ARCHIVES POLICY MANUAL - OUTLINE

ARCHIVES POLICY MANUAL OUTLINE

I.         ASSUMPTIONS

A.    Processing Scheme should be determined at the most practical level

B.    Research Value will determine level of control

C.    Arrangement is determined by Provenance and Original Order

D.    Policy Manual is designed as a guide

E.     Goals are to Preserve, Arrange, Describe, and complete Forms

II.       PROCESSING PRINCIPLES

A.    Provenance is identified more with the creator than the donor

B.    Original Order should be maintained if possible

C.    Levels of Control are a way of implementing provenance and original order

1.     Collection Level is for small manuscript boxes or single items

2.     Series Level is for records in a sequence within a filing system or grouping

a.     Most important level in arrangement

b.     Character of the collection is reflected in the series

c.      Study the collection before assigning a permanent title
d.     Place the most important record first

e.      Sub-Series of Levels are based on form, record type, physical class of records, and filing arrangements

3.     File Unit Level is for documents treated as a unit

a.      Often Chronological

b.     Develop a Key or Code Book for internal classification

4.     Item Level is for a single document or manuscript

a.      Often for smaller, important or disheveled collections

b.     More likely to have to work item by item

c.      Rare to describe at the item level unless the collection is very small or very important, due to time-constraints

III.     ACCESSIONING

A.  Intellectual Control is needed for each donation and is always approved by Archivist

1.     Deed of Gift is completed for every donation

2.     Thank You Note, along with a copy of Deed of Gift, should be mailed to donor

3.     New Deed of Gift completed for any additions to collection, even if by the same donor

B.   Accession Record 

1.     Collection Description Notes  is done for info about preservation problems, items, facts, & creator

2.   Assign Accession Number

3.   Location is by Accession Number until the permanent Collection Number is assigned

C.  Control File

1.     Create for each Accession

2.     Name Control File on tab with Accession Number in pencil

3.     Change Control File Name on tab when permanent Collection Number is assigned

D.  Forms

1.     Deed of Gift

2.     Deed of Gift Oral History Agreement

3.     Accession Record

IV.     DE-ACCESSIONING (REASONS FOR)

A.    Format Transferred and no longer useful in original

B.    Duplicated in another format

C.    Format is Obsolete, unusable, and cost to re-format out-weighs historical value

D.    Collection Policy or Needs of Archives are no longer met

E.     Donor Requests a return or transfer and there are no other options (check signed Deed of Gift for restrictions)

F.     Need clear and legal title for de-accession

G.  Forms

V.     ARRANGEMENT

A.    Provenance

B.    Original Order

C.    Research Potential

D.     

III.     PRESERVATION

IV.     DESCRIPTION

IX.  CONFIDENTIALITY AND ACCESS TO FORMS

X.    PUBLICITY AND NEWS RELEASES

X.    LOCAL HISTORY ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

XI.   GLOSSARY OF TERMS

XII. MAP OF LIBRARY/ARCHIVES 

Student Journal Reflections

This outline was started during a time when the computer and scanner used for 

converting the slides to a JPEG format, was not available. It is a work in progress and far

from complete. The outline is based upon the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library's Local

History Department's Processing Manual. My plans are to use this as a guide for study

and comparison with material in archive and special collection textbooks that I have

access to.