Introduction
Processing is a task requiring intellectual work and craftsmanship. It is often more of an art than a science. The processor serves as an intermediary between the creators of the papers and their users. To process a collection means to arrange the papers in some logical way and then describe the papers’ arrangement, their contents, and their research potential so that users and staff members can find specific material when it is needed.
For detailed instructions on packing and transferring material, see the Pre-Processing documentation. For the purposes of this manual, processing begins once a gift agreement is signed (for personal archives), the material is transferred to Distinctive Collections, and an accession record is started.
Mission statement
The Distinctive Collections processing team is responsible for arranging and describing archival collections and rare items in a variety of formats. We do this work to steward evidence of the past for long-term preservation and access for all. We strive to understand our biases and limitations and actively work towards inclusivity and social justice.
Processing tenets and philosophy
Plan before taking action and be transparent about decisions.
Ideal level of processing is not the same for all collections or even within collections.
Only do enough work to make collections useful and intelligible to the user.
The research value of the collection, both to the user and the reference staff, is one of the main factors in determining the appropriate level of work.
It is unlikely that there will ever be time to reprocess collections; therefore, we should assume that the present work will be all that is done on the collection. Extra work on one collection detracts from the work that can be done on others, and our aim is to make all our holdings accessible.
All processing work must be carefully planned and coordinated.
Processing is best carried out as a team effort.
Distinctive Collections will use and constantly revise the Processing Manual. Comments from anyone who reads and uses this manual are welcome.
Respect the confidentiality of records and respect the rights of both patrons and donors. You may see confidential or sensitive documents; they must not be discussed outside Distinctive Collections.
Self-care is important, and we value the labor that goes into processing collections. Take breaks, talk to others, and ask for and give feedback.
This is your processing manual. It is not intended to tell you exactly what to do and exactly when to do it. Rather, it is meant to serve as a reference guide to some specific adaptations of general archival theories and techniques used at MIT.
If you are unfamiliar with basic principles of arrangement and description, you should consult the publications listed in the Additional Resources. You should thoroughly understand concepts such as provenance and respect des fonds. Within the context of this preparation, this manual will explain how to process archival and manuscript collections at MIT. Please read this manual thoroughly and ask questions before you begin to process a collection.
Thank you - acknowledgment of past efforts
This updated Processing Manual builds on previous manuals, including the original 1981 Processing Manual for the Institute Archives and Special Collections, MIT Libraries by Karen T. Lynch and Helen W. Samuels (née Slotkin) with the assistance of Deborah A. Cozort, Mary Jane McCavitt, and Rowland Aertker, as well as the 2008 manual by Elizabeth Andrews.
The manual has also been heavily influenced by the presentation “Your Backlog is an Opportunity” from MARAC Fall 2008 by Daniel Santamaria and the book Extensible Processing for Archives and Special Collections: Reducing Processing Backlogs, also by Daniel Santamaria (published by ALA Neal-Schuman in 2014).
