Archival Management
Margot Note
Post-Disaster Recovery in Archives

Disasters can strike unexpectedly, causing significant damage to archival collections and facilities. Whether it is a flood, fire, or another catastrophic event, the aftermath of a disaster requires a strategic response to assess the damage and initiate recovery efforts.  

Post-Disaster Recovery in Archives
Archival Management
Margot Note
Archival Disaster Response and Recovery Plans

The inherent fragility of archival materials makes them especially vulnerable to damage during disasters. To ensure the safety and preservation of these collections, archives must develop a comprehensive disaster response and recovery plan tailored to their unique needs. A well-crafted plan mitigates risks, safeguards materials, and guides staff in responding to emergencies. 

Archival Disaster Response and Recovery Plans
Archival Management
Margot Note
5 Essential Elements of Archival Security

Building a secure archival environment requires a strategic, layered approach. This post outlines five essential elements every archival institution should implement: access control, secure storage, surveillance systems, staff training, and vulnerability assessments.  

5 Essential Elements of Archival Security
Archival Management
Margot Note
Developing a Long-Term Preservation Strategy ...

Preserving archival collections requires more than short-term interventions or reactive measures. Establishing a long-term archival preservation strategy is essential to ensure that materials remain accessible, stable, and intact for future generations.  

Developing a Long-Term Preservation Strategy for Archives
Archival Management
Margot Note
Archival Accessioning: A Foundational Process ...

As the initial step in managing incoming materials, accessioning is a critical function within archival work. The process ensures that newly acquired collections are formally accepted, documented, and incorporated into the repository’s holdings. 

Archival Accessioning: A Foundational Process for Well-Managed Archives

blog post roundup

Research Methods Roundup

Research Methods Roundup

This roundup explores research methods for working effectively with primary sources, with particular attention to materials held in archives. Drawing on archival practice, the posts examine how researchers locate, interpret, and contextualize unpublished records, photographs, audiovisual materials, and born-digital sources. Topics include understanding archival description and finding aids, tracing provenance and original order, navigating gaps and silences in the record, and integrating archival evidence responsibly into scholarly and creative work. Together, the posts aim to demystify archival research while equipping researchers with practical strategies for working critically and ethically with primary sources.

Career Advice for Archivists

Career Advice for Archivists

The past several years for me have been quite a journey. I started my own consulting business, wrote a few books, started teaching at universities, worked with a number of clients, and expanded my professional network substantially. I also shared some of the lessons I learned from working as a self-employed archivist. Here are some of the most popular posts on my career advice.