Session 22. Restoring the Harmony: (Re)Establishing Order in Archives

Abstract

Managing an archival repository can be a daunting task for any professional archivist, but even more so when those collections have been “meddled” with by well-intentioned, but untrained personnel. Where do you begin to (re)establish archival standards? How do you process these records and manuscripts that have lost some–or most–of their original order, provenance, or were adulterated with ancillary materials? What is the best approach to organizing and describing these collections without further disturbing their current organization? Panelists will discuss problems they have encountered processing their institution’s collections, presenting inventive solutions and workarounds that still meet archival standards. They will also discuss when and where they found it important to compromise and move on.