Organizing Archival Records

Book excerpt: Many of our nation’s historical records reside in small historical societies, libraries, cultural organizations, houses of worship, and museums. The hard work of non-professional archivists is to thank for preserving much of our documentary heritage. Organizing Archival Records equips non-professional archivists with the skills to tackle one of the most challenging tasks of archiving: arranging and describing archival materials. Carmicheal offers step-by-step guidance to understanding the purpose of organization and the essentials of how to do it. He covers the basic terms and theory of organization, and how to avoid some common pitfalls. Carmichael brings this third edition into the 21st century with extended discussions about computerizing the process, making descriptions available on the web, and organizing electronic records. With real-world examples, exercises, and step-by-step directions, anyone can organize archival materials in a professional manner. Organizing Archival Records is an excellent resource for both computerized and manual organization and recordkeeping.