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
Archival Management
Margot Note
7 Elements of a Strong Archival Acquisition ...

Developing an acquisition policy is critical for archivists because it sets the foundation for how an institution acquires and manages its collections. A well-crafted acquisition policy ensures the archives remains focused, relevant, and aligned with the institution’s mission and strategic goals.  

7 Elements of a Strong Archival Acquisition Policy
Archival Management
Margot Note
Understanding Archival Acquisition

Archival acquisition is a crucial process in managing records; it encompasses the methods and principles by which archival institutions acquire and take responsibility for records. It is a fundamental aspect of archival work, affecting records’ immediate management and long-term preservation and accessibility. Understanding archival acquisition involves grasping its purpose, methods, challenges, and best practices.

Understanding Archival Acquisition
Archival Management
Margot Note
Ethical Considerations in Archival Appraisal

Appraisal involves choosing which records to preserve based on their long-term value and relevance to the archives’ mission. This process requires archivists to balance users’ immediate needs with the potential future significance of records.

Ethical Considerations in Archival Appraisal
Archival Management
Margot Note
Archival Appraisal and Selection: Balancing ...

Appraisal involves choosing which records to preserve based on their long-term value and relevance to the archives’ mission. This process requires archivists to balance users’ immediate needs with the potential future significance of records.

Archival Appraisal and Selection: Balancing Present Needs and Future Value

Supercharge Your LIS Career

Supercharge Your LIS Career

Earlier this week, my friend Tom Nielsen and I presented a session, You and Your Career, at the Special Libraries Association annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona. In the workshop, we discussed the myriad of ways in which LIS students and early career professionals can take their careers to the next level. The goal of the class is to  prepare current and future information professionals by:

  • increasing self-awareness and understanding of their preferences
  • improving their knowledge of professional workplace skills
  • developing an understanding of the many ways to engage professionally within the field

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.  

Digitization and Digital Preservation in Heritage Organizations

Digitization and Digital Preservation in Heritage Organizations

Digital preservation requires two activities: digitizing and preserving digital objects.

Digitization is a complicated task involving the coordination of several different types of activities. As a result, projects may need to focus on these functions to varying degrees at phases of their life cycle as they move out of a start-up phase and into creation and ongoing maintenance.

Privacy Concerns in Archival Records

Privacy Concerns in Archival Records

Archival records contain important historical information. As primary sources, they allow users to get as close to the past as possible. Often they contain information that legally or ethically should remain private.

Subjects are often unaware of their representation in archival collections, which leaves archivists in the difficult position of allowing access while protecting individuals’ rights. Archivists attempt to resolve this conflict so that the interests of the repository, records creators, and researchers are supported. The balancing act is further complicated with the digital world as archivists determine the subjects’ expectations regarding online access.