lecture presented at the Seminar-Workshop on the theme “Organizing and Digitizing Library Archival Materials: ISAD (G) and Technology” organized by the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. – Western Visayas Region Librarians Council (PLAI-WVRLC) in coordination with the National Committee for Libraries and Information Services – National Commission for Culture and The Arts (NCLIS-NCCA) held at the Colegio de San Agustin—Bacolod, Bacolod City, 27 September 2012.

1. Archival resources in libraries:
significance, sources and set-ups
by Fe Angela Verzosa
Seminar-Workshop on Organizing and Digitizing Library Archival Materials:
ISAD (G) and Technology
September 27-28, 2012
Colegio de San Agustin, Bacolod City
What do we talk about today?
•What archival resources may be
found in libraries?
•What are possible sources of
archival collections in libraries?
•What is the organizational set-up
of the archives in libraries?
•What provisions are ideal for
their organization, physical
housing, care and maintenance?
1

2. Focus
• By the end of this
presentation, you will have
a better understanding of
the importance of archival
collections in libraries…
the basics of organizing,
housing, caring and
maintaining archives in
libraries…
and cataloging archival
collections via the ISAD (G)
Historically, archives are considered as places where old
documents, important papers, photos, and memorabilias have
been kept safe from destruction.
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3. US National Archives, Washington D.C.
UK Archives at Kew, London
Archivo de Indias, Sevilla
Vatican archives
3

4. The New York
Public Library
Libraries hold archival collections
– the papers of individuals and
families, the records of
organizations, and consciously
assembled collections of unique
and unpublished material.
Morgan Library Museum
(Manhattan, New York)
Among its priceless collections are
medieval artworks, 3 copies of the
Gutenberg 1455 Bible, authors'
original literary and historical
The Morgan's collection of music
manuscripts, such as some by Sir
manuscripts is unequaled in the
Walter Scott, Henry Thoreau and
US, with handwritten works by such
Honoré de Balzac, George
great composers as Bach, Brahms,
Washington, Thomas Jefferson and
Mozart, Schubert, etc.
Abraham Lincoln.
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5. 5

6. Archival collections contain a wide
variety of primary source material, not
only paper documents – such as
correspondence, manuscripts, and
diaries – but also photographs, sound
recordings, films, videotapes, artifacts,
and electronic records.
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7. Duke University Archives display
Purdue Univ Archives display
Smithsonian Institution display
Univ of Central Florida Libraries
Marywood University Archives
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8. 8

9. The old library building now called
the Rizal Library Special Collections
9

10. The Special Collections and
Archives division has…
• Ateneo Library of Women’s Writing
(ALIWW)
• American Historical Collection (AHC)
• Pardo de Tavera Special Collection
Archives
• Theses and dissertations
10

11. 11

12. Includes personal papers and book collections
donated by the DLSU faculty and alumni
Includes:
•Tanada Papers
•Francisco Ortigas Collection
•Jose Diokno Collection
•Jose Javier Reyes Collection
•Local Oral History
12

13. De La Salle University Archives
Entrance to the De La Salle University Archives
13

14. Selected archival materials on display at DLSU Archives
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15. De La Salle University Archives Special Collections
A peak inside the mobile shelf
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16. De La Salle University Archives Theses and CDs on display
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17. Memorabilia Display at De La Salle University Archives
Felipe Liao Numismatic Collection at the DLSU Archives
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18. Daniel R. Tantoco Jr. Collection of Museum Artifacts at DLSU Archives
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19. De La Salle University Archives Records Room
De La Salle University Archives Reading Room
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20. Overview
• Archives usually consist of unique
items, and unlike Libraries, cannot take
advantage of standardized organization.
• Archives preserve records of enduring
value; these may be organizational or
personal records. They are not
necessarily old, and may come in
different formats.
• Unlike libraries, archival materials are
arranged and described in groups.
What are archival collections?
• generally are groups of documents created
by organizations or institutions
• or groups of ‘records’ that are kept because
they have ‘long-term value’
• “organic collections” refer to groups of
documents or records that grew naturally as
the result of the record creator’s activities.
They include the letters, reports, and other
documents that a person or organization
accumulates and files as they go about their
business.
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21. What are manuscript collections?
• “Personal Papers” are collections of
documents created by individuals or families.
• “Artificial Collections” or “Assembled
Collections” refer to groups of individual
documents that were created by different
persons or organizations, and assembled later
from multiple sources. The documents bear
no organic relationship to each other.
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22. MANUSCRIPTS COLLECTIONS
Single pieces of hand-
written documents
Personal Papers
Literary Remains
Collections of Events
Records of an organization
collected and brought into
the archives or library for
research
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23. Examples of archival materials?
•letters, reports, memorandums, minutes, notes, telegrams
• photographic prints, photographic negatives, slides, motion picture film
• microfilm, microfiche
• phonograph records, sound recordings on reel-to-reel or cassette
tapes, digital sound recordings
• video recordings on VHS, Beta, or other formats
• punch cards, automated data on magnetic tape, and any type of
material contained on floppy disks, compact disks, and DVDs
Differences between archival and library materials
Category Libraries Archives
Nature published unpublished
discrete items groups of related items
available elsewhere unique
Method of receipt selected as single appraised in aggregates
items
Arrangement predetermined sub- provenance and original
ject classification order
Level of description individual items aggregate (record group
or series)
Descriptive media card catalog, OPAC inventories, guides
Access open stacks closed stacks
23

24. archival collection program
•solicitation of historical materials in all
formats: textual, pictorial, cartographic,
electronic, etc.
•direct administrative transfer by means of an
active records management program
•loan or purchase or exchange
Potential Donors
ni fac
m stu ulty
alu nds s
e e admdents
fri oye in i
l str
e mp ato
rs
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25. Archival Collecting
• develop a written collection policy
• survey present documentation by
office or by period in the history of
the college
• plan out development/improvement
of the documentation areas
• contact offices/depts/individuals
• select the materials for the archives
collection
Steps in beginning an archives
develop an archives policy
secure approval of highest authority
gather/acquire appropriate materials
gain legal control
establish intellectual control
establish physical control
make archival materials available for
use
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26. Organizational Structure
• autonomy
• authority over archival
acquisition, description, and
disposition
• allocation of budget
• administrative supervision
and control over staff
Archival personnel
enthusiasm in archival work
commitment to the job
qualities (organized, neat,
methodical)
ability to take directions
knowledgeability on the
institution and its community
training/education in archival
studies
experience
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27. What Archivists Do
• Identify/appraise
• Acquire
• Arrange and describe
• Preserve
• Make Available
.... If there’s time,
Promote, or
reach out
Processing
Appraisal: determining its value
Accessioning: documenting the
acquisition
Arrangement: organizing the materials
Description: creating finding aids
Preservation: care and handling
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28. Appraising record values
Evidentiary
Informational
Intrinsic –
for cultural, historical,
or monetary reasons
I
n
t
Principles in arrangement
Provenance- is a fundamental principle,
referring to the individual, group/office, or
organization that created the records.
Also known as office of origin, or source
Principle of provenance:
records of different provenance should be
separated. e.g. :
Office of the President/ Board of Directors
HR Department
Comptroller’s Office
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29. Principles in arrangement
Principle of Original order – or Respect de
l'ordre primitif in French, Registratorprinzip
in German, referring to original order of
arrangement
Emphasis was on establishing the authenticity and
integrity of the record as evidence.
“records are to be maintained in records/archives
repositories in the same scheme of order and with the
same designations they received in the course of the
business of their office of origin and primary use. “
What if no discernible order exists?
Archival collections can
range in size from a single
document to hundreds of
boxes and are described by
catalog records, which provide
a summary description of an
entire collection, and more
detailed guides, called finding
aids.
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30. Making the materials accessible thru finding aids
Register of JPL Papers
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31. Creating a website
• Describe the Archives
• Open access to selected collections in the
Archives via digitization
• Provide finding aids, databases, indexes
• Advertise activities
• Provide answers to FAQs
• Highlight useful links
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32. Digitization – principal reasons
• For enhanced access Not for
to improve services by
facilitating retrieval • space-saving
• To reduce handling because originals may
and use of fragile or require off-site storage
heavily used originals,
thereby reducing risk • cost-reduction
of loss/damage/ because digitization is
misuse a costly program
• For securing back-up • preservation
copies because originals are
retained.
Space considerations
space for work, stack room,
and reading room
free from flooding,
dampness, and extreme
temperatures
free from uncontrolled
lighting conditions
security-safe, sheltered but
accessible
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33. places where archives are stored
Ideal storage conditions and
practical alternatives
• Ideal storage: climate
and humidity controlled
environment in acid-free
boxes and file folders
• Practical alternatives:
– acid-free folders in filing
cabinets
– acid-free folders in acid-
free record storage
cartons
– acid-free folders in acid-
free manuscript boxes
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34. FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT
FIREPROOFING ULTRAVIOLET
AIRCONDITIONING FILTER SCREENS
HUMIDITY CONTROL HEAVY CURTAINS
SMOKE and HEAT ACID-FREE BOXES
DETECTORS ACID-FREE
DOUBLE LOCKS FOLDERS
SECURITY ALARM RUST-FREE
SUPPLIES
COMMON HAZARDS
• temperature • PEOPLE
• humidity using ink/pens
• light using adhesives
• insects and rodents laminating
• fungi, mold, mildew folding, tearing
• acid spilling food/drink
• fire bending, tracing
• water stealing/mutilating
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35. Questions ?
famverzosa@yahoo.com
Workshop Exercise 1
The purpose of this exercise is to be
able to distinguish the different kinds
of archival and manuscript collections.
From the slides presented, give
specific examples of the following:
Organic collections
Artificial collections
Manuscript collections
Archival collections
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36. Workshop Exercise 2
The purpose of this exercise is to be
able to develop a special collection of
archival materials. Prepare an Archival
Collection Program and identify the
manner by which you intend to acquire
the target collection/s (i.e. solicitation,
transfer, exchange, purchase, loan).
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