An archival collection is a unique body of information, created at a particular time by a particular organization or individual as a result of a particular activity. If the cultural record contained in an archive is to be accessible, the archivist must examine, organize, and describe each collection individually. Introduction to Archival Organization and Description guides the novice to an understanding of the nature of archival information and documentation. Chapters cover topics such as the characteristics of archival materials, the gathering and analysis of information for archival description, and the implementation of descriptive tools in information systems. The Introduction to series acquaints professionals and students with the complex issues and technologies in the production, management, and dissemination of cultural heritage information resources.

This book serves as an introduction to the common organizational and descriptive practices that have developed in response to the particular requirements of archival collections. It serves as an orientation to fundamental archival principles for beginning and novice archivists, and includes such topics as the characteristics of archival materials and how these shape practices, the gathering and analyses of information that goes into descriptions, types of finding aids, and the deployment of information systems.

David Carmicheal's classic guide for organizing a small archive, now updated to include real-life examples, information on computer use in organizing records, and a bonus CD-ROM.

’MAD3’ is the third and latest edition of the influential Manual of Archival Description, revised to take account of a decade of developments in national and international descriptive practice. Many improvements have been made as a result of wide consultation with archive professionals. The Manual remains the only comprehensive British guide to the theory and practice of listing archives held in any format, from letters, photographs and maps to electronic multimedia. New features of this edition include: ¢ additional information on national and international standards which have appeared since the last edition, including data elements mapped to the General International Standard Archival Description - ISAD(G) - which appears as an appendix ¢ coverage of developments in archives administration theory and new access delivery initiatives ¢ extensive updating of sections covering audiovisual material ¢ rewritten chapter on electronic archives ¢ updated dictionary in line with the 1999 ICA definitions ¢ additional examples of listing practice. This standard, authoritative guide to listing and cataloguing is for both generalist repositories and other organizations with archives to manage. As online cross-repository searching becomes a reality, the new edition will enable both professional archivists, records managers and other information professionals to standardize archive listing.

Music libraries often contain much more than books, scores, and recordings; they are also home to a wealth of archival music materials. Despite having archival holdings, many music librarians struggle to provide adequate storage, description, and access to these materials. Remaining cognizant of the wide variety of funding and staffing available to music libraries across North America, this basic manual provides an entry point into the archival profession for music librarians without formal archival training. At the same time the manual also serves as a ready-reference book for those already familiar with basic archival practices. This manual discusses archival theory alongside archival principles and practices, explaining key concepts and developments in acquisition, appraisal, arrangement, description, preservation, digitization, and funding. These fundamentals are demonstrated throughout the manual by numerous examples and hypothetical situations a music librarian is likely to encounter while managing archival music collections.