Starting Your Personal Archiving Project
Kara Flynn, Research & Educational Services Archivist
University of Arkansas OLLI, June 2020
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Presentation Overview
• What is an archive?
• Why archive?
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources
• Main functions of an archive
• Steps for your archiving project
• Activity
What is an Archive?
• “Materials created or received by a person, family, or organization, public or private, in the conduct of their affairs and preserved because of the enduring value contained in the information they contain or as evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator. . .”
• An organization that collects the records of individuals, families, or other organizations; a collecting archives.
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Why Archive?
• To document history for future generations
• To preserve documents and artifacts
• To preserve and pass on stories
• To preserve and pass on traditions
Primary sources
Primary sources are materials that contain firsthand accounts of events and that was created contemporaneous to those events or later recalled by an eyewitness. They can come in a range of formats, including: letters, diaries, scrapbooks, rare books, photographs, sheet music, and more.
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Secondary sources
Secondary sources are works that are not based on direct observation of or evidence directly associated with the subject, but instead relies on sources of information. A work commenting on another work (primary sources), such as reviews, criticism, and commentaries, as you might find in a non-fiction history book. Your archive may contain both primary and secondary sources.
Main Functions of an Archive
• Appraisal: What do you have?
• Acquisition: What do you keep?
• Arrangement and Description: How will you organize and describe what you have?
• Preservation and storage: How will you store and preserve these items?
• Access: Who will you make this material available to and how?
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Appraisal: What do you have?
Types of materials
• Newspapers, scrapbooks, diaries, military records, photographs
Formats of materials
• Paper: photos, documents
• Digital:
physical media:
cassette tapes, vinyl records, and more
Things to consider
• Condition of materials
• Monetary value
• Sentimental value
• Research value
When doing appraisal of you materials, you want to keep a few things in mind. First, figure out what types of materials you have—these might include newspapers, scrapbooks, diaries, photographs, textiles, and more. Next, think about the format of those materials.
Are they mostly made of paper? Of fabric? Do you have some digital media mixed in, like cassette tapes, vinyl records, floppy discs, or digital photos on a camera or computer?
You will also want to consider the condition of materials—for example, if you have some newspaper clippings that are just falling apart, you may not be able to preserve them for the long term. It’s also important to consider the value of materials. Often when we think about value, we think in terms of monetrary value, like in antiques roadshow. But, I’d urge you to also consider sentimental value—do these materials have an important meaning for you or your family? Do they represent family or cultural traditions that are important to you? Additionally, think about the long term “research value” of the materials, for lack of a better term. Will these materials provide important information about your family to later generations, or might they provide important context to later members of your business or organization?
Appraisal: What do you have?
Do a brief survey of the
materials
Note what types of materials you have and where they are currently
stored, both physically and digitally
How many boxes, bins, or bags of materials are there? How many digital folders of files? How many photos on your camera or computer?
Review your
notes Determine what items have monetary, historical,
or sentimental value, and which do
not
Logistically speaking, the appraisal phase of an archival project is a good time to do a brief survey of your materials. This doesn’t mean you’ll create a list of every single item, but just try to get an idea of what it is you have. For example, note what types of materials you have, and approximately how much material you have. How many bins or boxes of materials do you have documenting your family or organization? If you have digital files, about how many files do you have? Once you’ve taken note of this information, determine what items have value to you, however you choose to define that value, and which items have less value to you
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Appraisal: What do you think?
https://utah-
primoprod.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo- explore/fulldisplay?docid=digcoll_unr_15basqcoll collection_4209&context=L&vid=MWDL
https://cdm.llu.edu/digital/collection/p17224coll21/id/16 /
http://omeka.limestonecounty-
al.gov/omeka/exhibits/show/1968sesquicentennial/item/33 8
Now, with all this in mind, let’s take a look at some examples. On this slide, we have a family photograph, a blank check, and a pamphlet for the 150 year celebration in Athens Alabama. Take a moment to think about which items you think have the most and least value, and if these items were a part of your family or organization’s collection, are there any items you would consider getting rid of?
If these were part of my family collection, for example, I’d want to ask some further
questions about these materials. I think the family photograph is worth keeping, because it documents members of the family, and may have sentimental value. On the other hand, a loose blank check doesn’t have much sentimental or historical value. However, if I had a stack of these checks, I might keep just one, if it was in good condition, purely because it may have some limited historical value as an object, or might hae meaning to my family.
The sesquicentennial brochure documents a local event that perhaps a relative participated in or attended, so I think this has some historical value, and might also carry sentimental value within my family. Like the checks though, if I had a whole bunch of brochures and I was going to have to devote substantial storage space or supplies to keep these, I would probably keep 1 or 2 of the brochures that were in the best condition, but not a whole stack of them.
Acquisition: What do you keep?
Sentimental value
Monetary value Storage
needs Condition
Once you’ve gone through the appraisal process, you have to determine what you truly want to keep, ad what you might not. Hopefully these are things you’ve been considering in your appraisal process. But you can think of acquisition as the final decision making time.
You must determine what you are going to formally “acquire” for your archive. Like we discussed in appraisal, there are many considerations in this process. This ven diagram illustrates how all these factors, including things like sentimental or monetary value of materials impacts this decision, as well as practical factors like the condition of the materials, and their storage needs. If you have a limited amount of storage space or a limited budget to spend on storage and preservation supplies that may factor in to you decision about how much material you can keep.
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Arrangement & Description
How will you organize and describe what you have?
• By format: diaries, letters, scrapbooks, digital
• By person
• Chronologically
• By organization
• By theme
Archives have certain principles they like to follow when it comes to arrangement and description, but when it comes to your personal collections, you should organize them in a way that will be useful and accessible to you, your family members, or members of your group/organization.
Once you’ve determined what you plan to keep, or what will officially be included in your archive, the next step is arrangement and description. In this step, you will determine how you will organize and describe your materials. There are lots of ways you can do this, but I always advocate that you organize your materials in a way that makes sense to you, and the others who want to access your materials. As an example, think about all the ways you could organize your bookshelves: you could order books, alphabetically by title, by publication date, by author, even by color. But what makes sense to you might not make sense to someone else looking through those books. So, if you are preserving your archive for children, grandchildren, or future members of your organization or business, you’ll want to keep that in mind.
Some possible ways to organize materials might be by format, so grouping all the diaries together, all the letters together, all the scrapbooks, and then ordering them
chronologically by date within those categories. Or you may want to organize materials first by family member, and then further categorize materials from there. In archives, we call
the top, we have a collection number (MSS 001) which stands for manuscript collection 1, the title of the collection, the Smith Family Papers, and a date range for the materials. Next we have series, these are usually broad organizational categories. In this case, the collection has been organized by format of materials, with a series for correspondence, and one for diaries. From there, the correspondence is organized one way (chronologically in groupings), while the diaries are organized first by individual, and then by item chronologically.
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Arrangement & Description
3. Keep track of where materials are located 1. Folder items, create standard labels
2. Place folders in boxes, create standard box labels
Smith family papers, 1900-1990 Box 1/2
Once you’ve determined how you want to organize your materials, you’ll want to put items in folders and create a standard written label for the folders, place folders in boxes, and create a standard label for each box of material, and find a way to keep track of where each box is stored. This could be in an excel spreadsheet like the example in this slide, or in a listing in a word document.
Arrangement & Description: Digital
• Give individual files descriptive, standardized file names.
• Tag photos with names of people and descriptive subjects.
• Create a directory/folder structure on your computer to organize the files you have selected.
• Write a brief description of the directory structure and the files.
Smith family papers
Photos Correspondence Scrapbooks
SmithFamily GroupPhoto _1980 BarbSmithPhoto_
1953
Many of the same principles of arrangement and description apply for digital items. For example, you might have digital photos you would like to organize and archive on your computer or camera. You’ll want to give files descriptive, standardized file names. For example, photo1 wouldn’t be a good file name, because although it could easily be standardized, it is not descriptive. When titling photo files, you might include the type of photo it is (portrait, group photo), the name of the person or family included in the photo, and the date the photo was taken. You can also tag individuals within the file by creating a digital file that accompanies the photo, with identification in a word document or txt file.
You will also want to create a directory or folder structure to organize the files, as the example in this slide demonstrates. This is similar to the creation of series and subseries for paper collections. In a separate document, write down a description or map out the
directory structure.
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Preservation & Storage
How will you store and preserve your items?
– General Considerations:
• Avoid heat and moisture
• What kinds of boxes and folders will you need?
• What kinds of electronic storage will you need?
• Shelving?
– Paper & photos:
• Acid free folders and boxes
• Acid-free mylar sleeves
– Digital:
• Storage: Hard drives, external hard drives, cloud storage
• Preservation: Scanners, cameras, creating file naming conventions
Preservation and storage asks, how will you preserve and store your items? Some things to think about here include where will you be storing your materials? In your closet? A
basement, garage, or attic? Wherever you decide to store them, you’ll want to avoid heat and moisture. You’ll also need to think about preservation and storage supplies, so things like the types of boxes and folders you will use, or for digital materials, will you be storing them on your computer’s hard drive, an external hard drive, or some kind of cloud storage like google drive or Box, which allows you to store files online in “the cloud”
For paper materials and photos, the best storage would be acid-free folders and boxes.
Acid free means they are archival quality and are made of non-acidic paper, so they won’t contribute to the further degradation of paper-based materials. For photos you might consider a mylar sleeve, which is a clear plastic-like sleeve often used to store photos.
Storage: Digital
• At least two copies of your selected files
• Backup copies on different media:
➢ one on your computer
➢ one on DVD/CD/external hard drive/thumb drive
➢ one in the cloud (Dropbox, Google drive, Box)
• Put a copy of the file inventory with your important papers in a secure location.
• Check your files at least once a year to make sure you can read them.
• Create new media copies every five years to avoid data loss.
Digital storage and preservation requires a slightly different set of guidelines that you’ll want to keep in mind when archiving your digital files, such as photos. Make sure to keep at least two copies of your files, in at least two different places. These will serve as back up copies. So, you could choose to keep one on your computer, and one in the cloud, or on some other form of media, like a DVD, CD, external hard drive, or thumb drive. However, I’d caution you about using DVDs and CDs, because those formats may become obsolete down the road. Think of the floppy discs you might have at home—do you have a way to read them today? For many people, the answer will be no, so think about DVDs and CDs in a similar way. If you choose to store files on them now, you may need to migrate them to the cloud or an external hard drive at a later date. These will be your “new media” copies, and will help ensure long term access to the files.
You’ll also want to create an inventory, just as you did for your paper materials. This could be a word document or excel spreadsheet listing of what materials you have and where they are stored. Keep a digital copies in at least 2 places. You may also want to print a copy and store it in a secure location as well. Make sure you open a few of these files once a year, to make sure you can still access them.
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Storage: What do you think?
https://www.livingasunshinelife.com/s pring-cleaning-20-things-to-do-with- the-stuff-you-dont-want-anymore/
http://www.granarybooks.com/collections/ed-sanders/
http://scarc .library.ore gonstate.ed u/facilities2 .html
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In this slide, we are going to take a look at some storage examples. On your own, anaylze these photos, and jot down some notes about which photo you think has the best or worst storage and why.
As a citizen archivist, you likely won’t have the kinds of fund that a professional archive has, so you’ll need to prioritize your storage accordingly—no one expects you to have
professional grade storage, but there are some things it will be best to avoid.
So, let’s look at photo number 1. The materials are in cardboard boxes, not acid free
archival boxes, but that’s not my biggest concern. It looks like they are in a garage, so I’d be most concerned about heat, and potentially moisture. Additionally, boxes are sitting on the ground, not on a shelf, and they are stacked pretty high, which is a concern for me both for safety and preservation reasons. If you are going to be storing your boxes in a garage, I’d suggest at least buying some plastic or metal shelving so that you can keep the boxes up off the floor, which may also help prevent water damage. Overall, this might not be the worst storage solution, but there are ways it could be improve.
Moving on to photo 2. This one is the ideal storage situation, the kind of storage you’d find in a professional archive. The boxes are archival quality and acid free, they look well organized, and the are housed on shelves. While most people won’t be able to store your
And photo number 3. This photo is the storage solution I’d be most concerned about. While I can tell that some of these boxes are archival grade boxes, they are packed pretty tightly inside this shed, and stacked on top of each other. Additionally, the shed isn’t insulated, so I’d be pretty concerned about both heat and moisture in there. If at all possible, I’d move as much of this material to an indoor location that would be better protected from the elements, especially since this person has gone to the extra effort of spending what was probably a significant bit of money on buying archival boxes.
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Storage: What do you think?
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Speaking of boxes, this next slide offers some box options I found on Amazon by searching for “archival box”. Again, take a moment to note for yourself which boxes you think would be the best and worst for an archival project.
So, number 1. This is the best box you could buy. Some hints here that this is an archival quality box are that it says it is acid free, and protects from dust and light. Lots of products might say “archival” somewhere in their description, but the best indicator of quality would be the term acid-free. However, just this one box is 17.99, so for most people with a large archive, this box would be cost prohibitive.
Our next option, box 2, is a good intermediary option. While it is not acid free, it does include a lid, which will help protect materials from light, and it’s not made of plastic, so it won’t release as many chemicals to the materials over time. These boxes will also fit more materials, so you get more bang for your buck in terms of space. The price is a pretty wide range here, because these come as a six pack, and you can buy multiple 6 packs.
Option 3 is the option I would tend to avoid. While these plastic bins will provide some protection from water and light damage, they won’t hold up well in heat, and will off gas, or release chemicals as the plastic degrades over time.
Storage: What do you think?
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Within your boxes, you’ll want to store items in folders and potentially mylar sleeves within those folders. Again, take a moment to look at the supplies on the slide and jot down some notes on why you think they would be good or not so good in terms of preservation.
So, option number 1. These folders say the are acid free, which seems like a good sign.
However, they come in a whole bunch of bright colors, which would make me concerned that the dye used on the folders might bleed onto your materials as they fade. When looking to buy folders it is best to play it safe, the plainer the folder, the better. Try to avoid colored folders when possible.
Option 2 is actually a clear sleeve that might hold a photo or document inside a folder.
These say they are both archival safe and acid free. Polypropolene is a relatively stable plastic, so it is considered to be a safe choice for archival materials, as it won’t release chemicals as easily as other forms of plastic. You can get 150 sleeves for about 10 dollars, so I would say this is a pretty safe and cost effective choice.
And option 3. These are archival quality, and in the description, they mention them being acid free. These are from Gaylord, an archival supply company, so they can be considered a reliable brand to purchase materials from. These folders are a bit costly at 20 dollars for a 25 pack, but are a good quality product from a reputable brand. If you are ever in doubt,
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you can always google the brand of the product and that might give you some hints about whether that brand is well-regarded or not.
Access
Who will you make this
material available to and how?
• General Considerations:
• Privacy
• Physical access
• Online access
The final step in archiving is making your materials accessible. If you are organizing family papers, maybe you want to make sure your children and grandchildren will have access to these materials. If you work for or volunteer with an organization whose records you are archiving, you’ll want to make sure that future employees, volunteers, or members of that organization can access these materials.
Privacy is one thing to consider when it comes to access. If you are concerned about privacy, you might choose to restrict access to certain boxes or folders of material for a set period of time, or until an individual has died. These are relatively common ways of
maintaining both access and privacy.
You’ll also want to be thinking about how you will make the materials physically accessible, and perhaps even accessible online.
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Access
• Digitization
– Scanning materials
– Creating collection descriptions (finding aids)
• Cloud storage
• Free: Google Drive (15GB), Box (10 GB)
• Paid: Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, DropBox
• (Physical) Digital storage
• Hard drives
• External hard drives (extra storage, back up files)
Some ways to facilitate access online or to digital archives are: digitization, cloud storage, and physical digital storage.
Some ways you might digitize materials includes scanning select items so many different people can access the digital file, or creating collection descriptions. In archives, these descriptions are called “finding aids” and they generally include a description of the
collection, some brief biographical information about the family, individual, or organization that the records relate to, and provide an organizational structure and listing of all the boxes and folders in that collection of materials. One way you might make materials accessible online is to create finding aids as word documents, and share them with your family or organization’s members.
Cloud storage is a great option to allow multiple people access to materials online. Some free options include Google Drive, or Box, or you can pay for larger amounts of storage with a range of providers, including Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, and DropBox. These services allow you to share materials with many people, but they also help address privacy
concerns, as you can determine who has access to what materials within these cloud storage systems.
Finally, like we discussed earlier, you can provide access to physical digital media in a
thumbdrives, CDs, and DVDs.
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Questions?
Homework Assignment
Using your own materials, do a brief survey.
What acquisition decisions might you make? Any particular preservation issues you are concerned about?
Brainstorm how you’d like to arrange your materials. Why would you organize them that way?
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