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Re: HELP! Adventures in Starting a New Archive!



Hello there---

Though my situation isn't a carbon copy of yours, I
was the "first archivist" hired (part-time and
temporary, mind you) at a public library.  I was told
that I was probably the only archivist the library
would ever hire, and I was told to do "as much as you
can" with the local history materials scattered
throughout the basement and the rest of the library.

What others have said about educating your funding
sources/supervisors about the fact that an archival
program needs on-going investment--- this is very
important.  Unfortunately, I couldn't make this happen
with my boss.  In the year that I had to "fix" the
archives, I gathered all the local history/archival
materials into one archivally-friendly area and began
an inventory, which I couldn't finish before my
appointment was up.

Since I couldn't make a "budget" for things that I
hadn't inventoried yet, I drew up a report which
discussed certain projects that were a high priority,
and different solutions that could be applied.  For
each "solution", I discussed the pros and cons, the
number and cost of supplies, equipment and labor that
would be needed, etc.  I also submitted a list of
organizations, local universities, listservs, and
other entities they could tap if they wanted to
continue the archives.  I bought copies of the SAA
Archives Fundamentals Series books, too, for their
future reference.

Before you begin a budget, I think you need to gauge
your organization's interest in the archives.  At the
public library I worked at, it wasn't a high priority
in light of everything else that had to be done. A tab
that would figure for an "ideal" archives would have
just been sticker-shock--- an excuse to do nothing at
all.  Instead, I recommended a few projects that the
library *may* undertake.

Hope this helps,

Bernadette  :)

=====
Bernadette A. Boucher, MLS (Rutgers, May 1999)
"It's alright to 'like books' but a librarian should like people."

balibra76@yahoo.com
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