The UC Guidelines for Processing Efficiently

A Streamlined Approach for Managing All of Your Archival Collections

Michelle LightDirector of Special Collections

University of Las Vegas, Nevada Librariesmichelle.light@gmail.com

Why is this streamlined Why is this streamlined approach applicable to me?approach applicable to me?MPLP…

◦is not about paperclips or keeping original folders

◦is not just for modern, organizational records

◦informs ALL processing activity◦focuses on making our collections

available for research

“There are many degrees of processing, each of which can be done well.”

Core PrinciplesCore Principles1. Aim to provide access to all holdings.2. Always look for the “golden minimum.”3. Analyze the work necessary for every

collection and be flexible in the amount of work applied.

4. Arrange, describe, and preserve materials in harmony.

5. Measure and compare processing rates to ensure processing is carried out efficiently.

6. Try using a collection management system.

The First Step: Expose All The First Step: Expose All Archival HoldingsArchival Holdings1. At minimum, provide a collection-

level record for all archival holdings.2. Revise your accessioning practices to

represent holdings online at the moment of acquisition.

3. Revise your access policies to:a) Allow access to unprocessed holdings.

b) Review collections for use on demand.

c) Tolerate messy collections in the reading room.

4. Allow use to determine further processing priorities.

The Second Step: Process The Second Step: Process Collections at an Appropriate Collections at an Appropriate LevelLevel

Good processing :“1) expedites getting collection materials into the hands of users; 2) assures arrangement of materials adequate to user needs; 3) takes the minimal steps necessary to physically preserve collection materials; and 4) describes materials sufficient[ly] to promote use.”

Five processing levelsFive processing levels

Level of Effort Level of Control

Minimal Collection levelLow Series or

subseries levelModerate File level

(expedited)Intensive Folder level

(traditional)Highly intensive Item level

Minimal effortMinimal effortLevel of Effort

Minimal

Level of Control

Collection level

Description Collection-levelrecord in MARC orEAD

Arrangement

Leave as is

Preservation

Rebox only if unserviceable

Appraisal Weeding not appropriate. If privacy concerns, restrict entire collection.

Low effortLow effortLevel of Effort

Low

Level of Control

Series of subseries level

Description Brief finding aid or detailed MARC record with series/subseries descriptions and/or box lists.

Arrangement

Put series and/or boxes in rough order

Preservation

Replace damaged boxes. House loose items. Replace other enclosures only when unserviceable.

Appraisal Appraise series, subseries, or chunks,. Restrict series with privacy concerns.

Moderate effortModerate effortLevel of Effort

Moderate

Level of Control

File level (expedited)

Description Succinct finding aid with abbreviatedfolder lists or simple (expedited) inventories. Existing description repurposed.

Arrangement

Put folders in rough order. Preserveoriginal order when usable. Performrough sort of loose items.

Preservation Replace boxes. Retain existing folders and labels when in good shape.

Appraisal Appraise folders. Segregate folders with privacy issues.

Intensive effortIntensive effortLevel of Effort

Intensive

Level of Control

Folder level (traditional)

Description Finding aid includes detailed folder lists and descriptive notes. Folder titles are refined and standardized.

Arrangement

Put folders in order. Impose new organizational scheme or make significantimprovements. Sort loose items.

Preservation Replace boxes and folders. Selectivelyperform preservation for fragile orvaluable items.

Appraisal Appraise folders. Segregate folders with privacy issues.

Highly intensive effortHighly intensive effortLevel of Effort

Intensive

Level of Control

Item level

Description Detailed finding aid includes item lists, orfolder lists with explanatory notes.

Arrangement

Items are placed in order in boxes and folders.

Preservation Replace boxes and folders. Comprehensively address housing or preservation needs for fragile items. Reformat audio-visual material.

Appraisal Item-level weeding. Segregate items with privacy concerns.

Assess your collection to Assess your collection to determine processing leveldetermine processing level

1. Assess the value of the collection.

2. Consider the collection's condition. Given its value, determine how much work should be invested in the collection to make it usable.

Assess the valueAssess the value

Scale

User Interes

t

Quality of Documentati

on

Institutional value

Object value

1Negligib

leSlight Negligible

Negligible

2 Slight Limited Limited Limited

3Moderat

ePertinent, average

ModerateModerat

e

4 HighImportant, extensive

High High

5Very high

Unique, very rich

Very highVery high

Find an appropriate Find an appropriate processing levelprocessing level

Value Scores Appropriate processing level4-5 Minimal effort | Collection level

6-10Minimal effort | Collection level   Low effort processing | Series or subseries level

11-15Minimal effort | Collection level  Low effort | Series or subseries level     Moderate effort | File level (expedited)

16-18

Minimal effort | Collection level  Low effort | Series or subseries level     Moderate effort | File level (expedited)       Intensive effort | File level (traditional)

19-20

Minimal effort | Collection level  Low effort | Series or subseries level     Moderate effort | File level (expedited)       Intensive effort | File level (traditional)         Highly intensive effort| Item level

Analyze the needs of your Analyze the needs of your collection and understand collection and understand your institutional contextyour institutional context

Physical conditionPhysical orderIntellectual accessAppraisal and privacy issuesInstitutional resources

Processing Rates Processing Rates (Hours/Lin. Ft.)(Hours/Lin. Ft.)

 

Poor condition or many barriers

to access

Average condition

or moderate barriers to

access

Excellent condition

or few barriers

to access

Collection-level

1-3 1-2 1

Series-level 4-8 3-6 2-4File-level 9-14 7-11 5-8Folder-level 15-21 12-17 9-13Item-level 22+ 18+ 14+

Specific processing Specific processing approachesapproaches22 pages of further guidance (tips,

tricks, and shortcuts) for minimal, low, and moderate-effort processing

Include strategies applicable to all collections as well as for university records, 19th century collections, photographs, audio-visual materials, born digital materials

14 case studies from UCs

Examples of approachesExamples of approachesGenerally

◦Minimize physical arrangement (or re-arrangement) of files.

◦Vary descriptive detail according to material present.

◦Use scope and content notes strategically.

◦Postpone item-level preservation actions until a user requests access.

◦When managing multiple accessions, keep them distinct. Do not interfile into each other. Describe them in separately in succession in a finding aid.

Examples of approachesExamples of approachesPhotographs

◦Do not routinely separate photographs found in chiefly textual archival collections.

◦Most photographs do not need to be described at the item level.

◦Limit the housing of individual items. Rely instead on stricter policies in the reading room.

Audiovisual collections◦Delay reformatting activities until users

request the material.◦Devote staff resources to achieving a finer

level of description at the expense of arrangement.

Available atAvailable at

http://tinyurl.com/uc-processing-

guidelines