Do you have family documents or photos that you would like to preserve for future generations?
This article will provide you with the basic know-how to set up your own archives at home! We’ll teach you how to organize and arrange your historical resources such as photos, drawings and family papers in an archival-friendly way and to ensure the enjoyment of them for many years to come.
Sadly, whole collections of great historical value are often lost due to neglect. With some simple techniques, thoughtful history lovers can ensure their documents will stand the test of time.
But first, if you understand how Archives arrange and describe their records, you’ll have a better idea of how to take care of your own collection:
Arrangement
Archives are arranged according to provenance (history or origin) and where possible, original order is maintained. Each document or group of records from one source must be kept intact (they are known as Fonds) and be kept separate from records from other sources. It is also archival practice that the records of an individual or business are kept in the same order they were originally arranged. For example, the records of the Billings Family are kept separate from the records of the First Unitarian Church of Ottawa. Records will also be arranged into subgroups, and series. If no original order exists, papers will be put into chronological or alphabetical order.
Description
Archivists will describe holdings by creating finding aids, which are guides or inventories to the records. Archivists follow and adhere to Rules for Archival Description (RAD), which are standardized rules that all archives use, creating a consistency in the description of all archival material around the world.
Creating Your Own Archives
Applying archival standards and procedures at home doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact many archivists don’t necessarily want or expect you to use their methods of organizing documents. Creating your own archives, at the most basic level, is to retain your papers in original order and create a practical filing system that suits you. If your family documents are some day donated to the archives, it may make the donation process easier, but an archives won’t turn away a donation solely on the merit of its organization. Want to know more? See: Resources
Step One: What do you have?
To begin, when you are handling any original documents, wear white cotton gloves which will keep your skin’s oils and dirt away from valuable archival material and prevent damage. (For further preservation tips, see the article, How to Preserve and Care for Your Historical Collection.)
Find a clean, flat surface to place all your documents you wish to archive. This can include letters, journals, photos, newspaper clippings, drawings, maps, etc. Lay everything out and examine your collection.
It is crucial that you do not “rearrange” your family papers if they appear to be in a certain order. The order that your documents may be in can reveal important information, so before you arrange letters or journals chronologically, write down the order you found them in. It is advised to photocopy or scan them and rearrange the order of the copies, instead of the originals.
Step Two: Documentation
Begin writing down the provenance of the collection (the origin and history of the documents). What does the collection encompass and who created the documents? When, where and why were the documents created? What is the history of the ownership between their creation and your ownership of them now? Any information you have that creates provenance will increase their historical value.
You can give your collection a name: ex. The ______ Family Papers. Or if it is the collection of an individual or an organization, create a name that properly reflects the documents. If you have more than one collection on your hands, be sure to archive them separately from one another, keeping their contents and provenance intact.
Step Three: Inventory
Create an inventory of the contents of the collection. List all the items in the collection, box by box, and number them. This will help keep original order and minimize future handling. You can do this electronically on an Excel spreadsheet or just on paper.
Step Four: Series
Determine the “series” within your collection. Series are subdivisions of the collection. Keep them broad to allow original order. Below is a typical list of series that you can file your papers into. They are organized in descending order of importance:
correspondence:
business
family
general
personal
professional
third-party
diaries and memoirs
ephemera
financial documents
legal documents
literary works
oral history transcripts
photographs
scrapbooks
Step Five: Filing and Labeling
Label your boxes or file folders according to the series names provided in the previous step.Use archival folders and containers. You can obtain these by purchasing them at Carr McLean, a provider of library and archives storage solutions. Staples, or Grand & Toy now carry acid free file folders as well as mylar sleeves and archival safe albums for photographs.As you go through your archival material, remove paper clips and staples. They are harmful to the preservation of your documents.After you label your boxes with their series names (ex. correspondence), you can then label the individual files and order them alphabetically (ex. business) within the box. Within each file, perhaps if there are letters – they can be organized chronologically by date (ex. June 10, June 11, etc) according to the order of creation.
Folder label example: COLLECTION ABBREVIATION: Series: Specific Folder Name or Number. Example: SMTHS PAPERS: Correspondence: Business, 1 of 2.
Step Six: Date and Cross Reference
On the box or in the inventory list, create a range of dates that encompass the contents.
Ex. [18 June 1950-20 September 1990]
You can cross-reference to artifacts or other files by placing a note in the folder or in your inventory that says “See Also: ___”. List the collection abbreviation or location of the artifact where it can be found.
Step Seven: Storage and Keeping Control of Your Archives
Once you have completed your filing and everything is safely tucked away in archival boxes and file folders, you’ll want to keep them in an environment of moderate temperature and low humidity. Basements and attics are not good places. They experience frequent temperature fluctuations. It is recommended to keep your documents in a closet, away from bright light and extreme temperatures.
Now that your valuable collection has been archived, all you have to do is maintain your system of arranging, describing and filing your papers. If you upkeep these steps as new material is added and your collection expands, you’ll be in control and will have a stronger understanding of your family’s past.
Organizing and Preserving your Heirloom Documents by Katherine Scott Sturdevant is an excellent resource on this subject, and was the main source for these steps to creating your own archives. For further detail on this subject, consult this book.
