Dr Sigrid McCausland

1
Archival basics arrangement and
description PARBICA 12 Thursday 4 October 2007

• Dr Sigrid McCausland
• Education Officer
• Australian Society of Archivists

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Arrangement and description

• The process of organising archival records
  according to accepted archival principles
  arrangement and
• recording information about archival collections
  in a standardised format description.

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Why arrange and describe?

• To help make sense of the records
• To prepare finding aids for use by others
• Its often called AD

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AD vs accessioning

• Arrangement and description provides more
  information about the records and their creators
  than accessioning
• It puts into practice the theory you identify
  and document agencies and series

5
Practical experience

• You are the archivist at a small local archives
  and an active supporter of the archives has
  donated some of her family photographs.
• Use your knowledge to document at least one
  series, using the forms provided

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Description good practice

• Decide on priorities and set goals inc time
  limits
• Remember the purpose
• Short and simple can be more effective than long
  and complicated

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Uses of archival description

• To assist the organisation in its mission
• To assist researchers to find records
• To show how archivists manage their work

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What to aim for
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Summary

• What we have covered so far
• How it is important in different contexts
• Why it will continue to be useful

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Conclusion

• We would like to hear from you please tell us
  what you felt you learned today
• Where to find more resources
• Preservation basics follows