Archives 101

Book excerpt: Archives 101 is a manual for people who care for historical records, photographs, and collections and a textbook for those who want to learn. Lois Hamill provides practical, step-by-step guidance for managing all facets of archival collections, from acquisition, arrangement, and description to storage and security. The book also offers advice on how to integrate description in PastPerfect software with archival finding aids to optimize the strengths of each. Archives 101 is written for those who manage cultural collections regardless of their professional education or institution type. This comprehensive, practical, ready reference is authoritative yet accessible to all readers. It addresses all phases in the process of managing cultural collections including use by researchers, for exhibits, work with other specialists such as conservators or appraisers and more. The chapter on description incorporates the professional descriptive standard Describing Archives: a Content Standard (DACS) into finding aids. Guidance on the management of digitization projects for text documents and photographs includes equipment, technical specifications, file naming and management, workflow, delivery methods, and copyright with examples and forms. The Additional Reading/Resources features many new resources that are reliable and free, all URLs have been verified. A convenient Glossary, examples, forms and ready-reference appendices round out this handy volume.