or HOSTED

� Merged product of The Archivists’ Toolkit (AT) and Archon

� Hosted by Lyrasis � Most would be in the “Very Small”

category of membership � http://www.archivesspace.org/


Resources for Back Home � Books/Websites � Local Archives Group (State/Regional) � GSUSA History Website


Resources for Back Home: Description •  Published 2013 by SAA •  Three Modules •  Complements Kathleen

Roe’s Arrangement and Description book


Resources for Back Home: Arrangement and Description •  Published 2005 by SAA •  Part of Fundamental Series II •  Used as a manual •  Background reading for

understanding rules in DACS


Resources for Back Home: Arrangement and Description •  3rd edition published 2012 by

American Association for State and Local History

•  Good for beginners •  Practical advice


Resources for Back Home: General •  Published 2012 by SAA •  Chapter 2: Collections

Management •  Chapter 3: IT Issues


Resources for Back Home: General •  Published in 2006 by SAA •  Part of Fundamental Series II •  Good general overview of

working in an archives


Resources for Back Home: Definitions •  Originally published in 2005 •  Part of Fundamental Series II •  NOW ONLINE:

http://www2.archivists.org/glossary


Resources for Back Home: Definitions NEW WORD OF THE WEEK http://www2.archivists.org/word-of-the-week Fun way to learn new words


Resources for Back Home: General FREE E-PUBLICATIONS http://www2.archivists.org/publications/epubs


10/2/2014 Free Publications | Society of American Archivists

http://www2.archivists.org/publications/epubs 1/2

Free Publications

These edited monographs, case studies, guides, and formal papers have gone through a review process and are available free of charge.

Describing Archives: A Content Standard, Second Edition (2013)

Facilitates consistent, appropriate, and self-explanatory description of archival materials and creators of archival materials. This Second Edition reflects the

growing convergence among archival, museum, and library standards; aligns DACS with the descriptive standards developed and supported by the

International Council on Archives; and provides guidance on the creation of archival authority records. DACS can be applied to all types of material at all

levels of description, and the rules are designed for use by any type of descriptive output, including MARC 21, Encoded Archival Description (EAD), and

Encoded Archival Context (EAC). The Second Edition was officially adopted as a standard by the Council of the Society of American Archivists in January

2013, following review by the SAA Standards Committee, its Technical Subcommittee for Describing Archives: A Content Standard, and the general

archival community.

Also available is an earlier edition of Describing Archives: A Content Standard (2007), which was originally approved by the Society of American Archivists

as an SAA standard in 2004.

Archives and Manuscripts: Law (1985)

This still-useful publication by Gary Peterson and Trudy Huskamp Peterson presents legal questions confronted by archivists and discusses reasonable

means for analyzing and resolving legal issues. A companion to the newer Navigating Legal Issues in Archives.

Campus Case Studies

Reports by university archivists on working solutions for born-digital records.

Documentation Planning for the U.S. Health Care System (1994)

Joan D. Krizack provides a systematic method for devising documentation plans presented in the context of the U.S. health care system that also can be

adapted to other types of institutions. Winner of SAA’s 1995 Waldo Gifford Leland Award.

Encoded Archival Description: Tag Library (Version 2002)

An essential tool for archivists, librarians, and allied professionals. A narrative overview explains the major components of the EAD structure. It lists and

defines elements and attributes and indicates their relationship to one another. Tagged examples illustrate the use of each element.

A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology (2005)

Richard Pearce-Moses has done an outstanding job on this glossary, which contains more than 2,000 defined entries and more than 600 lead-in terms, and

nearly 700 citations from some 280 sources.

HathiTrust

SAA has granted full-view permission for more than 80 out-of-print publications in the HathiTrust. The oldest item is August Sueflow’s A Preliminary Guide

to Church Record Repositories (1969). Highlights among the released publications include the Basic Manual Series, the original Archival Fundamentals

Series, important SAA planning reports (e.g., Planning for the Archival Profession, 1986; Image of Archivists, 1984; and Evaluation of Archival Institutions

1982), Steve Hensen’s Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts (1989), three glossaries of archival terms spanning a 30-year-period (Evans 1973;

Bellardo 1992; Pearce-Moses 2005), and the 1996 reprint of T. R. Schellenberg’s archival classic Modern Archives: Principles and Techniques. Beyond

books, also included is a full run of the SAA Newsletter/Archival Outlook from 1979 to 1998 and Volumes 1 through 62 (1938 to 1999) of American

Archivist, plus a two-volume compilation index for the first 30 volumes of the journal.

The High Technology Company: A Historical Research and Archival Guide (1989)

Written by Bruce Bruemmer and Sheldon Hocheiser, and published by the Charles Babbage Institute, this 134-page pioneering guide to archival practices in

high-tech companies lists the general types of business records and provides a “documentary probe” based on the Control Data Corporation records at CBI.

Henry Lowood, curator for History of Science & Technology Collections and Film & Media Collections in the Stanford University Libraries, identified it as

one of the “indispensable guides” that helped shape “the strategies and programs that guided the growth of archival resources in the history of computing.”

The Interactive Archivist: Case Studies in Utilizing Web 2.0 to Improve the Archival Experience (2009)

Edited by J. Gordon Daines III and Cory L. Nimer. Blogs, wikis, podcasts, social networking sites, and a host of other Web 2.0 technologies have

revolutionized the way that students and scholars access information. This innovative e-publication introduces archivists to practical solutions for

integrating Web 2.0 technologies into their everyday work. Featuring case studies by archivists discussing actual implementations of Web 2.0 technologies

it is sure to foster an ongoing dialogue about the best ways to meet patron needs. This e-publication is available at http://interactivearchivist.archivists.org/.

A Manual of Archive Administration, Including the Problems of War Archives and Archive Making (1922)

A digital version of this archival classic by Sir Hilary Jenkinson is available courtesy of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Modern Archives: Principles and Techniques (1956)

A classic collection of writings by Theodore R. Schellenberg that provide the very basis of theory and practice for the American archival profession. New

introduction by former North Carolina State Archivist H.G. Jones added in 2003.

Resources for Volunteer Programs in Archives (2012)

A joint production of the National Archives and Records Administration and the Society of American Archivists, this guide introduces you to volunteer

activities underway in various archives. The project descriptions outline all kinds of work, from transcription to processing, from reference to indexing. Each

description is meant to offer an example of one way to organize work. If you have never used volunteer help in your organization, this guide will provide you

with a sense of the possibilities. And if you are interested in expanding or rethinking your volunteer program, this guide will offer some ideas.

Standards for Archival Description: A Handbook (1994)

Compiled by Victoria Irons Walch with contributions by Marion Matters, this publication describes technical standards, conventions, and guidelines used by

archivists in describing holdings and repositories.

Home The Archives Profession About Us Education & Events Publications Members Groups

Resources for Back Home: Local Archives Groups •  State and Regional Groups •  Recommend becoming a

member •  Publications •  Conferences /

Workshops / Meetings


10/2/2014 Directory of Archival Organizations in the United States and Canada | Society of American Archivists

http://www2.archivists.org/assoc-orgs/directory 1/2

Directory of Archival Organizations in the United States and Canada

UNITED STATES — National Archival Organizations

Academy of Certified Archivists

Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious

Archivists of Religious Institutions

Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists

Association of Moving Image Archivists

Council of State Archivists

National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators

National Episcopal Historians and Archivists

UNITED STATES — Regional, State and Local Archival Organizations

Archivists of Central Texas

Archivists of the Houston Area

Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc.

Association of Hawai'i Archivists

Association of St. Louis Area Archivists

Capital Area Archivists of New York

Central Oklahoma Archivists League

Charleston Archives, Libraries and Museum Council

Chicago Area Archivists

Chicago Area Medical Archivists

Chicago Area Religious Archivists

Cincinnati Area Archives Roundtable

Cleveland Archival Roundtable

Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists

Consortium of Iowa Archivists

Delaware Valley Archivists Group

Greater New Orleans Archivists

Kansas City Area Archivists

Kentucky Council on Archives

Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association

Maine Archives and Museums

Metro Detroit Archivists League

Miami Valley Archives Roundtable

Michigan Archival Association

Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference

Midwest Archives Conference

New England Archivists

New England Archivists of Religious Institutions

New Hampshire Archives Group

New York Archives Conference

Northwest Archivists, Inc.

Saint Louis Area Religious Archivists

Seattle Area Archivists

Society of Alabama Archivists

Society of California Archivists

Society of Florida Archivists

Society of Georgia Archivists

Society of Indiana Archivists

Society of Mississippi Archivists

Society of North Carolina Archivists

Society of Ohio Archivists

Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists

Society of Southwest Archivists

Society of Tennessee Archivists

South Carolina Archival Association

Southeastern Wisconsin Archives Group

Tri-State Catholic Archivists

Twin Cities Archives Round Table

UNITED STATES — Archives Institutes

Archival Education and Research Institute

Archives Leadership Institute

Georgia Archives Institute

Modern Archives Institute

Western Archives Institute

Home The Archives Profession About Us Education & Events Publications Members Groups

QUESTIONS? Pamela Nye, CA [email protected]


Organizing - gsuniv.org · InternationalCouncil on Archives; and provides guidance on the creation...

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