1.
Our World is Flat
An Introduction to Managing
Archival & Photograph Collections
Layce Johnson, MA, CA
Collections Archivist
Idaho State Archives
Danielle Grundel, MLIS
Photo Archivist
Idaho State Archives
James Beckwourth, 76-2-86, Idaho State Archives

2.
Morning Session:
• Archives and Photo Collection Management
• Processing Activity
Lunch Break- 12:00-1:00
Afternoon Session:
• Digitization for Access and Preservation
• Digitization Plan Activity
Q and A
High School, Wallace, ID, 60-63-1, Idaho State Archives

3.
Unique Nature of Archival Collections
• Archival collections, which include photograph collections,
range greatly in physicality and volume. The individual
record in an archival collection is significant due to its
context as part of the greater collection.
• Museum vs. Library vs. Archives Collections Management
• An Archivist is tasked with bringing order sometimes to
chaos, and creating a point of access to the researcher.

4.
What is Collections Development?
Collection Development is an active function of an archives
to establish its policies and procedures and is used when
selecting materials that an archives or repository will
acquire.
The result of development is the creation of a guiding hand
for collecting and identifying things like: scope of creators,
subjects, formats, condition and other characteristics that
influence the selection process.

5.
Difference between collections policy
and procedure
A collections policy steers an organization on how to set up
collections procedures and provides a structure to work
within when managing a collection and potential donations.
Policy: lays out the general overview/philosophy/guidelines of
what and why the organization collects consistent with its
mission
Procedure: lays out the “how to” instructions of how the
organization’s collections are managed

6.
Benefits of a clear Collections Policy
Guiding hand when declining donation offers:
• The policy makes it clear what is not within the scope of collecting
• Protects the repository when the condition or size of materials or collections are
problematic for long term storage, care and access
• Protects the repository when a donation has parts of it already existing at
another institution
• Already have a sufficient representation of similar collections
• When the item is mass produced and not unique or relevant to collection
• Allows the repository to focus on Quality rather than Quantity

7.
Resources for Collections Policies
Example of a Collections Policy: Johnson County Historical
Society: https://johnsoncountyhistory.org/wp-
content/uploads/Current_Collections_Policy_revised-3-
2012.pdf
Training on developing a Collections Policy: Connection to
Collections Care:
https://www.connectingtocollections.org/coming-up-
essential-elements-of-a-collections-management-policy/
Guide to developing a Collections Policy: American Alliance of
Museums: https://www.aam-us.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/12/Developing-a-CMP-2018.pdf

8.
Key Terminology:
Manuscript Collection and Organizational Records
Provenance and Original Order
Selection and Appraisal
Acquisition and Accession
Processing: Arrangement and Description
Finding Aid
Preservation vs ConservationWilderness Camp out near Yellow Pine, MS269 Shellworth Collection, Idaho State Archives

9.
Manuscript Collections
Manuscript Collection
n. A collection of personal or family papers.
Notes:
Although manuscript literally means handwritten, 'manuscript collection'
is often used to include collections of mixed media in which unpublished
materials predominate. They may also include typescripts, photographs,
diaries, scrapbooks, news clippings, and printed works.
Examples: MS37 Mary Augusta Fletcher Papers, MS834 Fritchman Family
Papers

10.
Manuscript Collections

11.
Organizational Records
Organizational Records
n. 1. The records of a corporate body. - 2. The records of a
nonprofit organization, as distinguished from commercial business
records.
Examples: Boise Philharmonic Records, Idaho Grange Records,
Poachers Club

12.
Organizational Records

13.
Provenance and Original Order
Provenance
n. 1. The origin or source. 2. The support information regarding
the origin, custodial history, and ownership of an item or
collection.
Original Order
n. The organization and sequence of records established by the
creator of the records.

14.
Selection and Appraisal
Selection
n. The process of identifying materials to be preserved because of
their enduring value, especially those materials to be physically
transferred to an archives
Appraisal
n. 1. The process of identifying materials offered to an archives that
have sufficient value to be accessioned. 2. The process of determining
the length of time records should be retained, based on legal
requirements and on their current and potential usefulness.

15.
Selection and Appraisal
• What is the enduring historical value of the collection?
• Are there conditions or restrictions placed on the donation by the donor?
• What is your institutional mission? Do you have a Collections Policy?
• Do you have available storage?
• Are you able to provide access to researchers?
• Are there special preservation and/or conservation needs?

16.
Acquisition & Accession
Acquisition
n. Materials received by a repository as a unit; an accession.
Accession
n. 1. Materials physically and legally transferred to a repository
as a unit at a single time; an acquisition.
v. 2. To take legal and physical custody of a group of records or
other materials and to formally document their receipt. 3. To
document the transfer of records or materials in a register,
database, or other log of the repository's holdings.

17.
Processing: Arrangement and Description
Processing
n. The arrangement, description, and housing of archival materials for
storage and use by patrons.
Arrangement
n. 1. The process of organizing materials with respect to their
provenance and original order, to protect their context and to achieve
physical or intellectual control over the materials. 2. The organization
and sequence of items within a collection.
Description
n. The process of creating a finding aid or other access tools that allow
individuals to browse a surrogate of the collection to facilitate access and
that improve security by creating a record of the collection and by
minimizing the amount of handling of the original materials.

18.
Levels of Arrangement
n. ~ The hierarchical, intellectual, and physical divisions used in
archives management, including repository, record group, fonds,
collection, subgroups, series, subseries, file, and item.
Hierarchical Structure:
Repository
Collection
Series
Subseries
File
Item
ISHS, P1977-127-11c, Milner Dam Survey, Idaho State Archives

19.
Physical vs Intellectual Arrangement
Factors:
• Storage and location of materials
• Preservation needs
• Dependencies for access
• Access and/or use restrictions ISHS, MS90, Anne Hawkes Collection, Idaho State Archives

20.
Finding Aid
Finding Aid
n. 1. A tool that facilitates discovery of information
within a collection of records. 2. A description of
records that gives the repository physical and
intellectual control over the materials and that assists
users to gain access to and understand the materials.
A Finding Aid is like the Table of Contents in a book, it
guides the researcher to the box, folder or item which
will be most useful for them to access for research

21.
Basic Components of a Finding Aid
• Repository
• Donor and/or Creator
• Collection Title and
Number
• Dates (bulk, inclusive,
etc.)
• Size of Collection (Linear
or Cubic Ft.)
• Summary of Collection
• Biographical Information
• Scope/Content Description
• Arrangement
• Processing Note
• Custodial History
• Restrictions of
Access
• Preferred Citation
• Related Materials
• Bibliography

22.
DACS
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
“Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) is an
output-neutral set of rules for describing archives, personal
papers, and manuscript collections, and can be applied to all
material types. It is the U.S. implementation of international
standards (i.e., ISAD[G] and ISAAR[CPF]) for the description
of archival materials and their creators.”
https://www2.archivists.org/standards/DACS

23.
Preservation vs Conservation vs…
Preservation
n. 1. The professional discipline of protecting materials by minimizing chemical and
physical deterioration and damage to minimize the loss of information and to extend
the life of cultural property. 2. The act of keeping from harm, injury, decay, or
destruction, especially through noninvasive treatment. - 3. Law · The obligation to
protect records and other materials potentially relevant to litigation and subject to
discovery.
Conservation
n. 1. The repair or stabilization of materials through chemical or physical treatment
to ensure that they survive in their original form as long as possible. 2. The
profession devoted to the preservation of cultural property for the future through
examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care, supported by research
and education.

24.
Restoration
n. The process of rehabilitating an
item to return it as nearly as possible
to its original condition.
https://edge.alluremedia.com.au/uploads/businessinsider/2016/11/ecce-homo-spain.jpg

25.
Environmental Risks • Temperature
• Humidity
• Light
• Pollutants
• Pests
• Handling

26.
Improper Storage Risks
• Avoid rooms with external doors, areas where
environments fluctuate, windows and direct sunlight
• Unstable environments include garages, attics,
basements and sheds.
• Internal closets tend to stay cooler, darker and more
stable than other spaces and are used less frequently.
• Clutter can invite pests to hide and nest.
• Avoid rusty cabinets or untreated wood furniture
without buffers

27.
Improper Storage Risks
• Avoid over stuffing boxes and cabinets, keep air flow
• Keep collections elevated off of the floor to avoid flood or
leak issues
• Avoid storing materials near pipes which may leak water,
sewage or gas
• Prioritize your collections for proper archival quality
containers, which can be costly. Some archival quality
containers are inappropriate to use for certain medium
types, i.e. Polyester sleeves used for film negatives

28.
Why do we collect?

29.
This is why!

30.
Resources
Society of American Archivists (SAA): https://www2.archivists.org
SAA Glossary: https://www2.archivists.org/glossary
Harvard Processing Manual:
https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/display/Proceed/Manuscript+Proce
ssing+Manual+and+Procedures
Preservation 101, Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC):
https://www.nedcc.org/preservation-training/preservation-101
National Archives on Preservation:
https://www.archives.gov/preservation

31.
Processing Activity
• Based on what you learned today,
take each folder and arrange the
records
• Decide how the collection will be
described
• Discuss outcomes as a group
Lady diving, MS511 Shorty Fuller Collection,
Idaho State Archives

32.
Lunch!!!
60-73-29, Idaho State Archives

33.
Digitization for Access and Preservation

34.
Digitization
is..
• The selection of content
• The reformatting/scanning of analog
to digital
• Applying metadata (data about data)
• For sharing
• For access
• For preservation

35.
Digitization is
not…
• Just scanning
• Is not a replacement of the
original
• Driven by the need to save on
physical space

36.
Selecting Content

37.
Define your
goals
• What do you want your digital project
to look like?
• What do you want users to be able to
do with the digital collection?
• What kinds of things are your users
already asking for?
• Do you want to reach a particular
user group?
• Do you wish to highlight lesser known
collections or popular collections?
• Community driven or organizational
driven?

38.
Collection
Assessment:
things to consider
• Is it original material?
• Is it unique?
• Does it contain sensitive information
i.e cultural, war, death, nudity etc.
• Is the material at risk for information
loss?
• Has it been digitized somewhere else?
• Copyright clear/unclear?

39.
At risk: Magnetic
media & film negatives
Cellulose Acetate negatives
• Often have notch codes
• Stability problem
• “Vinegar” smell
Cellulose Nitrate negatives
• Not easily identified
• “Gym sock” smell
• Stability problem
• 6 stages of deterioration
P1998-28,BillBachCollection
A/V materials:
Magnetic
formats should
be prioritized!
2028
https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS

40.
At risk: Glass
Glass plates
• Abrasions & scratches
• Cracks & breakage
• Flaking of emulsion
AR42 unidentified inmate
72-172-55, James L. Young

41.
At risk: paper
Documents,
ledgers, maps,
etc.
• Brittle
• Faded
• Oversized
MS2/1053 Charles D. Warner’s Nez Perce Cash Book
G4271_S1_1870_unc USLandOfcSurveysinIdaho Homemade book cradle with towels

42.
Reformatting/scanning

43.
• Flatbed
• Overhead
• Offsite professional
• Software
Reformatting Needs

44.
Scanning: Do’s
• Format:
• TIFF
• JPEG2000
• Sizing:
• 6000px on the long end (used
to be 4000)
• Bit depth:
• Up to 16-bit for BW
• 24bit for color
• RBG for:
• Color photos
• BW photos/negatives that have
staining, fading, discoloration
• No JPEG
• No repetitive scanning
• Do not compress files
• No feed through scanners
Scanning: Don’ts

45.
Reformatting: Basic Process
• Create master (uncompressed) file.
• Name the file in a consistent way.
• Perform quality control; edit as needed.
• Save master on stable, long-term storage.
• Create derivative or access file.
• Share access files as needed.

46.
Greyscale vs. RGB

47.
Metadata

48.
File Naming
Consistency is key
• Use the identifier associated with collection
• Keep it short
• Use subject terms in file name
P2006-10-201_Boise_Idaho_Buildings_Idanha
G80_pg10-03_Jane_Smith_Placerville_1893

49.
Fields and
Examples
• Title
• Identifier
• Description – include names, provide
context, what are you looking at?
• Date
• Subject
• Format
• Type
• Location
• Rights Status
• Reproduction and Use

50.
George E. Tonkin Metadata

51.
Metadata – Improve this

52.
Metadata –
Improved

53.
Digitization Plan

54.
Why plan?
• Scope of project
• Purpose and outcome of project
• Estimated time frame and staff
needed
• Assess training needs
• Supply needs
• Context of collection
• Guidance
• Documentation

55.
Digitization Activity
• Based on what you learned today, take a
moment to consider a collection that you
would like to digitize
• Justify your choice based on the criteria we
discussed
• Discuss outcomes as a group
Manuscript Room, MS511 Shorty Fuller Collection, Idaho State Archives

56.
Digitization Resources
• Digital Public Library of America: https://pro.dp.la/projects/public-
library-partnerships-project
• Digitization for Access and Preservation: Strategies for the Library of
Congress: https://ojphi.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1924/1806
• The Smithsonian Institute: https://siarchives.si.edu/what-we-do/digital-
curation/digitizing-collections
• Scan to print ratio calculator: https://ezphotoscan.zendesk.com/hc/en-
us/articles/219078907-Scan-to-Print-Ratio-Calculator

57.
Identification/preservation Resources
Websites
• Graphic Atlas: http://www.graphicsatlas.org/
• Image Permanence Institute:
https://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/process-id-webinars
• Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC):
https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/5.-
photographs/5.2-types-of-photographs
• National Park Service (NPS) Conserve O Grams:
https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html
Books
• Photographs of the Past: Process and Preservation by Bertrand Lavderine
• Photographs Archival Care and Management by Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler &
Diane Vogt-O’Connor

58.
Questions?
Danielle Grundel, MLIS
Photo Archivist
Idaho State Archives
Idaho State Historical Society
(208) 514-2323
danielle.grundel@ishs.idaho.gov
Layce Johnson, MA, CA
Collections Archivist
Idaho State Archives
Idaho State Historical Society
(208) 514-2314
layce.johnson@ishs.idaho.gov