Acquisition, Appraisal & Accession

Now that you have established your archives' goals and purpose, long-term plans and mandate, and you have determined your available space and resources, you are ready to start bringing material into your archives. Where are you going to find archival materials? How will you determine their value and suitability for your archives? And how will you bring them under your physical and legal control? Taken from "The Manual for Small Archives" by AABC

Lecture on the archival processes of acquiring and accessioning collections for HIS 3362, Archival Methods, Troy University, by Dr. Marty Olliff. Addresses collection development, collecting policies, gift agreements, and accession logs.

Acquisition of Archival Materials

Article | Records Acquisition Strategy and its Theoretical Foundation: The Case for a Concept of Archival Hermeneutics by Richard Brown

Article | Who Controls the Past by Helen Willa Samuels

Guide | Guidelines for Developing an Acquisitions Policy by AABC

Guide | A Guide to Deed of Gift by SAA

Guide | A Guide to a Donor Agreement by CCA

Sample | Acquisition Policy by the Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management

Sample | Acquisition Mandate by Simon Fraser University Archives

Sample | Acquisition Policy for Northern Territory Archives

Sample | Lane College Archives & RM forms

Appraising Archival Materials

Article | What is Appraisal by the National Archives

Slides | APPRAISAL: Theory and Methods by Terry Eastwood

Article | New Appraisal Techniques: The Effect of Theory on Practice by Margaret Hedstrom

Article | The Concept of Appraisal and Archival Theory by Luciana Duranti

Article | "Many are called, but few are chosen'? Appraisal Guidelines for Sampling and Selecting Case Files by Terry Cook

Article | How Goes it with Appraisal? by Terry Eastwood

Guide | Guidelines on Appraisal by ICA

Guide | Preparing for Monetary Appraisal by ACA

Sample | Appraisal Scorecard

Accessioning Archival Materials

Web | Loan Agreements and Accession Registrar by the National Archives

Sample | Accession Forms by Brett Carnell

Sample | Accession Registrar Entries by AABC

Web | Ontario Archival Accessions Register (OAAR) by AAO

Sample | Archival Accession Policy by the Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management