Scope: Steps by ATS staff and Curator. This does not include steps required by the RMC Director.

Contact: Director for Archival Technical Services Katerina Dimitriadou-Shuster 

Unit: ATS / RMC

Date last updated: March 2025

Date of next review:

Before the collection arrives

• During negotiations, curators may arrange with donors for an inventory: give the Simplified Bulk Importer and Instructions for filling to create a box/folder list and let donor know how to contact ATS if they need more guidance. If donors are on campus we may be able to arrange to give them boxes.
• Curators make arrangements for its delivery and fill the Collection delivery planning form in AirTable to let us know of its arrival. 
• Curators fill out a Pre-Accession Form in Airtable. Ideally prior to a collection’s arrival in RMC or within 24 hours after arrival. If the material is onsite and in the arrival log, the pre-accession record should be properly linked to it.

After the collection arrives

• Materials arrive in RMC and located at the Intake Room, or another pre-arranged location (if collection is too large for the room). ATS staff assigns an Arrival Number in the AirTable Arrival Log.

  • All boxes must be labeled with this unique number, and a box number as part of total shipment (eg. 1 of 4)
  • An automated email notifies curators of the receipt
• Curators conduct a basic survey of the collection material. If everything looks good, they add a “checked by curator” slip on the boxes, or handle any issues with the shipment as needed (Missing items from purchases, conservation concerns etc.)
• Box locations are tracked in AirTable, and must changed as the boxes are moved. After accessioning, the AirTable location becomes obsolete and boxes are tracked through ArchivesSpace and Aeon.
• Collection is accessioned in ASpace.

• If the collection is new, a new number is assigned in the Accession Book and a resource is spawned in ASpace.

• “Custodial History” or “Processing Note” note is added at the resource level, recording the new accession. Ex: “25 cubic feet of material was donated in June, 2022.” or “5 new items were acquired throughout 2019”
• Entries in AirTable are marked “Accessioned” with the accession number added
• Boxes are labeled with their call number and boxes are numbered
• Boxes are located, permanently or temporarily
• Documentation is added to the digital and/or physical Accession File