Getting your handson archival gold

Amanda Hill

Archives Association of Ontario

WHY VISIT ARCHIVES?

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• Not everything is online• Archives and library staff have in-depth

knowledge of sources and subject• They are (usually!) happy to share their

expertise• Archival materials can help you get around

road-blocks in your online research

Examples of offline resources• Records of religious organizations, including baptisms, marriages and burials• Records of land transfers• Municipal records, including assessment rolls and voters’ lists• School records• Police and court records• Hospital records• Military records• Wills• Records of businesses and charities• Maps, charts and plans• Newspapers• Manuscript collections• Films and videos• Photograph and postcard collections• Directories and telephone books• Manually-created indexes of names

HOW TO USE ARCHIVES

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Before you get there (1)

• Do your homework!– Read up on the archives on their website to understand

their holdings and their rules and procedures– Be aware that some smaller archives are not open every

day (or at weekends) and may close for lunch

• It’s usually wise to contact the archives in advance of a visit– Not everything you need to know is online– If the archive has a small staff, they will appreciate knowing

when you will arrive

Before you get there (2)

• How easy is it to get to the archives?– What’s the parking like?– Is it accessible by public transit?– Is there somewhere nearby where you can grab a

coffee/buy lunch or do you need to take your own provisions?

• Do you need to make an appointment or order materials in advance?– Some archives store collections in off-site locations and

need warning to order them for you

Finding and ordering documents• Most archives will have finding aids to their materials

– Some may be online, some are not

• You may have to fill out an order slip for archival materials– Some archives have a lot of material on microfilm/fiche which may be

self-service– Document delivery may be at set times

• The best finding aid is usually the brain of an experienced archivist– Cultivate that relationship!– “…be polite and deferential to the archivists. They are professionals,

they are mighty, and they can make or break your research project.” http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,81158.msg1948552.html#msg1948552

Handling archives• By their nature, archives tend to be unique

– People who care for them tend to be quite protective of them

• Security procedures are usually more stringent than general library regulations– You may have to put your bag in a locker– You will be expected to use a pencil, not a pen– You will usually be under some sort of surveillance when you use

archives– No food and drink are allowed near archival materials

• You can’t browse archives like you can browse library books– You will usually order the materials you want from a catalogue

Keeping track of what you’ve seen

• It’s easy to get carried away• Take copious notes on the materials you find useful– Digital notes are more searchable later than hand-

written ones• Remember power/extension cord for laptop

• Record what you’ve looked at, even if it wasn’t useful– You don’t want to have to look at things twice

• Check out the archives’ digital camera policy

Using a camera for research

• Record useful documents with your camera (if use of a camera is permitted)– Don’t use the flash (light damages materials)

• Check the photo to make sure the document is legible before you move on to the next item

– Do take a photo of the document’s title/reference number/date to help identify it later

– Take a spare battery/charger– Organize your photos into folders a way that is helpful to you

(e.g. by archive/collection/file)• Do this as soon as possible after your visit

– Back up your images (very important)

Ordering copies

• If you can’t take photographs of items, you may be able to order photocopies

• Policies and prices on photocopying vary from institution to institution

• You may have to wait for copies to be sent to you after your visit

• Copyright restrictions may be in place, but use for personal research is covered in the definition of ‘fair dealing’ in Canada

Physical perils of archival research• Back, neck and wrist pain

– Archival boxes can be heavy – lift with care!– Chairs can be less than ideal for long periods of desk work– A small tripod for your digital camera might be a good investment– A scarf/sweater can protect your neck from over-fierce air conditioning

• Microform-induced headaches– If you’re reading a lot on microfilm or microfiche, it can be a strain on your eyes: break

up stretches of microform research with physical archival research– Bring painkillers

• Cuts from paper/rusty paper clips/staples– Be careful - bring band-aids, just in case

• Dust– A terrible archival cliché, but some documents are dusty: if you’re prone to allergies, be

aware and bring Kleenex and maybe allergy medication

A SIDE NOTE ON RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

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Cuts to archives• April 2012 announcement of elimination of the National Archival

Development Program (NADP)– Has had an impact on the work of many archives services

• Generally archives and libraries, including Library and Archives Canada, are operating in straitened circumstances

• Letters of appreciation and/or monetary donations are always welcome!

www.canadaspastmatters.ca

HOW ARCHIVISTS DEAL WITH ARCHIVES: DECODING THE JARGON

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Important things to be aware of

• Archives are the records that have survived– Just a ‘sliver’ of all the records ever created

• Keeping archives for the long term is expensive– Not all records are kept– Only about 5% of the records produced by

governments are transferred to their archives• A lot of what archivists do is deciding what is to

be kept and what is to be destroyed– Archivists have to be ruthless!

Collecting policies

• These determine what an archives will keep– May be geographically-based, subject-based or

organizationally-focused

• Archives can be found in libraries, museums and private organizations as well as in institutions with the name of ‘Archives’– Sometimes you need to think laterally about where certain

records might be kept– Information professionals like archivists and librarians can

help track down possible sources and locations

What do archivists do?

• Keep records safe

• Make records available– By arranging and describing them– By providing places to access them• In person• Online

Keeping records safe

• Secure buildings

• Climate-controlled to minimise environmental damage

• Packaged in inert materials– Acid-free folders and boxes– Polyester sleeves for photographs

Arrangement and description

• To know what is held and where it is

• To make materials accessible to potential users

• To explain the context of the creation and use of records

Archival arrangement

• Provenance– Archives are usually arranged by creator, rather

than by subject

• Original order– Archivists try to organize materials in the way they

would have been used by the creating organization or individual

Provenance

• Chain of custody is important for demonstrating the authenticity of archival material

• Need to maintain the coherence of a group of materials in order for them to have archival integrity

• Materials from one source should not be mixed with materials from another

• Respect des fonds (respect for the source)

Definition of a fonds

• All of the documents, regardless of form or medium, naturally generated and/or accumulated and used by a particular person, family or corporate body in the conduct of personal or corporate activity

Within a fonds

• Fonds can be large or small (even just one item)

• Larger fonds are usually broken up into series– Series are groups of records with similar

characteristics• E.g. minutes, correspondence, photographs

• Series can be divided into files• Files contain items

Sample arrangement

Imperial Order of the Daughters of Empire, Waterloo Chapter records

Minutes

Minute Book, 1966-1969

Minute Book, 1969-1975

Correspondence

Administrative correspondence Thank-you letters

Other materials

Items Files

Series

Fonds

Very complex arrangement

Anti-Apartheid Movement papers, being sorted in Oxford, ca.1997

Mike Terry (1947-2008), executive secretary of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, 1975-1994

A case of ‘original disorder’!

• (A) Boycott Movement papers, 1959-1961• (B) AAM Governing Bodies, 1960-1995• (C) AAM Committees, 1960-1995• (D) Local Anti-Apartheid Groups, [ca. 1960]-1995• (E) Professional and Special Interest Groups Against Apartheid, 1970-1994• (F) Local Authorities Against Apartheid, [ca. 1960]-1995• (G) Britain, 1959-1995• (H) South Africa, 1959-1995• (I) South Africa in Transition, 1986-1995• (J) Other African Countries, 1961-1995• (K) Europe, 1972-1995• (L) Commonwealth, 1960-1994• (M) Overseas anti-apartheid organisations, 1963-1995• (N) International Organisations, 1960-1995• (O) Campaigns, 1956-1995• (P) AAM Head Office, 1960-1995• (Q) Correspondence, 1960-1995• (R) Anti-Apartheid Enterprises (AAE), 1986-1990• (S) Clapham Common Productions Limited, 1987-1995• (T) Freedom Productions Limited, 1987-1995• (U) Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), 1991-1998• (V) Photographs and Audio-Visual Material, 1900-[ca. 1999]• (W) Posters, 1963-[ca. 1999]• (X) Exhibition Material, Artwork and Objects, [ca. 1960]-[ca. 1999]• (Y) Printed Material, 1960-1994• (Z) Miscellaneous Material, [ca. 1960]-[ca. 1999]

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/rhl/aam/aam.html

1,400 boxes of material, once catalogued!

Limited arrangement

Boxes in the Basement

• 89 boxes – materials had already been used by researchers: box numbers were known and records could not be re-arranged across boxes

• Had to sort items within each box– Original boxes were replaced with archival packaging– Each box filled around 3 archive boxes

Not part of the original order

Collections

• Materials that were not generated as part of the activity of a person or organisation

• For example:– A group of postcards of a local town– Records relating to a particular subject, assembled by an

individual

• These are not fonds, but collections• Their provenance and original order may have been lost,

but they are often arranged and described as a discrete group of records

Description

• A means of establishing intellectual control over materials held in archives

• A way of sharing information with potential users about – what our records contain– who created them– why they were created

Description

• No standard way to describe archives until late 20th century

• Then: a flurry of descriptive standards– In Canada: Rules for Archival Description (RAD) –

1990 (revised 2008)– Internationally: International Standard for Archival

Description (General) (ISAD(G)) - 1994

Descriptive standards

• RAD and other archival description standards break down descriptions into a set of key elements

• This helps archivists describe materials in a consistent way

• …and helps users know what to expect from an archival description

Key elements of an archival description described according to RAD

Name of the repository holding the material

Title of the fonds or collection

Name of the creator of the archive

Covering dates of the material

Size of the collection

Information about the creator: biographical details, history of an organization

Description of the archival materials: what they contain, the context of their creationAny restrictions on access

Reference number: you might need this to order materials

Custodial history of the material: how it got to the archives

Key principles of archival description

• Description goes from the general to the specific

• Arrangement defines description: once the material is arranged in a logical fashion, the description reflects the arrangement– Finding aids will usually give an overview of the

fonds or collection, then describe each series, with its associated files or items

Sample arrangement

Imperial Order of the Daughters of Empire, Waterloo Chapter records

Minutes

Minute Book, 1966-1969

Minute Book, 1969-1975

Correspondence

Administrative correspondence Thank-you letters

Other materials

Items Files

Series

Fonds

Level of description Contents Possible number

Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33

Series 1 Description of minute books 2008.33/1

Item 1 Description of minute book 1 2008.33/1/1

Item 2 Description of minute book 2 2008.33/1/2

Series 2 Description of correspondence 2008.33/2

File 1 Description of admin. corresp. 2008.33/2/1

File 2 Description of thank-you letters 2008.33/2/2

Series 3 Overall description of ‘other materials’

2008.33/3

Textual layout of detailed finding aid

In this example, the numbering reflects the hierarchy of the description.

Level of description Contents Possible number

Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33

Series 1 Description of minute books 2008.33/1

Series 2 Description of correspondence 2008.33/2

Series 3 Overall description of ‘other materials’

2008.33/3

Alternative finding aid

A more summary description.

Level of description Contents Reference number

Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33

Alternative finding aid

A much more summary

description!

Access restrictions

• There may be charges for accessing archives• Some records may be closed for reasons of

privacy or sensitivity– Or simply because they are too fragile to be

handled

STARTING YOUR SEARCH: FINDING ARCHIVES ONLINE

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ARCHIVES ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO RESOURCES

Finding Archives in Ontario

http://aao-archivists.ca/directory/DAIO.html

Archeion

Ontario’s Archive Network

• 96 archive-holding institutions across Ontario• Over 9,000 archival fonds/collections

described– Most at a summary level• Some with more detailed descriptions at series or file

levels

• Nearly 13,000 individuals and organizations identified

• http://archeion.ca

Repository information

Beyond Ontario

www.archivescanada.ca

In summary

• Archives have amazing, unique, rich materials• The majority are not online– At current rates, it will take 300-700 years to digitize

LAC’s holdings• Online resources are a great place to start

• Archivists love to have people use their collections– Use them or lose them

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