Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives

Since its original publication, no text has served as a better overview of the field of archives than Hunter’s manual. Newly revised and updated to thoroughly address our increasingly digital world, it remains the most comprehensive guide to the discipline.

Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives covers such key topics as:



a history of archives, including the roles of historical societies and local history collections in libraries
new sections on community archives, diversity, and inclusion
conducting a survey and starting an archival program
selection, appraisal, acquisition, accessioning and deaccessioning
important points of copyright, privacy and ethics
arrangement of archival collections, with a discussion of new theories
description, including DACS, EAD and tools such as ArchivesSpace
access, reference, and outreach, with a look at how recent innovations in finding aids can help researchers
preservation, including guidance on how to handle rare books, maps, architectural records and artefacts
digital records
disaster planning, security, and theft prevention
metrics, assessment, establishing employee procedures and policies, working with interns and volunteers and other managerial duties
public relations and marketing, from social media and the Web to advocacy and
professional guidelines and codes such as the newly developed SAA Statement of Core Values of Archivists.

Providing in-depth coverage of both theory and practice, this manual is essential for archivists at all levels of experience and of all backgrounds.