Managing Archives And Archival Institutions

Drawing on the expertise of nineteen highly regarded American archivists, 'Managing Archives and Archival Institutions' establishes general principles that will be of practical value to archivists at all stages of professional development in all types of archival institutions. Contributions reflect the broad scope of archival work today and the wide range of skills and expertise archivists must acquire to meet the challenges presented by modern records and archives.

Provides advice on the basic functions of an institutional archives-administration; appraisal; preservation and security; arrangement, description, and reference; building internal and external support; and cooperative opportunities. Presents three case studies in the initial development of institutional archives that summarize the problems and challenges facing these kinds of programs.

Whether an institution has a collections orientation or whether it is primarily responsible for managing institutional archives in conjunction with an organizational records management programme, those responsible for its archives and records management need specialist advice and practical guidance in the successful establishment and operation of an archival facility built on sound principles. This authoritative handbook, written by an archival professional with over 25 years' experience, offers just that. Addressing the contextual, strategic and operational issues associated with archives, the text covers everything the archivist needs to know: establishing principles, policies and procedures; managing day-to-day operations; caring for different types of archival materials; enhancing outreach and public access; and ensuring the growth and sustainability of the institution and its services. The key chapters are: What are archives? Archival institutions: creatures of history and culture Archival service: a matter of trust Protecting archives Provenance, original order and respect des fonds Appraising and acquiring archives Arranging and describing archives Making archives available The challenge of digital archives. The final section of the book offers a glossary of terms and a wide range of specialist information including comprehensive lists of recommended further reading, national institutions, professional bodies and other sources of advice. Readership: This book is essential reading for anyone involved in managing archives. Its straightforward and approachable language ensures that fundamental principles and practices are outlined clearly for novice archivists and non-specialists; experienced professionals will also find the work of immense value in validating or updating their understanding of archival operations. The issues addressed are relevant to archival practice internationally, particularly in English-speaking countries, and concepts in place in different parts of the world are examined in order to provide a global context.

Archives and Records Management is a comprehensive intoduction to the complex field of records management. The alphabetic filing rules are included, along with methods of storing and retrieving alphabetic subject, numeric and geographic records. The global shift towards delivering services online requires organizations to evolve from using traditional paper files and storage to more modern electronic methods. There has however been very little information on just how to navigate this changes until now. This book provides the readers and archive maintain people about the implementation of archives and record management with the direction and guidance you need to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Managing Archives provides a practical guide to archives management. It has three main target audiences: those who have been tasked by their organization to manage its archives but who have no prior training; those who are starting out as professionals or para-professionals in a record keeping environment and need basic guidance; and students who are currently studying for a professional qualification. Basic guidance is supplemented by comprehensive references to professional literature, standards, web sites etc. to enable the reader to further their studies at their own pace. The text includes a range of optional activities that enable the reader to translate principles into practice and feel greater ‘ownership’ with the guidance. There is no similar book on the market There is known demand both from practitioners and students The book offers guidance in the implementation of archival processes in a range of institutional contexts, and enables a universal application

Archival Basics for Historic Record Collections is an introduction to the concepts, policies, infrastructure and tasks needed to collect, preserve and make archival collections available to researchers. The book is based on content presented in workshops by the Council of State Archivists and presented in an on-line course by the American Association of State and Local History since 2003. Arp focuses on the discreet tasks necessary to manage archival collections. This is a practical, how-to book on managing archival collections designed for those who have responsibility for such collections but lack formal archival training. The book begins by defining historic records, archival collections and the differences between archives, libraries and museums while identifying the steps needed to manage archival collections. It then looks at collecting archival items including creating a collections policy, documenting the acquisition of archival items and the steps needed to bring those items into an archives. It discusses arranging, preserving and describing archival collections so researchers can find the information they seek. Next, it goes over what is needed to store, protect, and make archival collections available to researchers. The last chapters contemplates the policies, skills and infrastructure needed to successfully manage digital records and looks at creating digital copies of analog records to promote their use. The book provides templates, questionnaires and examples to enable the reader to create customized archival policies and procedures that accommodate the particular circumstances they find themselves in. The book also contains exercises and quizzes designed to reinforce the retention and understanding of critical concepts. In addition to examples it has lists of additional resources so those who want more detailed information on particular topics can find it. This book is not the only reference book needed by those doing archival work, but it should be the first book they need.

Management: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores the kinds of challenges that managers of archival programs face today and how those challenges can be met to achieve optimal results while working within existing resources. The book features thirteen case studies that demonstrate solutions to both traditional management concerns as well as new issues and opportunities presented by changes in technology and organizational environments. The featured case studies are: 1) “We’ll Never Let You Retire!”: Creating a Culture of Knowledge Transfer 2) Raising Cash and Building Connections: Using Kickstarter to Fund and Promote a Cultural Heritage Project 3) A Winning Combination: Internships and High-Impact Learning in Archives 4) A Thief in Our Midst: Special Collections, Archives and Insider Theft 5) Tackling the Backlog: Conducting a Collections Assessment on a Shoestring 6) A Platform for Innovation: Creating the Labs Environment at the National Archives of Australia 7) Setting Our Own Agenda: Managing the Merger of Archives and Special Collections 8) Taking Control: Managing Organizational Change in Archives 9) Implementing Pre-Custodial Processing: Engaging Organizations to Invest Resources in their Records 10) Building Effective Leaders: Redesigning the Archives Leadership Institute 11) From Evaluation to Implementation: Selecting Archival Management Software 12) More Bang for the Buck: Sharing Personnel and Resources Across Institutions 13) “Make a New Plan, Stan”: Useful and Painless Strategic Planning The collected case studies present pragmatic approaches to challenges and opportunities that are common to organizations of all sizes and types. Their common focus is on building stronger archival programs by making effective use of people, technology, and resources while working within organizational requirements and constraints. The volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from the aspirational to the immediately implementable. It also provides students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the issues facing managers in the field today and the kinds of strategies archivists are using to meet these new challenges.

The way in which we view the nature of archives and the role of the archivist has changed significantly in the last few decades. With increasing interest from outside of the profession, the idea of archives as the static, impartial carriers of truth and the archivist as a guardian of records has been questioned: how can society take greater control over its own written memory? There have been a number of other changes which have impacted upon the way archivists conceive of themselves and the way in which they work. Chief among these are the rapid rise of technology and the challenges this poses, and the changing place of archives within related fields, such as records and information management. It is imperative that archivists engage with these challenges if archives are to emerge as a renewed force in the 21st century. This much-needed book is designed not as a practical guide to professional practice, but rather as a reader addressing these challenges. The chapters are contributed by leaders in the field, and are grouped around the following four core themes: defining archives shaping a discipline Archives 2.0: archives in society archives in the information age: is there still a role for the archivist? Each chapter represents a defined argument in its own right to enable readers to dip in and out of the collection as they wish, and the book is structured to highlight chapters that share a common theme. Readership: Archivists and students of archive administration.