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Re: Again



Hello folks---

I second what Charles is saying.  One thing I'd add is
that if the papers are in a foreign language, you can
tack on considerable more time and expense.  I am
struggling to process a very, very disorganized 4
cubic foot collection of manuscripts which consist of
documents in German, Hebrew, French, Czech, Portuguese
and Yiddish.  All I can do is about 1 folder a day,
because the work each folder needs is so intensive---
I need to figure out the context of the documents
(which are hand-written and in foreign languages) and
where they "go", pull out metal fasteners, photocopy
things that are in bad shape, etc. Meanwhile, a 60
cubic foot collection I've also been working on is
speeding along, because the documents are mostly typed
and in my native language (easier to read), are in
good shape and consistent order.

This isn't an answer to your question,  :)  but it
gives you even more to think about!

Bernadette  :)


--- Charles Schultz <CSCHULTZ@LIB-GW.TAMU.EDU> wrote:
> You might check the following items for guidance
> although you are not likely to find a definitive
> answer anywhere:  Abraham, Terry, Stephen E.
> Belzarini, and Anne Frantilla. "What is Backlog is
> Prologue: A Measurement of Archival Processing,"
> American Archivist 48 (Winter 1985): 31-42.
> Maher, William J., "Measurement and Analysis of
> Processing Costs in Academic Archives," College and
> Research Libraries, 43 (January 1982): 59-67.
> Lynch, Karen Temple and Thomas E., "Rates of
> Processing Manuscripts and Archives," Midwestern
> Archivist, 50 (1987) 25-34.
> Haller, Uli, "Variations in the Processing Rates on
> the Magnuson and Jackson Senatorial Papers,"
> American Archivist, 50 (1987): 100-109.
> I know that a few years ago Robert Schuster of the
> Billy Graham Center was working on this topic and I
> assume he has finished his work and has published
> something.
> A long time ago the members of the SAA Committee on
> Collecting Manuscripts and Personal Papers kept
> records of the length of time they took in
> processing an individual collection.  The rate
> ranged from 8 to around 40 hours per foot.  Each
> collection was distinctly different from that of
> every other collection in size, degree of order or
> disorder in which the collection was received,
> "extent" of processing, and types of materials
> included.  These four factors, as well as the
> experience of the processor will, in my opinion,
> affect the rate of processing time on any
> collection.
> I used the term "extent" of processing because I do
> not know what you actually mean by processing.  Is
> it simply transferring contents of one old folder
> into a new folder and listing the title of that old
> folder on a new one or does it include much more
> than that.  Does it include removing duplicate
> materials?  Does it include removing envelopes?
> Does it include removing unnecessary staples?  Does
> it include putting misfiled items in their proper
> place?  Does it include folder descriptions and if
> so to what extent?  How much of the material do you
> actually read?  There are probably other questions I
> should ask but cannot think of them at the moment.
> I have been processing a collection of modern
> political papers for a considerable length of time.
> I recently estimated that if I did nothing but
> process all day every day I could do a foot in about
> 15-16 hours.  That includes doing all of the things
> I asked about above and perhaps even some more.  As
> a faculty member with some library and university
> committee responsibilities as well as research and
> publication responsibilities it has taken a few more
> hours per foot.
> I recall having reviewed a proposal in which funds
> were requested to process two collections.  One was
> 35,000 items.  As I recall the other was 3,500.  The
> requesting institution estimated that it would take
> equal time to do each collection.  That might have
> been possible depending upon what they planned to do
> and the "extent" to which the collections were to be
> processed and described, but I could not tell that
> from the proposal.
> You have probably answered your own question about
> the time for creating a MARC record.  A range
> between a few hours and two weeks is likely good for
> various sizes and complexities of collections when
> you include such factors number of subject headings
> as well as a number of personal and corporate names
> entries.
> I hope this will be of some help you.
>
> Charles R. Schultz, CA
> Professor and Clements Archivist
> Cushing Library
> Texas A&M University
> College Station, TX  77843-5000
> c-schultz@tamu.edu
> 409-862-1555
> FAX 409-845-1441
>
> State-of-the-art automation will never beat the
> wastebasket
> when it comes to speeding up efficiency in the
> office.
> Ann Landers Gem of the Day, July 27, 1994
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV
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>

=====
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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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

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                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
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Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
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Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>