Collection development establishes policies and procedures used to select materials that the archival repository will acquire; it identifies the creators, subjects, formats, and other characteristics that influence the selection process.
Although theories of collection development originated from libraries, the concept is important for archives because it guides acquisitions and the scope of their collections. Archivists can apply collection development concepts from library science to the archives, especially examining the strengths of the collection, present collecting levels, identified weaknesses, and desired levels of collecting to meet program needs.
A Representative Historical Record
Collection development and accessioning is the starting point of all archival collections. The archival profession has advanced enough that archivists have transitioned from collecting everything to choosing what to collect, given the abundance of contemporary materials. Archival selection shapes history because diplomatic choices must be made to represent the historical record.
Collection policies seek to eliminate problems, lessen competition, and provide an avenue for deaccessioning. A repository acts unethically when a collecting policy is absent, or so vast that records cannot be processed promptly, effectively blocking them from research. Collection development practices ensure that a repository has a clear, distinct focus so resources can be invested in making records of enduring historical and cultural value available for use.
Most archives strive to have strong relationships with other area repositories whose collecting missions complement and coincide with their own. Archives staff should make referrals whenever possible if materials offered to their organizations do not fall within their collecting scope yet may be appropriate for these repositories. A collection development policy outlines the boundaries between what is collected and what is not to help guide these decisions.
For many archival repositories, scholarly research value is the primary criterion for collecting materials, but exhibit and educational value may also be considered. Collecting foci are usually based upon knowledge of researcher needs. They are guided by current strengths as well as areas where archivists see a need to build the collection. Condition, size, and conservation needs of the materials, as well as the organization’s ability to meet those needs, are also considered in collecting decisions.
The Archival Purpose
The purpose of collection development policies and procedures is to outline the scope and rationale behind collecting at the repository. It assists in furthering the institution’s mission and upholding the professional standards of the archival community. It also aids the archives staff and other key stakeholders in the selection of materials in a planned, realistic, and cohesive way, tied to the institution’s resources and priorities. Further, it informs the public of the repository’s selection priorities. It encourages the donation of materials that support its mission and goals. Repositories also recognize that their collecting efforts may change over time in response to a variety of factors. In response to this, they review their policies regularly to ensure that they are up-to-date and aligned with their mission.
Shapers of History
The use of the collection analysis methodology takes archivists away from their traditional role as custodians of the past. It moves them toward a more active one as shapers of the historical record. Even when archivists believed subjects were adequately covered, they discovered through collection analysis that they were not. Archives do not just happen of their own accord. Individuals and organizations create records and use them to support their values and missions, all of which comprise processes that are not politically and culturally neutral. Archivists decide to preserve them—or not—in similar partial ways.
Although it is daunting to think of archivists as shaping history, it is also a powerful statement. Rather than being custodians of information, archivists are actively examining their own materials as well as reaching out to donors to create more representative collections. They should ask themselves, “How am I shaping the history of my organization? Will I do it passively, or will I take leadership?”
The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog.
Archives often operate in environments defined by scarcity of space, staff, time, and funding. In these conditions, every decision carries weight. Without a plan, archives risk spreading their resources too thin, responding only to immediate crises, and missing opportunities for growth and impact. Strategic planning serves as a lifeline, providing archivists with a structured approach to prioritize, allocate resources, and communicate the value of their work to stakeholders.
Archivists have long recognized patterns of limited funding that shape their institutions, yet they have consistently responded with creativity, commitment, and innovation. Even when resources are scarce, archives continue to find ways to build and maintain essential infrastructure and strengthen public engagement. Each challenge underscores the importance of archivists’ labor and provides an opportunity to advocate for the central role archives play in their communities.
Archives safeguard treasures, including objects like the founding documents of a nation and photographs of defining cultural moments. These holdings inspire a sense of connection to the past, and at the heart of that work are archivists whose expertise brings these collections to life.
No archives is an island. Especially in resource-constrained environments, collaboration through shared infrastructure provides a lifeline. Consortia models turn scarcity into opportunity by spreading costs and expertise across multiple archives. By pooling resources, institutions achieve more than they could alone.
Well-resourced institutions have developed archival best practices, including comprehensive finding aids, climate-controlled storage, and digital preservation systems. For small or resource-constrained archives, these standards can feel out of reach. The danger is that the profession’s ideals may discourage institutions from taking action, leaving records vulnerable. The solution lies in paring down practices and procedures without abandoning principles.
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However, these institutions remain vital, safeguarding the histories of communities often absent from mainstream narratives. Scarcity shapes their reality, yet it can still allow meaningful work.
Humanity produces more digital content than at any other point in history. Every click, message, and post contributes to an expanding universe of data that represents the cultural memory of our time. At the center of this transformation stand archivists, the professionals uniquely trained to ensure that memories survive in the future. However, even as the scale of the challenge grows, their voices risk being sidelined in public conversations about digital preservation.
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The archival profession is characterized by dedication to public memory, cultural preservation, and service. However, beneath this noble mission lies a troubling reality: the increasing reliance on gig and contract labor.
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Archival description is often treated as a neutral or technical task: summarizing contents, assigning subject headings, and organizing metadata for retrieval. However, description is actually far from neutral. It shapes how users interpret records, which narratives are centered, and whose voices are made visible or erased.
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In recent decades, Indigenous communities and archivists have challenged the dominant frameworks that have long shaped archival practice. Traditionally, Western archival models have prioritized state authority, institutional control, and the presumption of neutrality. These models often fail to reflect Indigenous worldviews, community needs, or the rights of Indigenous peoples over their records and heritage.
As archival practice shifts to meet the challenges of the digital age, the ethical use of born-digital materials has become one of the most pressing concerns for archivists. These materials—emails, websites, text messages, digital photographs, spreadsheets, social media posts, and more—are created and stored digitally from their inception.
The fundamental principles of archival preservation focus on the agents of deterioration, preventive conservation, and essential preservation strategies applied in archival settings.
The monetary appraisal of archives and manuscripts is a critical yet underexplored intersection of library science and financial valuation. This article addresses the persistent knowledge gap between archival assessment and fiscal valuation and provides an overview of the monetary appraisal process in the United States. It focuses on concluding the fair market value (FMV) of noncash charitable contributions, a process governed by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). By documenting practices and terminology, the article serves as a resource for archivists navigating the complexities of donor relations and institutional stewardship. It advocates for increased fiscal literacy within the archival profession, suggesting that an integrated understanding of market dynamics and stewardship costs is essential for the care and financial substantiation of collections.
Proper archival storage is one of the most critical aspects of archival preservation. In addition to housing collections in a dedicated archival storage room, using suitable storage materials and enclosures helps protect archival collections from environmental damage, physical wear, and chemical deterioration.
One of the core challenges archivists face is determining the appropriate description level for materials in their collections. From broad collection-level overviews to granular item-level details, descriptive hierarchies play a crucial role in conveying the context and structure of archival materials.
Description is a cornerstone of archival practice, providing the means for users and archivists to understand, access, and interpret materials.
Mixed-media archives, which contain physical and digital records, present unique challenges for archival arrangement. These collections require archivists to develop strategies that address the different needs of physical and digital materials while maintaining the collection’s coherence and accessibility.
Digital records have introduced new challenges to traditional archival arrangement practices. While the principles of original order and provenance remain relevant, the nature of digital materials requires archivists to adapt these principles to new formats and technologies.
Archival arrangement organizes and structures archival materials to ensure efficient management, access, and preservation.
Redaction in archival work—obscuring or removing sensitive information from records—has become a central concern in contemporary archival ethics. As archives increasingly acquire born-digital records and digitize historical collections for online access, archivists must grapple with data privacy, access, transparency, and potential harm.
Archives have traditionally focused on preserving historical records, ensuring access, and maintaining the integrity of collections. However, in the digital age, the moral responsibilities of archivists have grown more complex.
Archives have long been viewed as bastions of memory, preservation, and historical accountability. However, archivists must confront ethical questions in an era of digital surveillance, data harvesting, and global information flows.
As archival institutions evolve from custodians of information to facilitators of memory and meaning-making, emotional engagement has become a vital, though often overlooked, dimension of archival design.
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Design thinking has become a widely adopted approach in fields ranging from technology to education, prized for emphasizing empathy, experimentation, and iterative problem-solving. For archives, traditionally shaped around internal workflows and professional conventions, design thinking presents an opportunity to reimagine outreach and engagement strategies from users’ perspectives.
With shrinking resources and increasing demands, archivists cannot afford to view budgeting as an afterthought. A carefully developed budget is a strategic tool that connects an archives’ mission to its daily operations. It demonstrates accountability, supports advocacy efforts, and provides a framework for decision-making.