Archives Assessment Questions
An assessment of archival collections assists in strategically meeting user needs, allocating resources effectively, and securing funding.
Assessing the Archives Program
Professional archival principles and standards are developed over decades; each organization adheres to them in its own way.
Building Support for Archival Programs
Whatever an archival program’s shape, archivists should enlist all possible stakeholders’ input at inception to build foundation for long-term success.
Preserving Organizational History
Organizations need to retain certain records beyond current needs according to regulatory, legal, financial, and operational requirements.
Records and Archival Management within Organizations
An archival program allows archivists to identify, save, and retrieve necessary information while safely removing unnecessary material.
Leading with Organizational Archives
People who lead with history understand that storytelling about the past can shape the future. Organizational archives help leaders manage effectively.
Email Management and Archiving
Archivists and records managers should be concerned with email; a significant percentage of an organization’s unstructured records pass through email
Data Warehouses and Decision Support Systems; A Primer
A data warehouse is a repository of an organization’s electronically stored data, designed to facilitate reporting and analysis.
Deciding Records Retention Parameters: A Primer
Archivists and records managers determine retention based on compliance with external or internal requirements and identifiable community expectations.
Records Retention for Archivists, Records Managers, and Knowledge Managers
Records guidelines provide recommended standards for records retention; implementation is based on usefulness or on risks of maintenance/destruction.
Inactive Storage of Electronic Records; Tips for Archivists & Records Managers
Archivists and records managers make sure that offline records aren’t forgotten, regular retentions are applied, and records remain useable.
Authenticity, Reliability, Integrity, and Usability
To effectively create and capture records, archivists need to decide on several issues at the organizational or business process level.
Archival Preservation Options
A preservation program requires policies, procedures, processes, and the right technologies. A mixed strategy based on organizational needs is best
The Minnesota Method Explained
The Minnesota Method appraisal model is labor-intensive but less political than others. It is a transparent methodology for making appraisal decisions
Introduction to Macro-Appraisal
The benefits of macro-approach include providing context and forcing a planned rather than a random approach to archival management.
Archival and Records Management Preservation
Archivists and records managers face digital preservation challenges. No permanent solution to digital preservation; medium-term solutions are safe.
Deciphering Archival Software Solutions
Archivists manage information about their collections with a number of different software solutions, which may have overlapping functionalities.
Archival Communication, Outreach, and Training
Archivists can be creative and have fun communicating their holdings’ value; the ways to spread the word are varied
Interpreting Archives Through the Digital Humanities
Archivists applaud new technological capabilities that promise new knowledge based on archival materials can be produced in ways previously impossible.
Communicating Archival Value
Communicating the importance of records of enduring value benefits archival programs, the profession, users, and society; detailed advocacy tips
Technical, Organizational, and Cultural Considerations for Digital Preservation
Until digital preservation is simplified, archivists must contend with technical, organizational, and cultural roadblocks that impede preservation
Engaging with Artists in the Archives
Archivists can combine creative and archival practice to fulfill a significant function of cultural heritage: memory and community building.
Artist-Driven Archives
Artist-driven archives offer further opportunities for audiences, researchers, and even the artists themselves to engage with the work in new ways
Creative Use of Archives
Archival collections inspire and inform creativity, allowing users to learn about different eras and view historical objects directly.
Recordkeeping Governance Policies
Archivists and records managers need executive support, the ability to influence decisions, resources (budget and staff), and stakeholder alliances
