Rose Library Levels of Arrangement and Description¶

These guidelines are intended to:

Promote a shared vocabulary and shared expectations among all Rose Library staff around what constitutes different levels of arrangement and description for manuscript and archival materials and Emory University Archives records.
Help us make informed decisions about the amount of time and effort to dedicate to the arrangement and description of manuscript material.
Assist in managing processing queues and backlogs effectively.
Assist reference staff in locating material, planning research visits, and managing user expectations and assumptions about collections.

Note that different portions of collections may be processed to different levels. Also note that collections or portions of collections may be arranged at one level and described at another. By breaking apart these two aspects of processing we have more flexibility in how we approach and make available collections, and we can be more efficient and effective in managing each individual collection and serving our users.

3.1 Levels of Arrangement and Description¶

3.1.2 Accessioned:¶

Use Cases: The Accessioning level applies to collections that we receive on deposit, come entirely restricted, or are slated for a more intensive treatment due to a special or funded project in the very near term. It is intended for collections that we are taking physical custody of, but will not be open to researchers.

For manuscript collections, this level of arrangement and description will be used infrequently; generally when material is accessioned it will be arranged and described at a collection level, and open for research. For university records of any kind, this level of arrangement and description will be baseline, given the need for a review for restrictions at a later date.

Arrangement:

Rebox only when necessary to fit on shelves, in order to meet guidelines for LSC storage, or if the boxes are very unstable.
Label and barcode boxes.
Leave material in order in which it was received.
Check for and deal with urgent conservation issues that may negatively impact the integrity and future usability of the collection (active mold, pests, unstable housing).

Description:

Create an accession record in the Accessions Database or Archivist’s Toolkit.
Basic collection level record in the catalog and the finding aids database. At least DACS single level minimum elements [1] represented, though it can also include a preliminary scope note and additional descriptive elements as identified during accessioning. If collection will be going to LSC add barcodes to the MARC record.
Note all restrictions in public records. Note that the collection is unarranged. If there are anticipated privacy considerations or donor-requested restrictions note that the collection may not accessible.

3.1.3 Collection Level:¶

Use Cases: Most newly acquired material will be arranged and described at the collection level and opened to researchers for use. In some cases there may be an assumption that future work will be done on a collection, in others collection level arrangement or description may be sufficient.

Collection level arrangement and description is particularly well suited to large collections of homogenous material, collections without particularly high anticipated use, and any larger collection where there is an expectation of immediate or near immediate access. Collection level arrangement and description for university records will be used only in those cases when materials are acquired with a pre-existing inventory and will remain closed until reviewed for restrictions.

Arrangement:

Rebox if boxes are not a standard size or are in poor condition. Materials that arrive in record cartons of decent condition can remain in original boxes (boxes going to the LSC must have handles).
Label and barcode boxes.
Folder loose materials.
Move material that arrives in bulky, large binders to folders or accordion files.
Identify groups of duplicates for possible separation.
Material may be generally sorted if patterns are readily identifiable. In this case, boxes can be moved and renumbered to collocate materials within in a grouping, or this can be accomplished through description. Otherwise material should remain in the order in which it was received.
Born digital materials will be identified and placed into queue for disk imaging.
A/V materials will be identified and added to the A/V survey through the accession application.

Description:

Catalog record and finding aid meet DACS single level optimum requirements [2].
Descriptions generally include a survey box list. This box list will be required for material being stored at the LSC. If a box list is available it should be included in the finding aid, which will then need to meet the DACS multilevel optimum metadata element requirements.
Additional descriptive information can be added at the discretion of the archivist.

3.1.4 Series Level:¶

Use cases: Series level arrangement and description is most appropriate for collections where groupings of material are apparent and relatively distinct. It is useful for smaller collections where arranging or describing material at a more granular level than series-level does not add any value. It can also be useful for larger collections that are well organized and relatively homogenous, or where there is an anticipation of further work happening at a later date, but arranging or describing at a series level would facilitate short and medium term access to the collection. For university records, series level arrangement and description is appropriate for university records where description, provided by the transferring office, identifies restricted material as a separate series, making other series available to researchers prior to a deeper review for restrictions.

Arrangement:

Rebox if boxes are not a standard size or are in poor condition.
Label and barcode boxes.
Materials can be arranged into series and subseries. This arrangement will likely happen at the box level.
Folders are not generally reordered within the series (unless a file is clearly and obviously misplaced).

Description:

Create a collection level accession record.
Catalog record and finding aid meet DACS multilevel optimum requirements [3].
Scope notes for series and subseries are more detailed than they are at the collection level.
Container list includes general summary of the contents of each box within the series or subseries and may be arranged into a logical order (chronological, etc.).

3.1.5 File Level:¶

Use cases: File level arrangement and description is good for collections with high research value, expected high use, collections with anticipated file level restrictions, and collections that, for whatever reason, require higher levels of description for researchers to make sense of them. For university records, file level arrangement and description is expected for all collections to allow for a review for restrictions.

Arrangement:

Arrange files into series and subseries as necessary.
Files can be arranged within series or other grouping if it adds to the clarity to the collection or would aid in its use (arrangement does not need to follow any particular scheme, but can be dictated either by the internal order of the collection or the discretion of the archivist).
File level restrictions should be indicated on the folder.
Refolder if the original folders are acidic, deteriorating, or in otherwise poor condition. Otherwise original folders should be retained.
Remove material from binders and rehouse into folders or other appropriate housing.
Do not arrange material within folders or do significant weeding within the folder other than obvious duplicates or out of scope material.
Conservation interventions may be more intensive. Damaged items can be placed in mylar, preservation photocopying may be initiated, and metal fasteners that have begun to rust can be removed.
A/V material will be identified, added to the survey, and will have higher priority for digitization.
Born digital media will be recorded and transferred to the digital archivist for imaging, arrangement, and description.

Description:

Create a collection level accession record.
Catalog record and finding aid will meet DACS multilevel optimum requirements.
Container list includes description at the file or folder level. Large groups of folders that all comprise one intellectual file can be described at the aggregated file, rather than folder, level.

3.1.6 Item Level:¶

Use Cases: Item level arrangement and description is used only under exceptional circumstances. It may be employed when MARBL has a contractual agreement with a donor that stipulates this level of treatment, for intensive digitization projects, or for collections of exceptionally and unusually high value. Individual items added to miscellany collections will likely be arranged and described to this level as well.

Arrangement:

Material is reboxed into Hollinger document boxes, or other appropriate containers.
Items are arranged so that individual items are in a particular order (alphabetical, chronological, etc.).
Items are foldered individually.
Collection is refoldered or rehoused in its entirety.
Conservation measures will likely involve more detailed or intensive treatment such as rehousing, enclosures, and removal of metal fasteners.

Description:

Create a collection level accession record.
Catalog record and finding aid will meet DACS multi level optimum requirements.
Items will be described individually (item level description is possible even in cases where the material is not individually foldered).
For certain formats such as art or audiovisual material additional metadata such as physical form or dimensions may be captured.

3.2 Assumptions and General Guidelines¶

“Processed” does not describe one collection state, but rather encompasses a spectrum of different possible practices of arrangement and description.
The end goal of arranging and describing a collection is to provide access to researchers and patrons. The goal of the Collection Services Unit is to responsibly and efficiently provide as many useful collection descriptions and usable collections to our researchers as possible.
Arrangement and description are iterative practices. Changing practices of scholarship, research interests, or other circumstances may compel MARBL staff to reevaluate whether a collection or portion of a collection is arranged or described to the most appropriate level and to make the decision to revisit that work.
When available and accurate we will use creator-supplied folder titles (though we should use DACS compliant date formats and spell out abbreviations in the Finding Aid, even if this results in minor inconsistencies between the physical folder label and the finding aid entry).
Record cartons are an acceptable and often preferred box type except in item level processing or when boxing into record cartons would make the boxes overly heavy.
We can apply different levels of arrangement and description for different series or subseries in a collection.

3.3 Before Arranging and Describing a Collection¶

Verify that the collection has been formally accessioned (or accession the collection if the two processes are occurring simultaneously), and clarify any potential restrictions or disposition statements.
Archivists will draw up a project plan that indicates the level of processing and the proposed timeframe for completing the project.
Determining level of arrangement and description is and should be a collaborative process. Archivists, curators, and other stakeholders should agree on the most appropriate levels of arrangement and description taking into consideration a collection’s research value, condition, and the other priorities of the unit including the size and urgency of the processing backlog.
Curators or other collectors will share collection descriptions and relevant documentation with the collection services team before processing begins.
Curators will encourage donors to provide container lists when possible.
If possible we should identify arrangement and description levels, as well as preliminary series or other arrangement schemes, at the time of acquisition.

3.4 Time and Cost Analysis [4]¶

3.4.1 Time:¶

Level	Timeline
Collection level	.5-2 hours per linear foot
Series level	2-5 hours per linear foot
File level condition 1 (when material arrives foldered)	6-12 hours per linear foot
File level condition 2 (when material is unorganized and unfoldered)	15-20 hours per linear foot
Item level	24-30 hours per linear foot

3.4.2 Expense:¶

Level	Cost per linear foot
Collection level	Staff: $20-$80 Supplies: $8.45 Average Total: $58.45
Series level	Staff: $80-$200 Supplies: $16.87 Average Total: $157.00
File level condition 1 (when material arrives foldered)	Staff: $240-$480 Supplies: $23.14 Average Total: $383.00
File level condition 2 (when material is unorganized and unfoldered)	Staff: $600-$800 Supplies: $23.14 Average Total: $723.00
Item level	Staff: $960-$1200 Supplies: $45.50 Average Total: $1125.00

3.5 Levels of Arrangement Quick Guide¶

Level	Arrangement	Actions
Collection level	Material is left in its original order	Rehouse into standard sized boxes. No rehousing of individual files. Check for mold, pests, and nitrate film.
Series level	Put series and boxes and/or volumes into rough order. If folder material is not foldered, remove materials from binders if binders prevent the closing of boxes.	Rehouse into standard sized boxes. Check for mold, pests, and nitrate film. Note presence of A/V material and digital media.
Folder/file level	Put series and folders or volumes in order within boxes. Do not order or arrange within folders. If folder material is not foldered, identify items, roughly sort, and place into folders.	Rehouse into archival boxes. Refolder into archival folders only if originals are damaged or do not fit. Check for mold, pests, and nitrate film.
Item level	Individual items arranged within folders.	Rehouse into archival boxes. Refolder into archival folders.

3.6 Levels of Description Quick Guide¶

Level	Description
Collection level	Create collection level record in Accessions Database, Aleph, and EAD/Finding Aids Database (at least DACS single level). Conduct general survey of multi-box collections.
Series level	Create collection level record in Accessions Database, Aleph. Create EAD/ finding aid that identifies and describes series/subseries. Description includes box list that correlates boxes and series/ subseries.
Folder/file level	Create collection level record in Accessions Database, Aleph. Create EAD/ finding aid with folder list.
Item level	Create collection level record in Accessions Database, Aleph. Create detailed EAD/finding aid with container list that lists individual items.

Footnotes

[1]	Includes basic, collection level, elements such as Title, Date, Extent, the Creator (s) of the collection, a Scope and Content note and a note relaying any access restrictions or conditions.

[2]	Includes all of the collection-level information already notes, as well as an administrative history or biographical note and access points.

[3]	This level of record includes all of the collection-level information required of the single-level optimum records, but each series also receives a scope and content note and other relevant descriptive information.

[4]

In this model the assumption is that the most time-consuming aspect of archival processing is the work involved in arrangement, specifically refoldering and file level arrangement. For that reason, the cost per linear foot was calculated based on arrangement, rather than description levels. There may be cases where a collection is minimally arranged but described in detail where these estimates would be revised, but this calculation should cover most typical scenarios. Breakdowns of supply and labor costs are included in indices.