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Re: Processing Priority Criteria



While I don't work in a shared environment with a library, I've found
through unhappy experience that our directors and other leadership think
exactly the same way as do Dean's library people. All they see is stuff in
boxes, and then comes murmuring  and complaining about why it takes so long
to file everything. I think/hope that they are starting to listen to my
repeated explanations of the processes required by archival collections in
general and ours in particular; at least I've gotten them to stop arguing
with me about it and start asking intelligent questions.  (Now if I can just
convince them to get me some help!)

(There's also the problem of my being called off to do non-archival work,
but my protestations about that have fallen on deaf ears.)

Anyway, I don't have a form like this to work from,  so I make
seat-of-the-pants judgment calls as the situation evolves. I use a modified
DeBoltian scale of elements; donor considerations haven't come into play
yet, but space requirements play a disproportionately large role inasmuch as
we have very little space left for anything. (Yet the donations keep coming,
and it is forbidden that anything pertinent to our collections should be
refused because of lack of space. That's one where the arguing still goes
on.)  I usually end up having to let things back up in all directions and
then tackle things thematically - all the small accessions, then the big
ones by record type (which is how most of what we have is arranged.)

Well, back to sorting the several hundred unprocessed manuals and parts
books - top priority now because the boxes they were in were blocking a
hallway in my storage area.

Best wishes,

Thomas Berry, Archivist
Historical Construction Equipment Association
16623 Liberty Hi Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
419-352-5616
tberry@wcnet.org
http://www.bigtoy.com

Dean DeBolt wrote:

> One of the problems of an archives in a library setting is the difference
> of opinion over backlog.  Librarians see books as current and needed
> information, the faster they
> are on the shelves, the better for all.   Of course, they have the
> advantage of shared cataloging and existing bibliographic data.   I
> daresay that librarians don't understand backlog in the archives, and the
> many differences which require time, staff, supplies, and especially time.
>
> Okay, having said that, I'm supposed to develop a system for prioritizing
> our backlog (note the absence of staff to do the actual cataloging but
> ...ahem).
>
> What I need help with is (1) has anyone on this list developed such a form
> that I could borrow from?  (2) elements of such a form, and whether anyone
> has tried a "point" system.
>
> For example, some of my ideas for elements are: donor (importance, living,
> bugging me (pushy?)) expected research demand (high, normal) preservation
> work needed (poor condition, excellent) time to process (estimating at 8
> hours per c.f.) space requirements (storage)
>
> One of our problems here is "juggling"....collections coming in the door
> versus pulling something from the backlog.   I don't have a satisfactory
> answer to this, and probably never will.
>
> Dean
>
> Dean DeBolt
> University Librarian
> Special Collections and West Florida Archives
> John C. Pace Library
> University of West Florida
> 11000 University Parkway
> Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
> Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338

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