Archives Outside

For people who love, use and manage archives

Archives Outside - For people who love, use and manage archives

Managing local collections – useful resources

State Records, in partnership with the Royal Australian Historical Society, will be holding a series of free workshops on Managing Local Collections in regional NSW between July and December 2012. The details of these workshops will be available on State Records’ website. A pilot workshop was conducted at History House at 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney on 13 June 2012, attended by participants from a range of different societies and groups. The workshop covered the following areas: storage; developing collection policies; arranging and describing collections; conservation and preservation; databases; digitisation and access policies.

At the end of the workshop participants completed an evaluation sheet. Thank you everyone! This feedback will greatly assist our planning for the workshops scheduled for later in the year.

You want samples? We have samples!

One of the things that a number of participants requested were copies of sample forms and other examples of documents referred to in the presentation. In response to this request these documents have been copied and are now available below. We have also included a number of links to relevant documents on the State Records website, as well as links to other websites.

Keeping Archives

The Australian Society of Archivists’ publication Keeping Archives (3rd edition) provides comprehensive advice and guidance on establishing, managing and developing local collections. Copies are available from the Australian Society of Archivists.

Storage

State Records’ Standard on the physical storage of State records  is intended for the use by all NSW public offices. Those managing local collections will also find lots of helpful advice in the document.

National Archives of Australia: Preserving you records for the future – this section provides specific information and advice for the preservation of paper, photographic, digital and audiovisual records.

National Film and Sound Archive: Care for audiovisual materials

Keeping Archives (3rd edition) Chapter 3 Buildings & storage

Collection policies

Click images for larger versions.

Acquisition policy – SAMPLE

Deed of gift – SAMPLE

Sample accession record

Sample accession register

Sample acknowledgement form Sample loan form

Accessioning

Keeping Archives (3rd edition) Chapter 7 Accessioning

Arrangement and description

Keeping Archives (3rd edition) Chapter 8 Arrangement and description

Conservation and preservation

State Records NSW: The role of Preservation

We have developed counter disaster strategies for records and recordkeeping systems designed specifically for use within the public sector. Societies and groups will find the Model Disaster Plan of use in planning their disaster preparedness strategy (see
State Records NSW: Contents of a disaster recovery bin or water damage recovery kit (Guideline 5)

Our blog has a special section providing guidance on conservation and on preservation

Keeping Archives (3rd edition) Chapter 4 Preservation

Databases

Archival databases and the management of local collections (PDF, 52kb) by Dr Kate Cumming

How to prepare for a collection management system (PDF, 31kb) by Dr Kate Cumming

Digitisation

National Library Australia Digitisation Guidelines

Our Future Proof blog has a special section on highlights nine risk factors to be aware of when undertaking digitisation projects

Keeping Archives (3rd edition) Chapter 13 Digitisation and Imaging

Keeping Archives (3rd edition) Chapter 15 Digital recordkeeping

Access policies

State Records NSW: Manage record access and security

Keeping Archives (3rd edition) Chapter 11 Access and reference services

Christine Yeats
Manager, Public Access