Extensible Processing for Archives and Special Collections

This accessible how-to guide to extensible processing will show you how to reduce your processing backlog, maintain control of the stream of archival materials flowing into your collection, describe large aggregations of archival materials and improve user experience. A recent OCLC Research study found that an Internet accessible finding aid existed for only 44 percent of archival collections. With the strain of processing backlogs, many collections go undescribed and are essentially hidden from your users. Extensible processing offers an alternative: establish a baseline level of access to all your holdings, then conduct additional processing based on user demand and ongoing assessment. This flexible approach emphasizes decision-making, prioritization, and adherence to archival principles and standards. The goal is to give you the tools, confidence, and freedom to improve user experience. Author Daniel Santamaria provides an accessible how-to guide to extensible processing, including the following: the six key principles of extensible processing; international case studies, ranging from one-person shops to large universities: learn from examples of processes, systems, software, and metadata that were used successfully by others; eight steps in an extensible workflow process; how-to-use collection assessment surveys to reduce backlogs; and systematic step-by-step approach to reducing accessioning. Readers will learn how to use Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) and Encoded Archival Description (EAD) and be up-to-date on recent developments in digitization of archives and alternative strategies such as low-resolution scanning and repurposing existing metadata to ensure that baseline descriptions of all collection materials held by your archive or library are available online as quickly as possible.

Table of Contents:
1. The backlog problem and archival processing 2. Beyond MPLP: principles of extensible processing 3. General processing workflow: working with collections 4. Attacking your backlog: using collections assessment surveys as part of a backlog reduction project 5. Rethinking accessioning and working with new collections 6. Descriptive standards and facilitating access to description 7. Digitization and facilitating access to content 8. Supervision, management, and planning 9. But what about: answering frequent questions and concerns about extensible processing 10. Conclusion.

About the Author :
Dan Santamaria is Assistant University Archivist for Technical Services at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University. He is a member of MARAC and SAA and has made numerous presentations at meetings and conferences. He also teaches an SAA workshop on efficient processing methods that addresses changes in descriptive practices associated with minimal processing. He co-authored a case study of the implementation of DACS that appeared in the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of the American Archivist. Dan previously worked at the New York Public Library and both the Special Collections Library and the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan. He holds an MSI from the University of Michigan's School of Information and a BA in History from Wesleyan University.