Archives Training

Lesson 1 • Types of Archival Materials

Surveys textual, audiovisual, digital, and artefact formats held in archives. Recognising format types prepares learners for format-specific handling and description.

Lesson 2 • What Archives Are and Do

Defines archives, their purpose, and distinction from libraries and records centres. Grounds all subsequent learning in a shared professional vocabulary.

Lesson 3 • Professional Ethics and Standards

Covers archival codes of ethics, access equity, and professional accountability. Ethical grounding shapes every decision made throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • The Life Cycle and Continuum Models

Contrasts the records life cycle with the records continuum model. Understanding both frameworks clarifies when archival custody and intervention are appropriate.

Lesson 1 • Acquisition Methods and Legal Instruments

Covers transfers, donations, purchases, and the legal instruments that formalise them. Proper documentation protects both the repository and the donor.

Lesson 2 • Appraisal Theory and Criteria

Examines evidential, informational, and intrinsic value as appraisal criteria. These criteria form the analytical basis for all retention decisions.

Lesson 3 • Accessioning New Holdings

Walks through the intake process from receipt to initial control. Accurate accessioning creates the administrative record that supports all later work.

Lesson 4 • Macro-Appraisal and Documentation Strategy

Introduces top-down appraisal methods that assess functions before records. Students learn to align acquisition with institutional collecting scope.

Lesson 1 • Levels of Arrangement

Defines repository, fonds, series, file, and item as the standard hierarchy. Mastering levels enables consistent, scalable arrangement decisions.

Lesson 2 • Establishing and Naming Series

Covers criteria for grouping records into series and writing clear series titles. Well-defined series make description and retrieval more efficient.

Lesson 3 • Analysing Records Before Arrangement

Teaches survey techniques to understand a collection's structure before intervening. Preliminary analysis prevents costly rearrangement later.

Lesson 4 • Physical Arrangement and Housing

Addresses folder labelling, box packing, and shelf sequencing for physical materials. Proper housing protects records and supports efficient retrieval.

Lesson 1 • Description Standards and Frameworks

Surveys major content standards and their role in enabling consistent, shareable description. Standards knowledge is prerequisite to all practical description work.

Lesson 2 • Minimal and Reparative Description

Addresses backlog management through minimal processing and correcting harmful legacy description. Students balance access speed with descriptive quality.

Lesson 3 • Writing Scope and Content Notes

Develops skills for drafting accurate, concise scope and content notes at multiple levels. These notes are the primary tool researchers use to evaluate relevance.

Lesson 4 • Access Points and Controlled Vocabulary

Covers subject headings, name authority, and geographic terms as access points. Controlled vocabulary links collections across repositories and improves discovery.

Lesson 1 • Preservation Assessment and Planning

Introduces systematic surveys to identify preservation needs across a collection. Assessment data drives prioritised, budget-conscious preservation planning.

Lesson 2 • Environmental Controls and Monitoring

Explains how temperature, humidity, light, and pollutants degrade records. Students learn to set targets and monitor storage environments effectively.

Lesson 3 • Handling and Reformatting

Teaches safe handling protocols and reformatting options including scanning and microfilming. Proper handling prevents damage; reformatting extends access to fragile originals.

Lesson 4 • Preservation Supplies and Housing

Covers acid-free, buffered, and inert materials used for archival housing. Correct supply selection is the most cost-effective preservation action.

Lesson 1 • Digital Preservation Systems

Surveys trusted digital repository models and open-source preservation platforms. Students evaluate system features against institutional needs and resource constraints.

Lesson 2 • Storage Strategies and Redundancy

Explains the 3-2-1 storage rule, geographic distribution, and media refresh cycles. Redundant storage is the primary safeguard against catastrophic digital loss.

Lesson 3 • Digital Preservation Concepts

Defines authenticity, integrity, fixity, and format obsolescence as core digital preservation challenges. These concepts underpin every technical decision in this chapter.

Lesson 4 • Ingest and Transfer Workflows

Covers procedures for receiving digital content, verifying completeness, and documenting provenance. A rigorous ingest workflow prevents errors from propagating into the repository.

Lesson 1 • Reproduction and Remote Access

Covers duplication policies, digitisation on demand, and online delivery of archival content. Remote access expands reach while requiring careful rights and quality management.

Lesson 2 • Reading Room Operations

Addresses physical and virtual reading room setup, registration, and supervision procedures. Consistent operations protect holdings and ensure equitable researcher access.

Lesson 3 • Access Policies and Restrictions

Covers legal, donor-imposed, and privacy-based restrictions and how to communicate them. Clear policies protect sensitive information while maximising legitimate access.

Lesson 4 • The Reference Interview

Teaches structured questioning techniques to clarify research needs and guide users to relevant holdings. Effective interviews reduce researcher frustration and staff time.

Lesson 1 • Policy Development and Governance

Teaches how to draft, approve, and maintain operational policies and governance documents. Clear policies reduce inconsistency and protect the programme legally.

Lesson 2 • Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement

Develops skills for communicating archival value to administrators, donors, and the public. Sustained advocacy secures resources and elevates the programme's profile.

Lesson 3 • Budgeting and Resource Allocation

Covers budget development, justification, and monitoring for archival programmes. Sound financial management sustains operations and supports growth.

Lesson 4 • Strategic Planning for Archives

Guides students through environmental scanning, goal setting, and performance measurement. A strategic plan aligns archival activities with institutional priorities.