Melanie Peart, Archivist (Collections Management) Archives & Special Collections, University of Surrey The University of Surrey currently operates a hybrid approach to locations management, using both Calm and spreadsheets. The bringing together of the University’s archive collections and special collections into a single management structure in 2016 has meant that this approach needs further consideration. Mel will review the issues that need to be addressed and the ways in which Calm might form part of the solution.

1. Location Control at
the University of Surrey
Archives & Special Collections
Thursday, 27 April 2017 1
Melanie Peart
Archivist (Collections Management)
Archives & Special Collections
University of Surrey

2. University of Surrey Archives & Special Collections
Thursday, 27 April 2017 2
As at July 2016
Archives & Special
Collections Manager
Archives & Special
Collections Assistant
Archivist (Collections
Management)
Archivist (Public
Services)
Archives & Education
Administrator

3. Location Management
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Accessions Catalogue Unaccessioned
material
University Archives Calm and Spreadsheet Calm and Spreadsheet Spreadsheet
National Resource
Centre for Dance
Spreadsheet and Calm Spreadsheet
Calm: some file level locations
Spreadsheet
EH Shepard Archive Spreadsheet Spreadsheet n/a
Library Special
Collections
Managed by the Library: locations noted on spreadsheet

4. Location spreadsheets
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5. Current approach: Positives
• We have location control
• Material is retrievable
• System covers all material housed in the strongrooms
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6. Current approach: further thinking required
Data
• Data entry guidelines required
• Data duplication
• Data quality
Legacy collections management approaches
• Unaccessioned material
• Impermanence of some refnos
• “Anomalies”: file level location control required
Ease of Use
• Archive qualification desirable
• Complications surrounding non-sequential storage
• Retrieval speed
• Two approaches to recording data
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7. Current approach: Room for improvement
• Limitations of using Excel
• Audit and reporting
• Retrieval slip production
• Space management
• Sustainability and handover
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8. Proposed location record data entry
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Calm field Use for Notes
Location Ref Shelf reference Meaningful location identifier needed for
retrieval slip production
Location Needed for reporting
Also produces tree
Shelving Type Shelving type:
Archive/Book/ Double depth
Relabel Type field
Bay Type Static/ mobile New field: line of text
Access Note Under discussion
Condition Under discussion
Shelf length Shelf length New field: number
Space taken Estimate of space used New field: number?
Usage note Recording where non-
collections material is stored
New field: wrapped text
Notes Notes

9. Considerations
• Time and resources
• Creation of Calm location records
• Documenting unaccessioned material in Calm
• Move from locations spreadsheet to Calm
• Location audit
• Accessions/Uncatalogued material
• Capture of container-specific data (eg format and box type)
• Reporting
Thursday, 27 April 2017 10

10. Location Control at
the University of Surrey
Archives & Special Collections
Thursday, 27 April 2017 11
Melanie Peart
Archivist (Collections Management)
Archives & Special Collections
University of Surrey