Archival Management for
Curators
You have happily been a curator, volunteer or
paid, for years. You’re
comfortable working with objects – accessioning, numbering, storing,
cataloging. Now you have to work
with your institutions two-dimensional materials – institutional archives,
manuscripts, records collections, maps, photographs, sound recordings. What do you do? Archival management is fundamentally
different from artifact collections management. Attend this workshop to learn about archival management and
how the differences have an impact upon your processes. How do you number archives
collections? How do you organize
archival materials? When should
you leave them as you found them?
Should your institution maintain a separate archival collection? How do you describe these materials and
make them available to the public?
How do you maintain security over them? What supplies do you use? Participants will receive copies of Organizing
Archival Records by David Carmicheal as part of their registration.
Valerie A. Metzler is an independent
archivist and historian in private practice, based in Altoona,
Pennsylvania. She has worked with
many historical societies and museums in the Commonwealth to process
collections and train staff to work with archival collections. Prior to entering private practice in
1985, she worked in public manuscript repositories and a business archives. The fee for
this workshop is $20, which includes morning coffee, lunch, handouts, and a
copy of Organizing
Archival Records by David Carmicheal. This workshop series is a component of the
State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) Regrant Project, funded by
grants from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). The project is designed to support
SHRAB’s ten-year strategic plan to preserve and enhance public access to the
Commonwealth’s documentary heritage. For more information, contact the PA Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations at 717/787-3253 or email pamuseums@pamuseums.org: website: www.pamuseums.org |