Session 17. One Step Back, Two Steps Forward: Approaches to Reprocessing for Access and Digital Assets

Abstract

Many archives face the challenges of juggling large backlogs, a continuous stream of accessions, and outdated collection descriptions with limited resources or all of the above. Although the archival literature increasingly discusses arrangement and description as a cyclical process, these ideas are not as acknowledged in archival education or practical training. Concepts to be addressed in this session include learning to process or reprocess previously created artificial collections with poor description to improve in-person and digital access; tackling legacy practices and creating reprocessing workflows; and thinking about reprocessing in the age of born digital and digitized collections. Panelists will share details of their projects, theoretical and real-world challenges, and lessons learned.

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Rights