Overview
Archival processing is the analysis, arrangement, and description of special collections and archives material in order to make it discoverable, comprehensible, and accessible to users. Our primary goal as stewards of archival materials should be to make as many of our collections discoverable to public and internal users as possible. Reaching this goal means embracing a model of practice that opens more collections with adequate—rather than optimal—description and processing.
Efficient processing is a practice in which each collection is analyzed and assessed in order to perform the appropriate amount of work necessary to make that collection usable and move it to the reading room with more speed. Efficient processing is an integral part of a modern, programmatic approach to archival processing. It requires shifting our definition of what processing looks like and accepting that different collections warrant different levels of work. Specific suggestions for efficient processing are detailed in the Processing Practices section.
Developing a processing program that is sustainable and scalable involves making decisions about what to process as well as how to process different collections. The processing program must consider collections holistically across an entire repository, incorporating input from collections/curatorial staff, research and public services staff, and technical services staff to strategically determine priorities for what to process. Careful use assessment can also help identify where to focus more detailed descriptive work.