De-mystifying the Archive
An introduction for new users of archives
Introduction to Archival Organization and Description
Book-length guide for novices
Personal Digital Archiving
Basic information on digital preservation from the Library of Congress
An introduction for new users of archives
Introduction to Archival Organization and Description
Book-length guide for novices
Personal Digital Archiving
Basic information on digital preservation from the Library of Congress
James M. O'Toole & Richard Cox, Understanding Archives and Manuscripts (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2006)
- especially chapters 4 & 5
Laura Schmidt, Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research (Society of American Archivists)
A guide designed for the users of archives
School of Information, University of Michigan: Understanding Records and Archives
Course materials on all aspects of archivists' work, including history and ethics
David Bearman, Archives and Museum Informatics Technical Report #9 (Pittsburgh, Archives and Museum Informatics, 1989)
David Carmichael, Organizing Archival Records: A Practical Method of Arrangement and Description for Small Archives (2004)
A straightforward, step-by-step approach to archival processing for beginners
Processing manuals
Actual manuals used by libraries to acquire, arrange, and describe archival collections
- especially chapters 4 & 5
Laura Schmidt, Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research (Society of American Archivists)
A guide designed for the users of archives
School of Information, University of Michigan: Understanding Records and Archives
Course materials on all aspects of archivists' work, including history and ethics
David Bearman, Archives and Museum Informatics Technical Report #9 (Pittsburgh, Archives and Museum Informatics, 1989)
David Carmichael, Organizing Archival Records: A Practical Method of Arrangement and Description for Small Archives (2004)
A straightforward, step-by-step approach to archival processing for beginners
Processing manuals
Actual manuals used by libraries to acquire, arrange, and describe archival collections
Processing
Ethics
Society of American Archivists website (SAA)
- Linear footage calculator
- Guidelines for efficient archival processing (University of California Libraries)
- Basic processing manual for students and volunteers (University of South Florida)
- A dictionary of archival and records terminology (SAA)
- Collection care and handling (Library of Congress)
- Preservation (detailed yet clear guidelines from the North East Document Conservation Center)
Ethics
- SAA Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics
- Records Management: Code of Ethics
Society of American Archivists website (SAA)

Dominique Daniel
Humanities Librarian for History and Modern Languages
daniel@oakland.edu
248.370.2478