Clear, concise archival descriptions improve accessibility, support discoverability, and enhance the research experience. In this article, we’ll explore best practices for crafting finding aids that are both informative and engaging.
Archival appraisal involves not just technical processes but significant ethical considerations. Archivists must navigate privacy, representation, and access issues while making decisions that will shape the historical record.
Archival selection determines which records should be retained for long-term preservation. The process focuses on the practical aspects of deciding what to keep and discard based on the archives’ mission, user needs, and the potential research value of the records.
Developing strategies for sustaining and growing the archives over time is essential to ensure long-term success.
Archives provide authentic, reliable information and hold values that reflect their functions and uses; informational, evidential, and intrinsic.
Archivists prioritize sustainable practices and policies, rooting their work in ethics of care, often preferring digital processing and preservation
Archivists who adopt branding and PR strategies both safeguard historical treasures and contribute to their organizations’ evolution.
Archivists can shape their brand through the four Vs: vision, voice, visibility, and vigilance.
Archivists communicate a departmental identity that positions them as strategic partners by establishing a clear archival brand.
Archivists who embrace marketing techniques amplify their impact on their colleagues and the communities they serve.
Archivists create connections that transcend time by harnessing the emotive impact of narratives.
Book by archives expert Margot Note on navigating ‘inreach’ and becoming indispensable to influential archives users and decision-makers
Content creation is a cornerstone of marketing strategy, and archivists are leveraging this approach to showcase their organization’s rich history.
