To understand how archives work, it is helpful to know what goes on “behind the scenes.” Like most fields, archival practices change and adapt over time and different archives have different processes, but the general framework remains the same.
Collecting
Archives may have collecting policies that outline the scope of what pertains to a particular archive. Some archives take a post-custodial approach, aiding in the arrangement and preservation of a collection, but ultimately leaving the original materials with the owner.
Processing
After a collection arrives at an archive, processing archivists create an inventory of everything acquired. The original order of the materials is maintained when possible. Throughout this process, the preservation needs are assessed and damaged items are cleaned or repaired when possible. Processing a collection can take time, depending on how large a collection is and how disorganized and damaged the materials are.
Conservation and Preservation
Archivists also work to preserve delicate or damaged materials. This process also requires specialist knowledge in specific formats, such as paper and book preservation, media preservation or born digital preservation.
Description
Description turns the preliminary inventory list into a finding aid. Finding aids follow national and international standards in addition to institutional standards. Choosing what titles and keywords to use in the finding aid impacts the discoverability of the collection in the catalog. Archivists working on description also need to understand the needs and wishes of the donors along with what researchers might be interested in now, and in the future. In some cases, finding aids will be edited to reflect new research needs and interests. (For example, see Wilson Library’s guide to conscious editing)
Digitization
The digitization process takes time and often requires special tools and skills. For example digitizing audio-visual materials requires specific equipment and specialist knowledge. Born digital materials (materials that have always been digital such as files on a hard drive), also require specialist knowledge and specialized software and hardware Researchers new to archives often expect collections to be completely digitized, however, most archival materials are not digitized.
Access
Digitization is just one way that archivists make the materials available. There are also exhibitions, public programming and online research guides that help make the materials findable and available for use. One of the best ways to find what you are looking for in an archive is to meet with an archivist. Talk with an archivist about what you are working on and how to best search for, find and access relevant materials.