Disaster preparedness

What is a disaster?

• Disasters include fire, flood, wind, tornado, vandalism, and malfunctioning building equipment such as burst water pipes. They can occur anytime without warning.

What is a disaster plan?

• A disaster plan is a document that describes the procedures devised to prevent and prepare for disasters, and those proposed to respond to and recover from disasters when they occur.

Disaster plan

A set of plans and guidelines, prepared in advance by the staff of a library, to deal with a major occurrence such as a flood or fire which could damage equipment, collections, and/or facilities to such an extent that services might have to be temporarily suspended.

Joan M. Reitz. ODLIS

Disaster preparedness… the comprehensive term that describes strategies employed to protect library and archives collections from any unexpected or accidental loss from external causes. Sometimes these are minor, such as those resulting from leaks in the roof or plumbing system. Other times they are major floods, fires, earthquakes, and the like.

Lisa L. Fox. Disaster Preparedness Workbook for U.S. Navy Libraries and Archives

Every disaster has three phases:

• Before
• During
• After

Before phase (everyday routine operations)

• Preventative plans recommending action to prevent most disasters, e.g.
• Repair leaking roof
• Improve maintenance
• Upgrade security
• Preparedness plans designed to ensure identified disasters can be managed, e.g.
• Identification of important items in collection
• Purchase of plastic sheeting
• Identifying freezing facilities
• Staff training in disaster response

During phase

• Response to disaster

After phase

• Recovery plans implemented
• Because each disaster is unique recovery plans can never cover all possibilities, however, most library disasters involve water damage so all key personnel should be familiar with salvage methods for wet library material

Steps in preparing a disaster plan

• Conduct a risk analysis
• Identify existing preventive and preparedness procedures
• Make recommendations to implement additional preventive and preparedness procedures
• Allocate responsibilities
• Devise procedures to respond to and recover from disasters

Why a written disaster plan?

• To gain some peace of mind
• To respond more effectively

Why don’t people create them?

• Requires time and energy
• Disasters only happen to others
• U.S. studies show a library worker has a 2 in 5 chance of participating in a major disaster in a 40 year career

Types of disasters and hazards

• Environmental
• Blizzard or heavy snow fall
• Severe heat wave, cold snap
• Severe thunderstorm
• Lightning strike
• Sleet, hail, ice
• Wind storm, tornado, cyclone
• Flooding
• Earthquake
• Dust storm or prolonged drought
• Transportation
• Collisions or crashes involving aircraft, trains, motor vehicles
• Transport of dangerous materials
• Infrastructure breakdowns
• Electrical power failure
• Downed power or phone lines
• Faulty wiring
• Water supply failure
• Broken water or sewer lines
• Sewer failure or backup
• Faulty heating systems
• Industrial disasters
• Explosion
• Major fuel spill
• Chemical spill structural collapse
• Structural fire
• Biological hazards
• Insects
• Rodents
• Birds
• Mould and mildew
• Human activity
• Accidents
• Arson
• Bombing
• Bomb threat
• Hostage situation
• Riot, civil disorder, strike
• Sabotage and malicious mischief
• Vandalism
• Work-place violence

At a minimum a good disaster plan will include the following sections:

• Disaster team members and duties
• Emergency instructions
• Priorities for salvaging materials
• Recovery techniques and procedures for salvaging damaged materials
• Emergency phone numbers
• Inventory of the disaster response closet, location of keys to the closet
• Disaster response reports (master copy only)
• List of suppliers and resources (large freezers, freeze-drying facilities, etc.)
• Distribution of copies of disaster plan
• Revision table (master copy only)

Priority salvage list categories

• Salvage if time permits
• Salvage as part of a general clean-up
• Salvage at all costs

Ask questions such as:

• Is item especially important to the community?
• Can item be replaced? 
• At what cost?
• Would cost of replacement be more or less than restoration?
• How important is the item to the collection?

Disaster recovery

• Most disasters tend to occur when building is unoccupied (night, weekends, holidays)
• Over 90% of all disasters will result in water damaged materials
• Mould can develop within 48 to 72 hours in a warm humid environment

Salvage procedures for water damaged materials

• Air-drying – labour and space intensive but cheap, not recommended for coated glossy paper as in magazines (pages can become permanently stuck together)
• Freezing – stabilizes wet materials and provides time to plan course of action
• Vacuum freeze drying – safest and most successful salvage method for paper but most expensive

Selected resources
A wealth of material exists in print and on the Internet.

Books
Fortson, Judith. Disaster Planning and Recovery. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1992.

Kahn, Miriam. Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries. Chicago: American Library Association, 1998.

Articles
Moore, Mary. “Attack of the Killer Mold Spores.” American Libraries 30 (March 1999): 46-9.

Wettlaufer, Brian. “Preparing a Library Disaster Plan.” Library Mosaics 5 (November 1995): 6-10.

Internet
Amigos Library Services, Inc. A Disaster Plan for Libraries and Archives, 2008 http://www.amigos.org/preservation/disasterplan.pdf

Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists. Preservation Publications. http://www.srmarchivists.org/resources/preservation/preservation-publications/

Fox, Lisa L. Disaster Preparedness Workbook for U.S. Navy Libraries and Archives http://resources.conservation-us.org/disaster/

McColgin, Michael. Disaster Recovery Plan. http://www.srmarchivists.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/disaserplan.pdf

SEFLIN Preservation and Conservation Committee. Disaster Plans on the Internet. http://web.archive.org/web/20070308203017/http://www.seflin.org/preserv/intplans.html

SOLINET. Disaster Mitigation and Recovery Resources. http://www.solinet.net/preservation/presevation_templ.cfm?doc_id=71

Stanford University Libraries. Preservation Dept. “Disaster Preparedness and Response.” CoOL: Conservation OnLine http://cool.conservation-us.org/

Preservation/Conservation

Preservation:

Activities associated with maintaining library, archival or museum materials for use, either in original physical form or in some other format. Preservation is a broader term than conservation: conservation activities form part of a total preservation program. Preservation includes both activities taken to repair or treat damaged materials (retrospective) and activities taken to prevent or delay material becoming damaged (preventive preservation). 

National Library of Australia. Library Prevention Glossary

Conservation:

The use of procedures to preserve and repair the physical structure of an item. All processes ideally should be reversible. 

National Library of Australia. Library Prevention Glossary

Causes of deterioration include

• Changes in papermaking and binding practices
• Acidity
• Environment
• Insect pests
• Rodents
• Fungus
• Use and abuse by people

Changes in papermaking
Parchment: The split skin of an animal, usually a sheep, goat, or young calf, bleached, stretched, scraped, and prepared for use in bookbinding or as a writing or painting surface, from about the 2nd century A.D. until well after the invention of movable type.

Vellum: A thin, fine parchment made from the skin of a newly born lamb, kid, or calf, dressed and polished with alum for use as a writing surface and in bookbinding, before paper came into use in the 15th century.

 Reitz. ODLIS.

Paper

• Early papers made from cotton and linen rags
• 1830’s introduction of alum-rosin sizing replacing gelatin and gelatin-alum sizing
• Breaks down over time to produce sulfuric acid which eventually causes paper to deteriorate and become brittle

Size (sizing)

Chemicals added to paper and board during manufacture to make it less absorbent, so that inks will not bleed, and the image will have better definition. Sizing can also be used to strengthen weak papers. Rosins, gelatin, starches and synthetic resins are used as sizing agents.

National Library of Australia. Library Prevention Glossary

Alum/rosin size

Chemicals added to paper and board during manufacture to make it less absorbent, so that inks will not bleed, and the image will have better definition. Sizing can also be used to strengthen weak papers. Rosins, gelatin, starches and synthetic resins are used as sizing agents.

National Library of Australia. Library Prevention Glossary

• 1850 replacement of rag pulp paper with wood pulp paper
• <cellulose fibres of wood 10 times smaller and much more fragile than those of textiles

Acid paper

Paper which has a pH value lower than seven. An important factor in the preservation of printed materials, acidity causes paper to yellow and become brittle over time. To solve this problem, publishers are encouraged to use acid-free or permanent paper in printing trade books.

Reitz. ODLIS

Acidity
Paper can develop an acidic nature because of:

• alum-rosin sizing used in papermaking
• atmospheric conditions (e.g. pollution such as sulfur dioxide)
• storage next to other acidic materials (e.g. cardboard, wood)
• See: Librarians and Paper Permanence http://cool.conservation-us.org/byorg/_abbey/ap/ap06/ap06-6/ap06-605.html

Preservation methods include:

• Protective enclosures
• Deacidification
• Reprographic services
• Digitization
• Alkaline paper
• Shelving

Protective enclosures
An example of a protective enclosure includes a phase box.

Double-tray box also known as a drop-spine or clamshell box.

Acid-free folders.

Encapsulation

Deacidification:

A common term for a chemical treatment that neutralises acid in a material such as paper, and that may deposit an alkaline buffer to counteract future acid attack. While deacidification may increase the chemical stability of paper, it does not restore strength or flexibility to brittle materials.

National Library of Australia. Library Prevention Glossary

Mass deacidification

• No "ideal" mass deacidification process
• Current systems and their users include:

Battelle	Swiss National Archives National Library Leipzig Eschborn, Germany
Bookkeeper	Library of Congress
Libertec	Berlin & Munich State Libraries, Germany
Neschen	State Archive of Lower Saxony, Germany National Archive, Berlin, Germany
Wei T'o	National Library of Canada

Reprographic services

• Microfilming
• Photocopying
• least expensive
• Photography

Digitization
Electronic digitization
Electronic digitization refers to the capture of the document in electronic form through a process of scanning and digitization. The scanned image can be made over the Internet, or stored electronically, usually on magnetic or optical storage media.

Wooden vs. metal shelves
From the perspective of preservation, it is best to store collections on metal shelving, since wood shelving can give off damaging pollutants. If wood shelving must be used, shelves should be sealed with polyurethane. Oil-based paints and stains should be avoided. In addition, shelves can be lined with museum board, polyester film, glass, Plexiglas, or an inert metallic laminate material to prevent materials from coming into direct contact with the wood.

Metal shelves should be powder coated electrostatically as other finishing processes may continue to give off fumes.

Environmental factors

• Different records/media have different optimal environmental conditions
• Paper usually forms the bulk of a collection of mixed archival materials so…
• Guidelines for paper set the preservation norm

Environmental factors that can effect materials include:

• Air quality
• Dust
• Light (ultraviolet most damaging)
• Temperature
• Humidity

Air quality

• Primary sources of gaseous pollutants identified in deterioration of archival collections
• Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone
• Particular pollutants include grit, smoke, dust, etc.
• Keep doors and windows closed
• Use materials known to be benign to collections
• Check and replace air filters/scrubbers regularly
• Locate air intakes in as “clean” a location as possible

Light

• All light damages archival material by fading, yellowing and structurally weakening them
• UV light is more damaging, shorter wavelengths cause greatest amount of photochemical deterioration
• Sunlight and fluorescent lights the two main UV light sources
• UV filters e.g. acrylic sheets, film, foils, coatings
• Storage area
• Keep materials covered or boxed when not in use
• Use blinds to eliminate sunlight
• Apply UV filter film to windows
• Select fluorescent tubes with low or no UV emissions or use UV filters on tubes
• Turn lights off when area not in use
• Storage area
• Keep materials covered or boxed when not in use
• Use blinds to eliminate sunlight
• Apply UV filter film to windows
• Select fluorescent tubes with low or no UV emissions or use UV filters on tubes
• Turn lights off when area not in use
• Exhibit area
• Monitor area with lux and UV meters
• Use copies whenever possible
• Never have archival items on permanent display
• Use a dimmer switch, lower watt bulbs or move light source further away
• To reduce heat light source should not be inside or close to exhibition case

Relative humidity

• Of primary importance in preservation of archival materials is providing a cool and dry storage area
• In general, with every 5C increase in temperature, reaction rates double, e.g. archival records stored at 20C will have half the life expectancy of those stored at 15C
• General rule of relative humidity:
• When relative humidity is halved the life expectancy of the record is doubled
• High relative humidity levels can lead to growth of mould and mildew, increased chemical deterioration, cockling of paper/parchment, warping of books, increase in likelihood of pest infestations
• Low relative humidity leads to drying out of archival records making them brittle and susceptible to cracking

Environmental control standards

• 1999 ASHRAE Handbook re-evaluated environmental standards for museums, libraries, and archives
• A good compromise for a mixed collection 45% +/- 10% relative humidity and 18°C to 20°C

Other causes of deterioration

• Insect pests
• Rodents
• Fungus
• People
• Shelving practices

References
Basic Conservation of Archival Materials http://www.cdncouncilarchives.ca/public_free.html

A Manual for Small Archives: Conservation and Security  https://web.archive.org/web/20040310154328/http://aabc.bc.ca/aabc/msa/6_conservation_and_security.htm

European Commission on Preservation and Access. A Virtual Exhibition of the Ravages of Dust, Water, Moulds, Fungi, Bookworms and Other Pests. http://web.archive.org/web/20050306230604/http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/expo.htm

NARA: Preservation http://www.archives.gov/preservation/

National Library of Australia. Library Preservation Glossary. http://www.nla.gov.au/chg/useful-resources/library-preservation-glossary

Reitz, Joan M. ODLIS http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_A.aspx

Unesco. Safeguarding Our Documentary Heritage. http://webworld.unesco.org/safeguarding/en/

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Proper Care and Handling of Books and Paper Materials. http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/

Describing Archival Material

Chapter 5 Describing Archival Material
[by Jane Turner, 1994]
http://aabc.ca/media/6069/manualforsmallarchives.pdf
Chapter 5, pp. 41-55

Organizing Archival Material

Chapter 4 Organizing Archival Material
[by Laura Coles, 1988]
http://aabc.ca/media/6069/manualforsmallarchives.pdf
Chapter 4, pp. 30-39

Finding aids

Reference finding aids

• Finding aids
• Assist in the retrieval of information contained in archival holdings
• Facilitate efficient management of the repository
• Descriptive principles for development of finding aids
• Principle of Provenance: identifies the fonds as the primary unit of description
• Principle that description proceeds from the general to the specific: identifies that archives must be identified as a whole before describing the parts, i.e. complete a brief description of each fonds before describing each series or file in a fonds in more detail
• Each finding aid should include the accession number of archival material being described (accession # the primary method of administrative control)
• Make 3 copies for safekeeping
• One for reference area
• One for storage area
• One with accession record (security copy)
• Can make additional copy for offsite storage

Type of finding aids

• Repository guide/Guide to holdings
• Includes a brief fonds level description of each fonds listed in alphabetical order by title
• Description of each fonds prepared according to RAD and includes title, dates of creation, physical description, archival description, and notes
• University of Manitoba. Archives & Special Collections. Archives & Special Collections’ Holdings. http://www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/archives/collections/list.shtml 
• Descriptive inventory
• A complete and detailed description of one archival fonds
• Labour intensive to produce therefore generally used for historically significant fonds with high rate of use and complex arrangement requiring a more detailed level of description
• Donald Murray Ross: A Descriptive Inventory of the Donald Murray Ross Funds (1940-1986) https://web.archive.org/web/20130615031531/http://www.ualberta.ca/ARCHIVES/invents/rossDM/DMRtable.htm
• Summary inventory
• Also called a series inventory or title inventory, includes only terse descriptions of the materials. A summary inventory may be made for materials with very technical form or contents, which would require extensive description to adequately capture the nuance difference. There are also made for collections of homogenous materials, in which details would be redundant.
• SAA: A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology http://www2.archivists.org/glossary/terms/i/inventory
• Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives. Winnipeg, Manitoba. Kane Bergthaler Mennonite Church fonds http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/programs/archives/holdings/MB/MB_KaneBMC.htm

Administrative finding aids

• Accession register
• Designed to establish control over material as it enters the archives. It is intended largely as an internal administrative document. However, it does contain elements of description and in some situations, particularly small volunteer managed archives, it may be the only finding aid available to researchers.
• Sample Accession Record http://aabc.ca/media/8350/Toolkit_%20Accession_Record_Completed.pdf
• Location list/Location index/Location register
• The location list includes the accession number, box number and the location code that identifies the physical location in the building where the records are stored
• Many archives do not include the storage location of materials in finding aids used by the general public. Restricting this information adds one more layer of security. When a patron requests materials, reference staff use a location index to determine where the material is stored so that it can be pulled.

Subject indexing

• Most common types of indexes used in archives are name, subject and form indexes
• In archives, there is little agreement about which controlled vocabularies, if any, are appropriate for providing access points to archival records
• Examples of thesauri for archives include:
• The British Columbia Thesaurus http://aabc.ca/media/5406/bcthesaurus.pdf
• See also Thesauri and Controlled Vocabularies section of CAIN Resources for additional titles http://archivists.ca/downloads/documentloader.aspc?id=1911

Name indexing and authority files

• Authority file
• A compilation of records which describe the preferred form of headings for use in a catalog, along with cross references for other forms of headings
• Authority files may be lists, card catalogs, databases, or printed publications
• For individuals, the authority file lists full name, birth and death dates, and alternate names
• For organizational names, the authority file lists the preferred name for each organization, and also lists the history of name changes. Sources that document changes can also be noted

Indexing guidelines

• Before beginning an indexing programme, have completed accession records, a repository guide of fonds level descriptions, and inventories for large or significant fonds. Subject terms and name authority files can be created during the description of each new accession
• Select the thesaurus your Archives will use to establish a controlled vocabulary for the selection of subject terms
• Create and maintain a name authority file to control al names used in the index
• Maintain a manual that documents all changes to your indexing system. Note, for example, when a new subject was added to the list
• Keep your index up to date. If you are unable to maintain it, perhaps it is too complex
• Develop or expand your indexing programme in relation to your time, money, facilities, and priorities

Encoded archival description (EAD)

• Society of American Archivists standard (maintained by Library of Congress) for encoding multilevel finding aids
• Extensible markup language (XML) based but compatible with standard generalized markup language (SGML)
• Developed in U.S. but now international
• Designed specifically for marking up information contained in archival finding aids
• Further information under Encoded Archival Description http://aao.fis.utoronto.ca/auto/relatedlinks.html
• Sample Canadian use of EAD
• Finding Aids to Literary Papers in Canadian Archival Collections http://web.archive.org/web/20041218002931/http://www.hil.unb.ca/Texts/ead/eadindex.html
• Tutorial: an over-the-shoulder view of an archivist at work. In: Introduction to Archival Organization and Description: Access to Cultural Heritage. Getty Information Institute. 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/20060213013256/http://www.schistory.org/getty/table_index.html

Archival Description

Principles of description

1. Principle of provenance
2. Sanctity of original order
3. Arrangement determines description
4. Description proceeds from the general to the specific

Standards: ISAD(G) and RAD
Both RAD and ISAD(G) are based on four key rules for multi-level archival description

1. Describe material from the general to the specific
2. Give only the information relevant to the level of description
3. Link each description to its next higher unit – identify the level of description, if applicable
4. Don’t repeat information

The International Council on Archives

ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, Second edition 1999
This standard provides general guidance for the preparation of archival descriptions. It is to be used in conjunction with existing national standards or as the basis for the development of national standards.

ISAAR (CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families, Second edition, 2004

This standard provides guidance for preparing archival authority records which provide descriptions of entities (corporate bodies, persons and families) associated with the creation and maintenance of archives.

http://web.archive.org/web/20050305050318/http://www.ica.org/biblio.php?pbrowse_field=series&pbrowse_value=7&plangue=eng

Canadian Committee on Archival Description Rules for Archival Description (RAD)

• Published in 1990 by the Bureau of Canadian Archivists, RAD provides archivists with a set of rules which “aim to provide a consistent and common foundation for the description of archival material within fonds, based on traditional archival principles.”
• Developed with reference to AARC2
• Becoming the Canadian standard for proper archival description http://www.cdncouncilarchives.ca/archdesrules.html

Basic RAD: An Introduction to the preparation of fonds- and series-level descriptions using the Rules for Archival Description by Jeff O’Brien
SCA Outreach Archivist October 1997 http://scaa.sk.ca/content/view/57/119/
The purpose of this document is to explain what RAD (the Rules for Archival Description) is, what it is supposed to do and how to use it .The Guide also contains a “short version” of RAD, identifying and explaining the minimum elements necessary for an acceptable RAD-compliant records description. It is in no way meant to supplant the RAD manual but may be used in concert with the manual.

Basic RAD elements
1. Title and statement of responsibility
4. Dates of creation
5. Physical description area
7. Archival description area
8. Note area

Elements are repeated in a hierarchical manner, working from the general (fonds, sous fonds) to the specific (series, subseries, files/folders/items). In other words, these elements are repeated for each level you are describing.

To see records and for additional information see:
The Archivist’s Toolkit: Arrangement and Description http://web.archive.org/web/20111031163307/http://aabc.ca/TK_04_arrangement_description.html#DESCRIPTION%20AND%20DESCRIPTIVE%20STANDARDS

MARC 21
used by many American archives and some university archives in Canada
see: Center of Southwest Studies: Special Collections Archival Procedure Manual https://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/HelpfulLinks/ArchivesProcedureManual.aspx

Arrangement: Organizing Archival Material

Principles of arrangement

• Two principles governing archival arrangement and description:
• Provenance/respect des fonds
• Who was the original creator?
• Respecting original order
• Original order
• Provenance: The person(s) or office(s) of origin of records, i.e. the person(s), family (families), or corporate body (bodies) that created and/or accumulated and used records in the course of that creator’s activities or functions.
• Respect des fonds: The principal that the records of a person, family or corporate body must be kept together in their original order, if it exists or has been maintained, and not be mixed or combined with the records of another individual or corporate body.
• Glossary of Archives, Records Management, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Terms http://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/archives/StaffTrainingResources/01RMF-AbbreviationsKey.pdf
• Original order: the principle that archival documents should be maintained in the same order or arrangement given to it by the creator so that the relationships among its components and the evidential significance of documents are preserved. https://web.archive.org/web/20041209035757/http://www.slais.ubc.ca/resources/students/Archival_Terminology.pdf
• Most evident in corporate, institutional, or government records
• Private manuscripts and paper often show little clearly evident original order, consequently:
• Original order cannot be as inflexible a rule as provenance
• Small accessions
• Accession each new body of records as its own unit
• Give each new accession a unique accession number
• Do not incorporate small groups of material or single items into a large “artificial collection”
• To save space you may store small accessions and individual items together in the same container as long as their accession numbers and physical location are clearly identified on all storage containers and finding aids
• Artificial collection: a body of archival material deliberately brought together for some reason other than in the process of daily activities. Some collections are based on subject content, geographical information, or type of record.
• Once removed from original location provenance and original order is lost
• Treat as a closed group of records and do not add new material to collection
• Use finding aids to identify contents

Arrangement

• Archivists recommend working with only one accession at a time so material does not get mixed up
• Initial arrangement usually occurs at the accession stage

Levels of arrangement

• Repository: archives itself
• Fonds/record group (for public or corporate materials)/manuscript group (for personal papers): The whole of the records, regardless of form or medium, automatically and organically created and/or accumulated and used by a particular individual, family, or corporate body in the course of that creator’s activities or functions. Note: The fonds is the highest level of description in a particular repository… A fonds is not equivalent to an accession. A fonds may contain two or more accession units; similarly an accession may contain more than one fonds.
• Sous fonds/subgroup: A body of related records within a fonds, usually consisting of the records of an important subordinate administrative unit or family unit. Sous fonds may also be established for related bodies of documents within a fonds that can best be defined in terms of chronological, functional, or geographical relationships. Sous fonds may be divided into as many further levels as are necessary to reflect the hierarchical organizational units within the subordinate administrative unit, or that will assist in grouping series in terms of their relationships. Glossary of Archives, Records Management, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Acts https://web.archive.org/web/20041211174334/http://www.sfu.ca/archives/glossary.html
• Series: Records or groups of records arranged in accordance with a particular filing system or maintained as a unit because of their relationship to one another. Series may be organized by original order, subject, function, or type of material.
• Series level best illustrates the actual activities of the creator
• Maintain organization by function whenever possible
• If no order evident, you must impose one
• Commonly by type of material
• Avoid organizing records series into chronological or subject order unless that was the original order
• Subseries: A group of related material within a series, usually identified by subject, type of material, function, or filing arrangement
• There can be subseries within series, just as there can be subgroups within record groups
• File: A group of records organized and kept in a predetermined physical order in a folder
• Item: The smallest unit of archival material, such as the individual letter, report, photography, or reel of film
• For examples of levels of arrangement see: https://web.archive.org/web/20041229123534/http://aabc.bc.ca/aabc/msa/4_organizing_archival_material.htm

Establishing priorities

• When arranging large bodies of records consider:
• Significance of creator in your community or organization
• Potential use of records
• Size of the accession
• Amount of time available to you
• Amount and importance of other archival work
• As a general rule for large accessions strive for record group and series level arrangement of all holdings before continuing with file or item level organization

Processing archival material

• Preliminaries
• Always work with only one accession at a time
• Try to identify
• Any distinct record groups and series
• A logical and valid original order
• Any series of filing arrangement
• Learn as much as possible about the records and their creator before beginning any actual arrangement
• Physical care
• Remove paper clips, staples, pins, string, rubber bands, etc.
• Ensure all material as neat and flat as possible without changing original order
• Identify items that need special care for later removal
• Identify media items which will be stored separately, e.g. photo material; film, video, dvd; prints, paintings, drawings; maps, plans; sound recordings; printed materials; artifacts; computer disks/tapes, etc.
• When finished your first run-through of the material in your accession you should have:
• Identified whether you’re dealing with one or more fonds
• Identified the major series of records within the fonds
• Checked the physical conditions of the records
• Removed any metal fasteners
• Dealt with duplicates in accordance with your acquisition policy
• Disposed of anything clearly not required for retention, e.g. blank sheets of paper or empty envelopes
• Sorting
• Sort archival materials into distinct piles according to the plan you have established
• Remove unwanted material, items needing conservation, and media items with different storage needs
• Replace all removed items (except items to be discarded, such as doodles or duplicates) with a separation sheet. A separation sheet identifies what material has been removed, why, and where it is presently located
• Continue to arrange the records until you reach your chosen level of detail, such as series, file, or item
• Arrange different media items within the record group, according to their physical requirements
• Keep notes about your work, indicating what organization you have chosen, what level of detail, and what kind of material has been removed. Also keep notes about important subjects, events, or people to include in your description
• Packing
• Use appropriate archival quality containers when packing all materials
• Never pack folders or boxes too full, but never leave them too empty. As a guide, don’t fill folders beyond the pre-marked fold lines, and make sure the box lids will close properly without pressure
• You will have to lift and move the boxes and folders regularly, if they are too heavy or awkward you might damage the records or hurt yourself
• Labelling
• Mark all storage containers with the accession number and the box number
• Always label each folder and box clearly, numbering each as “file 3” or “file 1 of 4” or “box 6” or “box 4 of 8”, so that losses or gaps will be noticed easily
• If any materials are restricted, mark the boxes with a large red sticker or tag, to remind you to check the accession record before allowing researchers to use the records
• Storing
• Establish a consecutive numbering system
• Number each shelf or storage space, add each new accession to the next vacant place on the shelf, and record the accession name and number and location number on a location file
• Do not organize your archival storage area in subject, alphabetic, or chronological order. Every time you receive a new accession, you will have to shift boxes to make space
• Note location of all records on a location file; keep one copy of this finding aid in the archives’ storage area
• Keep accurate records of the physical location of all archival material