Page History

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Contact: Technical Services ArchivistFredrika Louise , Freddy Loew 

Unit: ATS / RMC

Date last updated: 3/11/2025

Date of next review:  March 2026

Contents:

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Overview checklist

Discuss the collection with the curator and other staff as needed. Stay informed of collection management policies and focus areas. 

1. Directly examine the entirety of the collection. Be sure all boxes are accounted for. 
2. Review accession records and other documentation accompanying a collection. 
3. Review any pre-existing lists such as vendor lists or donor lists. 
4. Conduct background research in relevant biographical, bibliographical, and other information sources. 
5. Background research in national and international union catalogs and databases for related holdings. Add a note to the resource record for related materials at other institutions. 
6. If items appear to be missing from the collection, the archivist should check the accession file, as well as any inventories or other dealer or donor provided documentation that accompanied the collection. The archivist should also notify their supervisor and the curator, either of whom may have information about the apparently missing item(s). A “Missing Material” form will be created in AirTable. 

Pre-existing lists 

 Staff will frequently come across previously-created lists of some or all of the material in a collection, especially if a collection is being reprocessed. These lists may have been created by dealers, donors, or by library staff. A list may reflect the original order of the material, or it may reflect an arrangement imposed by those who created the list. The processing proposal should address whether and how to incorporate existing lists into the processing plan. 

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Based on the archivist’s judgment of the existing list, considering the level of arrangement and description required for the collection, the list might be repurposed with only minor editing, or it might be discarded to create a new list, or some solution in between. If an existing description is repurposed, the finding aid should include a disclaimer about the degree to which the library verified the existing list against the material, and the degree to which the content has been standardized to facilitate access. 

Old Numbering Systems 

 The library occasionally acquires or decides to re-process collections that have been previously cataloged with a distinct numbering system. If the archivist/processor identifies such a numbering system in the course of surveying a collection, it is important to note this and consult with the Director of Technical Services, the Technical Services Archivist, the Accessioning Specialist, and/or the curator about its significance and current importance. 

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