Archive Arrangement and Description 0002

This session elaborates about archive arrangement and description

1. PRONCIPLES OF ARCHIVE MANAGEMENT Archival Arrangement and Description

2. Objectives Definitions of key concepts Importance of Archival Arrangement

3. Archives Arrangement Is the intellectual and physical processes of organizing documents by accepted archival principles. OR Archives arrangement refers to the systematic organization of archival materials within a collection.

4. Archival Description Is the creation of an accurate representation of the archival material by explaining the context and records systems that produced it. OR Is the explanation provided to the archival materials to make historical records accessible for research and understand able

5. Why Arranging and describing Archives To know what is available and where it is To make materials accessible to potential users To explain the context of the creation and use of records To facilitate the physical organization of records, ensuring they are logically grouped and ordered Preserve materials for future use

6. Key archival Arrangement principles 1. Provenance: A lso known as the respect des fonds, states that records should be arranged based on their originating source or creator. This principle emphasizes maintaining the integrity of records by keeping them in their original context and preserving the relationships between records and their creators. Respect des fonds (respect for the source)

7. Why provinance Is important for demonstrating the authenticity of archival material To maintain the coherence of a group of materials In order for them to have archival integrity Materials from one source are not be mixed with materials from another

8. 2. Original Order: The principle of original order suggests that records should be maintained in the order in which they were created, used, and organized by the creator. This principle helps preserve the context and relationships of records within their original filing systems or structures

9. The aim of Original order is to preserve or recreate the order and organization in which the documents were created and/or used by the creator or office of origin

10. Other Archival arrangement principles are; Series: Archival materials are typically organized into series, which are groups of related records that share a common function, activity, or format. Series provide a logical and meaningful structure for arranging records and facilitate their retrieval and understanding.

11. Hierarchy: Archival arrangement often follows a hierarchical structure, with series being further divided into subseries, files, and items. This hierarchical arrangement allows for the efficient organization and identification of records at different levels of detail.

12. Chronology: Chronological arrangement involves arranging records in the order of their creation or receipt. This principle is particularly useful for records that have a strong temporal component or require a chronological understanding for research purposes.

13. Intellectual Order: Intellectual order refers to the arrangement of records based on their content or subject matter. This principle focuses on organizing records in a way that reflects their informational or functional relationships, making it easier for researchers to navigate and access the collection

14. Access Points: Archival arrangement should consider providing multiple access points to records, such as indexes, finding aids, or catalog records. These access points help users locate relevant materials by different criteria, such as creator, subject, or date

15. Note It's important to note that the application of these principles may vary depending on the specific archival institution or collection. Archivists often make informed decisions and adaptations based on the unique characteristics and needs of the records they manage

16. Steps in Arrangement of archives Gather Information Find out as much as you can about the creator of the materials you are going to be processing Accession records and correspondence Internet searches Sometimes you may have very little information on the creator, which makes Step 2 even more important…

17. 2. Survey the Materials Look through the fonds/collection Get a sense of what it contains See if there is any obvious original order Identify materials which can be disposed of Make a note of anything you do discard

18. 3. Physically arrange the materials Group related materials together Reflecting original order where possible Bearing the end user in mind Following any organization guidelines

19. Physically arrange the materials Package materials in acid-free containers Remove rubber bands or any metals fastenings

20. Example of how materials are arranged

21. Possible arrangement CBE , Management R e c o r ds Minu t es Minu t e Book, 1966-1969 Minu t e Book, 1969-1975 Correspondence Administrative c o r r espondence Thank-you letters Other materials Items Files Series Fonds

22. Example of a repository with an arrangement and numbering scheme for certain types of records

23. (A) Boycott Movement papers, 1959-1961 (B) AAM Governing Bodies, 1960-1995 (C) AAM Committees, 1960-1995 (D) Local Anti-Apartheid Groups, [ca. 1960]-1995 (E) Professional and Special Interest Groups Against Apartheid, 1970-1994 (F) Local Authorities Against Apartheid, [ca. 1960]-1995 (G) Britain, 1959-1995 (H) South Africa, 1959-1995 (I) South Africa in Transition, 1986-1995 (J) Other African Countries, 1961-1995 (K) Europe, 1972-1995 (L) Commonwealth, 1960-1994 (M) Overseas anti-apartheid organisations, 1963-1995 (N) International Organisations, 1960-1995 (O) Campaigns, 1956-1995 (P) AAM Head Office, 1960-1995 (Q) Correspondence, 1960-1995 (R) Anti-Apartheid Enterprises (AAE), 1986-1990 (S) Clapham Common Productions Limited, 1987-1995 (T) Freedom Productions Limited, 1987-1995 (U) Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), 1991-1998 (V) Photographs and Audio-Visual Material, 1900-[ca. 1999] (W) Posters, 1963-[ca. 1999] (X) Exhibition Material, Artwork and Objects, [ca. 1960]-[ca. 1999] (Y) Printed Material, 1960-1994 (Z) Miscellaneous Material, [ca. 1960]-[ca. 1999] 1,400 boxes of material, once catalogued!

24. Very complex arrangement Anti-Apartheid Movement papers, being sorted in Oxford, ca.1997

25. Mike Terry (1947- 2008), executive secretary of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, 1975- 1994 A case of ‘original disorder’!

26. Important to Note Bearing in mind the principles of original order, maintaining the integrity of archival materials and making life easier for users… There is no ‘right way’ to arrange Common sense counts

27. Collections Materials that were not generated as part of the activity of a person or organization For example: A group of postcards, pictures Records relating to a particular subject, but assembled by an individual These are not fonds , but collections Their provenance and original order may have been lost, but they can be described as a discrete group of records

28. ARCHIVAL DESCRIPTION

29. Archival De s cri p tion A means of establishing intellectual control over materials held in archives What we have Where to find it A way of sharing information with potential users about what our records contain

30. De s cri p tion No standard way to describe archives until late 20 th century Then: few examples of descriptive standards In Canada: Rules for Archival Description (RAD) – 1990 (revised 2008) Internationally: International Standard for Archival Description (General) (ISAD(G)) - 1994

31. Archival description Defined by the International Council on Archives as: “The creation of an accurate representation of each fonds and its component parts by the process of capturing, collating, analyzing and organizing any information that serves to identify archival material, and explain the context and records systems which produced it”

32. Key principles for archival description Describe from the general to the specific Contain information relevant to the unit of description Do not repeat information unnecessarily Arrangement defines description: once the material is arranged in a logical fashion, the description should be straightforward – Start with the fonds or collection level, then describe each series, with its associated files or items

33. CBE , Management r e c o r ds Minu t es Minu t e Book, 1966-1969 Minu t e Book, 1969-1975 Correspondence Administrative c o r r espondence Thank-you letters Other materials Items Files Series Fonds

34. Level of description Contents Possible number Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33 Series 1 Description of minute books 2008.33/1 Item 1 Description of minute book 1 2008.33/1/1 Item 2 Description of minute book 2 2008.33/1/2 Series 2 Description of correspondence 2008.33/2 File 1 Description of admin. corresp. 2008.33/2/1 File 2 Description of thank-you letters 2008.33/2/2 Series 3 Overall description of ‘other materials’ 2008.33/3 Textual layout of finding aid In this example, the numbering reflects the hierarchy of the description.

35. Level of description Contents Possible number Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33 Series 1 Description of minute books 2008.33/1 Series 2 Description of correspondence 2008.33/2 Series 3 Overall description of ‘other materials’ 2008.33/3 Alternative finding aid

36. Level of description Contents Reference number Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33 Alternative finding aid

37. Some core elements of description Fonds/Collection level Series/File/Item level Repository Title Title Name of creator Dates Dates Size Size Information about creator Description of materials Description of materials Restrictions on access Reference number Reference number Custodial history of the material These elements are common to most archival descriptive standards.

38. Descriptive standards RAD and other archival description standards break down descriptions into a set of key elements This helps archivists describe materials in a consistent way …and helps users know what to expect from an archival description

39. RAD concentrates on describing fonds I n f o r m a ti o n about records In f orm a tion about creator(s) Archival description

40. The Series System For certain types of records, particularly those of governments, it is easier to describe records at the level of series, rather than as a fonds The creating body may change frequently (e.g. with government reorganizations), while the records continue to be created according to their original purpose

41. Series System entities R e c o r d series First c r e a t or Se c ond c r e a t or Third c r e a t or

42. Series System Developed in Australia in 1960s and widely used by archives of all kinds there In Canada it is mainly used to describe government records such as those held by the Archives of Ontario

43. Rules for Archival Description First edition published in 1990 Last updated in 2008 Based on the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2, a library standard) Maintained by the Canadian Committee on Archival Description, a committee of the Canadian Council of Archives

44. RAD Principles P1.0 Archival description should be undertaken with attention to requirements for use P2.0 The description of all archival material (e.g. fonds, series, collections and discrete items) should be integrated and proceed from a common set of rules

45. RAD Principles P3.0 Respect des fonds is the basis of archival arrangement and description P4.0 Creators of archival material must be described P5.0 Description reflects arrangement

46. RAD Principles P5.1 Levels of arrangement and description constitute a hierarchical system P5.2 Descriptions should proceed from general to specific P5.3 Information provided at each level of description must be appropriate to that level P5.4 Relationships between levels of description must be clearly indicated

47. RAD areas Title Edition Class of material specific details Dates of creation Physical description Series area Archival description Notes Standard number

48. Important RAD areas Title Edition Class of material specific details Dates of creation Physical description Series area Archival description Notes Standard number

49. Title Area 1.1B3 Title proper Enter the name of the person, family, or corporate body responsible for the creation of the records, followed by the word fonds. If the unit being described is an artificially accumulated collection, use the word collection instead of fonds

50. E x amples Anthony Adamson and Marion MacRae fonds Frederick Hagan fonds Kingston General Hospital photograph collection Proctor family fonds

51. Dates of creation 1.4B Date Give the date(s) of creation of the unit being described either as a single date, or range of dates (for inclusive dates and/or predominant dates). Always give the inclusive dates. When providing predominant dates, specify them as such, preceded by the word predominant. If there is no date, provide an estimated date in square brackets. Do not use ‘n.d.’ or ‘undated’

52. E x amples 1890 1934-1955 [ca. 1875]-1954 1812-1903, predominant 1845-1867

53. Uncertain/probable dates [1867?] probable date [ca. 1867] approximate date [before 1867] terminal date [after 5 Jan. 1867] terminal date [1892 or 1893] one year or the other [between 1915 and 1918] use only for dates fewer than 20 years apart [197-] decade certain [186-?] probable decade [17–] century certain [17–?] probable century

54. Physical description area 1.5B At all levels of description, record the extent of the unit being described by giving the number of physical units and their nature Record all the different types of materials found, starting each on a new line Use metric measurements

55. E x amples ca. 200 photographs 50 maps 21cm of textual records 102 posters : silkscreen ; 60 x 90 cm, 40 x 60 cm and smaller

56. Archival description area 1.7 This area contains the core of your archival description, including information on the creator(s) of the material and the nature of the material itself

57. Administrative history/Biographical sketch 1.7B Record in narrative form or as a chronology the main life events, activities, achievements and/or roles of the entity being described. This may include information on gender, nationality, family and religious or political affiliations. Wherever possible, supply dates as an integral component of the narrative description.

58. For organizations include: Dates of founding and/or dissolution Mandate/sphere of responsibility Predecessor and successor bodies Administrative relationships with other bodies Administrative structure Names of the chief officers Other significant information

59. Notes area