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Re: staples, paperclips and stamps



Clipped and Stapled,
Having supervised student workers while processing a large collection, I can relate to the temptation of having non-professional staff do routine and mundane work. 

It can be done (usually because there is no one else available to do it) but is dependent on the quality of the person given the routine and mundane task.  Also, training and supervision of someone doing that task will usually take up more of a professional's time than expected. Plus, it really should be done AFTER THE PROCESSORS have gone through the material (which rather begs the question).  Remember, you will have to track which folders have been handled by the processors, which have been gone through by the clerical worker, which have had both done, or not done ... With the staff you listed, is this really going to save time or will it create more work than it is worth? 

Stamping folders with the collection title (provided it is archivally safe ink, etc., etc.) can be a great help.  Will all the folders be the same size throughout the collection?  You don't want leftover folders with the collection name stamped on them.

Good luck on you project! 
Leah Weisse, WGBH Archives
Boston, MA


Archivequest@AOL.COM wrote:
>Dear Fellow Archivists
>
>I have been asked by my director to research the cost effectiveness of having
>a member of our clerical staff go through unprocessed materials prior to the
>processing archivist and remove all paper clips, staples, rubber bands and
>other unwanted fasteners.  The thought here is that this will save the more
>expensive and valuable time of the processing archivist by using the less
>expensive time of the clerical staff.
>
>We are currently beginning the processing of an enormous collection which we
>have 3 full time and 2 part time processors working on.  The clerical worker
>would probably spend the better part of their time doing this in order to
>stay ahead of the processors.  We have also started to use a stamp to write
>the collection name on the top of every folder.  Again i have been asked
>whether or not the clerical staff should be doing this and stock piling the
>folders so that the processing staff does not get bogged down with these
>menial tasks.
>
>i know that this might sound like a prank request but it was put out to me in
>all honesty by my director who by the way is not an archivist.  For the
>record i am against the clerical staff removing the fasteners for a variety
>of reasons.  What usually works to prove a point though is the opinion of my
>fellow archivists.  So any thoughts on this matter would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>
>Sincerely
>Clipped and stapled
>
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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>