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Re: Small Collections



We have A LOT of small collections.  Dealing with 15 years of backlog
(sometimes undocumented!) I decided the best way to handle 1 item - 1
folder type collections was to place them in a bulk record group.  I call
it "Contributions from the Public." Before eveyone gets upset --- each
folder contains a collection and is processed accordingly, with its own
accession number according to provenance.  I simply place the "collections"
into RG-2 as they come in.  I will catalog per collection (file level) and
add entries to my finding aid per collection. Because of my limited staff
and other priorities, at this time, I haven't cataloged at file level, but
simply explain at collection level that RG-2 is a "mixed Record Group"
composed of miscellaneous collections with mixed provenance. There will be
no series for RG-2. The finding aid gives the details.  Eventually when I
have time to do the file level description I will be able to refer to the
finding aid for all the appropriate information, and have all collections
accounted for and organized.  This may or may not sit well with all
archivist, but I find it to be the easiest, most organized way to handle
small collections under the constraints of being a lone archivist.

Beth L. Carter
Archivist
Historical Center
York County Culture & Heritage Commission



At 01:26 PM 07/25/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>These collections are often too small to have a guide--some contain
>one or 2 items only. They really are miscellaneous.  My first plan
>was to do a MARC record for each collection, but the time involved
>made me hesitate. (This repository has a staff of one--me.)  The real
>alternative is to do no MARC records at all and leave them in a local
>database, which is the way I'm leaning at the moment.
>Thanks for your comments.
>
>Joy Kingsolver
>
>
>At 01:01 PM 7/25/00 -0500, you wrote:
>>Make one record for each separate collection--if you follow Mr. Hensen, you
>>catalog from the collection guide, and each collection has its own guide.
>>The thought of combining a bunch of separate collections into one record
>>makes me shiver!  Each collection, even if it is only one letter, is its own
>>discrete entity and should have its own intellectual access.  If the topics
>>of each collection are fairly homogenous, it won't take you long to create a
>>record.  This way you give people with only access to OCLC or RLIN immediate
>>access to the collections.  I'd number them sequentially.  Good luck!
>>
>>Sally Childs-Helton
>>Special Collections/Rare Books Librarian
>>Butler University Library
>>4600 Sunset Avenue
>>Indianapolis, IN 46208
>>317-940-9265
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Joy Kingsolver [mailto:joykings@MCS.NET]
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 12:44 PM
>>To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
>>Subject: Small Collections
>>
>>
>>Dear list members,
>>
>>I'm in the process of re-organizing our small collections
>>(1 or 2 folders, usually) and thinking about different ways of
>>numbering and cataloging them. Before I make final decisions,
>>I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who can share their policies
>>on this.  Do you create a MARC record for each collection, or one
>>MARC record for Small Collections, and list the folders in a
>>local database?  If you have a scheme that works for you, I'd like
>>to hear about it.   I thought this had been discussed on the list before,
>>but wasn't able to turn up anything in the list archives.
>>
>>Thanks in advance,
>>Joy Kingsolver
>>
>>*******************************
>>Joy Kingsolver, C.A.
>>Archivist
>>Chicago Jewish Archives
>>Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
>>618 South Michigan Ave.
>>Chicago IL  60605
>>
>>archives@spertus.edu
>>joykings@mcs.net
>>312/322-1741
>>*******************************
>>
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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
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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>
>

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