5 Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Archives

When it comes to establishing a new archives, laying the groundwork and communicating the need for archives is just the beginning. Developing strategies for sustaining and growing the archives over time is essential to ensure long-term success. Doing so involves ongoing maintenance, continuous improvement, and planning to address future challenges.

Creating a Sustainable Archives: 5 Keys to Long-Term Success

Preservation and longevity are core tenets of any archival project—including the process of establishing a new archives. Let’s take a look at the key aspects you need to consider to set your archives up for long-term success.

1. Maintenance and Preservation

One of the most critical aspects of sustaining an archives is ongoing maintenance and preservation, which involves regularly monitoring the condition of materials, maintaining environmental controls, and addressing issues that arise.

For instance, temperature and humidity levels should be consistently monitored to prevent damage from mold or pests. Additionally, materials should be inspected regularly for signs of deterioration, and preservation measures should be taken as needed.

It is also important to stay up-to-date with advancements in preservation techniques and technologies. For example, as digital records become more prevalent, archivists develop strategies for preserving digital materials, such as creating backups, migrating files to new formats, and ensuring that digital records remain accessible over time.

2. Expanding Collections

As the archives matures, opportunities to expand the collection arise, such as acquiring new materials, e.g., records from newly established departments or items donated by stakeholders. It may also involve re-evaluating the scope of the collection and expanding it to include new types of materials or formats.

When expanding the collection, archivists consider the long-term implications, including the resources required for processing, storing, and preserving new materials. Developing a clear acquisition policy and strategic plan can help guide decisions about what to add to the collection and how to manage it.

3. Enhancing Access and Engagement

Another key strategy for sustaining the archives is enhancing access and engagement by making it easier for users to discover the collection. One way to do this is by digitizing materials and making them available with an archival CMS. This task not only increases accessibility but also helps preserve original materials by reducing the need for physical handling.

In addition to digitization, creating detailed finding aids and descriptive metadata can significantly improve the user experience. These tools help researchers navigate the collection more efficiently and uncover materials that might otherwise remain hidden.

To further promote engagement, consider developing outreach programs highlighting the archives’ resources. Hosting workshops, exhibitions, or lectures can draw attention to the collection and demonstrate its value to the institution and the wider community. Collaborating with educators to integrate archival materials into curricula can enhance the archives’ relevance and usage.

4. Building Support

Sustaining an archives also requires solid institutional support. Advocating for the archives within the organization is crucial to securing the resources needed for its growth and preservation. Archivists can make a case for increased funding, staffing, or facilities to accommodate the archives’ evolving needs.

Communicating the archives’ successes and demonstrating its impact on the institution can help build this support. Reporting on the use of the archives, highlighting important acquisitions, or showcasing high-profile research projects that have utilized the collection can underscore the archives’ significance. Also, fostering stakeholder relationships can help ensure ongoing investment in the archives.

5. Planning the Future

Planning is key to sustaining and growing archives through anticipating challenges such as technological changes, shifts in institutional priorities, or the impact of external factors like budget constraints. Developing a strategic plan that outlines long-term goals and the steps needed to achieve them can guide the archives through periods of change.

Regularly revisiting and updating this plan ensures it remains relevant and aligned with the institution’s broader mission and goals. Flexibility and adaptability are crucial in responding to unexpected challenges and seizing new opportunities.

Vital and Valuable, Now and Forever

Sustaining and growing an archives requires ongoing effort and a commitment to continuous improvement. By focusing on maintenance and preservation, expanding the collection thoughtfully, enhancing access and engagement, building institutional support, and planning for the future, archivists can ensure that their archives remain a vital and valuable resource.