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Re: advice



Re Item #2:  I have found an inventory to be an invaluable tool for
planning and getting a good overall view of what exactly you've got.
And it does provide a modicum of access to a collection until you have
time to achieve a greater level through cataloging, processing, finding
aids, etc.

Rebecca Fitzgerald, Archivist
Mt. St. Mary's Archives & Dept. of Special Collections
Mt. St. Mary's College & Seminary
Emmitsburg, MD
301/447-5397
rfitzger@msmary.edu

-----Original Message-----
From:   Pearson, Paul
Sent:   Tue 2/6/2001 9:10 AM
To:     ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Cc:	
Subject:             advice

Dear list members,

I am seeking advice on a number of areas which I am hoping members of
the
list may be able to help with. I have recently taken up my current post
at
Bellarmine. Previously I was a librarian at University College London,
but
had completed my doctoral studies on Merton, so I am fairly new to the
world
of archives and am approaching them with a librarian's mentality!

I have four queries at the moment:

1. The collection currently does not have a collection management policy
and
I am keen to write one. Do other similar archives have such policies,
and if
so would it be possible for members of the list to send me copies of
such
policies. Or maybe there are some available on the web?

2. I have been asked to produce an inventory of the collection.
Personally I
would prefer to combine this with a longer term project to catalogue the
collection. In other archives contained within university libraries
would it
be standard for such materials to be catalogued onto the library system?
Should an inventory be done separately?

3. All our rare/valuable materials are securely housed. We also have a
reading room in which the books - all duplicate copies, nothing rare
etc. -
are tattled. I do wonder though about the security of framed
photographs,
drawings etc which are hung in the reading room and other areas of the
archive accessible to the public. What are the security options for such
items - what do other archives do?

4. Finally, until some fundraising is done we have very little money
available to have the collection appraised professionally for specific
preservation issues - de-acidification, digitization etc. My immediate
concern is to improve the conditions the collection is housed in until
money
becomes available. Currently the main secure area and display cabinets
have
no equipment for monitoring temperature and humidity. We haven't got
much
money but I would be keen to purchase some thermo-hygrometers to begin
monitoring conditions. Having looked through a number of catalogues for
items within our budget I am considering purchasing a "pen hygrometer"
from
the "conservation resources international" catalogue at $150 for the
archive
room, and either three "climate meters" ($24.95) or "hygrotherms"
($32.95)
from the "light impressions" catalogue for the display cabinets. Does
anyone
have experience of these items? From the catalogues they seem to be the
best
things available within our budget at the moment.

Any advice on these issues would be gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Paul.

################################
Dr Paul M Pearson
Associate Director and Archivist,
Thomas Merton Center,
Bellarmine University,
2001 Newburg Road,
Louisville,
KY. 40205-0671.

Tel:  (502) 452 8177.
Fax: (502) 452 8038.

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