This document discusses principles of archival arrangement and description. It defines archival arrangement as organizing documents according to archival principles, and archival description as creating an accurate representation of archival materials to explain their context and make them accessible. Key principles discussed include provenance, original order, and hierarchical arrangement. The document also provides examples of archival arrangement structures and levels of archival description.

1. PRONCIPLES OF ARCHIVE MANAGEMENT
Archival Arrangement and Description

2. Objectives
⚪ Definitions of key concepts
⚪ Importance of Archival Arrangement

3. Archives Arrangement
Is the intellectual and physical
processes of organizing documents
by accepted archival principles.
OR
Archives arrangement refers to the
systematic organization of archival
materials within a collection.

4. Archival Description
Is the creation of an accurate
representation of the archival
material by explaining the context
and records systems that produced
it.
OR
Is the explanation provided to the
archival materials to make historical
records accessible for research and
understandable

5. Why Arranging and describing
Archives
To know what is available and where
it is
To make materials accessible to
potential users
To explain the context of the creation
and use of records
To facilitate the physical organization
of records, ensuring they are
logically grouped and ordered
Preserve materials for future use

6. Key archival Arrangement principles
1. Provenance: Also known as the
respect des fonds, states that
records should be arranged based on
their originating source or creator.
This principle emphasizes
maintaining the integrity of records
by keeping them in their original
context and preserving the
relationships between records and
their creators.Respect des fonds
(respect for the source)

7. Why provinance
⚪ Is important for demonstrating the
authenticity of archival material
⚪ To maintain the coherence of a
group of materials
⚪ In order for them to have archival
integrity
⚪ Materials from one source are not
be mixed with materials from
another

8. 2. Original Order: The principle of
original order suggests that records
should be maintained in the order in
which they were created, used, and
organized by the creator. This
principle helps preserve the context
and relationships of records within
their original filing systems or
structures

9. The aim of Original order is to
preserve or recreate the order and
organization in which the documents
were created and/or used by the
creator or office of origin

10. Other Archival arrangement
principles are;
Series: Archival materials are
typically organized into series, which
are groups of related records that
share a common function, activity, or
format. Series provide a logical and
meaningful structure for arranging
records and facilitate their retrieval
and understanding.

11. Hierarchy: Archival arrangement
often follows a hierarchical structure,
with series being further divided into
subseries, files, and items. This
hierarchical arrangement allows for
the efficient organization and
identification of records at different
levels of detail.

12. Chronology: Chronological
arrangement involves arranging
records in the order of their creation
or receipt. This principle is
particularly useful for records that
have a strong temporal component
or require a chronological
understanding for research purposes.

13. Intellectual Order: Intellectual order
refers to the arrangement of records
based on their content or subject
matter. This principle focuses on
organizing records in a way that
reflects their informational or
functional relationships, making it
easier for researchers to navigate
and access the collection

14. Access Points: Archival arrangement
should consider providing multiple
access points to records, such as
indexes, finding aids, or catalog
records. These access points help
users locate relevant materials by
different criteria, such as creator,
subject, or date

15. Note
⚪ It's important to note that the
application of these principles may
vary depending on the specific
archival institution or collection.
Archivists often make informed
decisions and adaptations based on
the unique characteristics and
needs of the records they manage

16. Steps in Arrangement of archives
1. Gather Information
Find out as much as you can about the creator of
the materials you are going to be processing
Accession records and correspondence
Internet searches
Sometimes you may have very little information
on the creator, which makes Step 2 even more
important…

17. 2. Survey the Materials
⚪ Look through the fonds/collection
⚪ Get a sense of what it contains
⚪ See if there is any obvious original order
⚪ Identify materials which can be disposed
of
⚪ Make a note of anything you do discard

18. 3. Physically arrange the materials
Group related materials together
Reflecting original order where possible
Bearing the end user in mind
Following any organization guidelines

19. Physically arrange the materials
⚪ Package materials in acid-free
containers
⚪ Remove rubber bands or any
metals fastenings

20. Example of how materials are
arranged

21. Possible arrangement
CBE,
Management
Records
Minutes
Minute Book,
1966-1969
Minute Book,
1969-1975
Correspondence
Administrative
correspondence
Thank-youletters
Other materials
Items Files
Series
Fonds

22. Example of a
repository with an
arrangement and
numbering scheme
for certain types of
records

23. • (A) Boycott Movement papers, 1959-1961
• (B) AAM Governing Bodies, 1960-1995
• (C) AAM Committees, 1960-1995
• (D) Local Anti-Apartheid Groups, [ca. 1960]-1995
• (E) Professional and Special Interest Groups Against Apartheid, 1970-1994
• (F) Local Authorities Against Apartheid, [ca. 1960]-1995
• (G) Britain, 1959-1995
• (H) South Africa, 1959-1995
• (I) South Africa in Transition, 1986-1995
• (J) Other African Countries, 1961-1995
• (K) Europe, 1972-1995
• (L) Commonwealth, 1960-1994
• (M) Overseas anti-apartheid organisations, 1963-1995
• (N) International Organisations,1960-1995
• (O) Campaigns, 1956-1995
• (P) AAM Head Office, 1960-1995
• (Q) Correspondence, 1960-1995
• (R) Anti-Apartheid Enterprises (AAE), 1986-1990
• (S) Clapham Common Productions Limited, 1987-1995
• (T) Freedom Productions Limited, 1987-1995
• (U) Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), 1991-1998
• (V) Photographs and Audio-Visual Material, 1900-[ca. 1999]
• (W) Posters, 1963-[ca. 1999]
• (X) Exhibition Material, Artwork and Objects, [ca. 1960]-[ca. 1999]
• (Y) Printed Material, 1960-1994
• (Z) Miscellaneous Material, [ca. 1960]-[ca. 1999]
1,400 boxes of
material, once
catalogued!

24. Very complex arrangement
Anti-Apartheid Movement papers, being sorted in Oxford, ca.1997

25. Mike Terry (1947-
2008), executive
secretary of the
Anti-Apartheid
Movement, 1975-
1994
A case of ‘original
disorder’!

26. Important to Note
Bearing in mind the principles of
original order, maintaining the
integrity of archival materials and
making life easier for users…
There is no ‘right way’ to arrange
Common sense counts

27. Collections
• Materials that were not generated as part
of the activity of a person or organization
• For example:
– A group of postcards, pictures
– Records relating to a particular subject, but
assembled by an individual
• These are not fonds, but collections
• Their provenance and original order may
have been lost, but they can be described
as a discrete group of records

28. ARCHIVAL DESCRIPTION

29. Archival Description
• A means of establishing intellectual control
over materials held in archives
– What we have
– Where to find it
• A way of sharing information with potential
users about what our records contain

30. Description
• No standard way to describe archives until late
20th century
• Then: few examples of descriptive standards
– In Canada: Rules for Archival Description (RAD) –
1990 (revised 2008)
– Internationally: International Standard for Archival
Description (General) (ISAD(G)) - 1994

31. Archival description
• Defined by the International Council on Archives as:
“The creation of an accurate
representation of each fonds and its
component parts by the process of
capturing, collating, analyzing and
organizing any information that serves to
identify archival material, and explain the
context and records systems which
produced it”

32. Key principles for archival
description
• Describe from the general to the specific
• Contain information relevant to the unit of
description
• Do not repeat information unnecessarily
• Arrangement defines description: once the
material is arranged in a logical fashion, the
description should be straightforward
– Start with the fonds or collection level, then describe
each series, with its associated files or items

33. CBE,
Management
records
Minutes
Minute Book,
1966-1969
Minute Book,
1969-1975
Correspondence
Administrative
correspondence
Thank-youletters
Other materials
Items Files
Series
Fonds

34. Level of description Contents Possible number
Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33
Series 1 Description of minute books 2008.33/1
Item 1 Description of minute book 1 2008.33/1/1
Item 2 Description of minute book 2 2008.33/1/2
Series 2 Description of correspondence 2008.33/2
File 1 Description of admin. corresp. 2008.33/2/1
File 2 Description of thank-you letters 2008.33/2/2
Series 3 Overall description of ‘other
materials’
2008.33/3
Textual layout of finding aid
In this example, the
numbering reflects
the hierarchy of the
description.

35. Level of description Contents Possible number
Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33
Series 1 Description of minute books 2008.33/1
Series 2 Description of correspondence 2008.33/2
Series 3 Overall description of ‘other
materials’
2008.33/3
Alternative finding aid

36. Level of description Contents Reference number
Fonds-level description Overview of entire fonds 2008.33
Alternative finding aid

37. Some core elements of description
Fonds/Collection level Series/File/Item level
Repository
Title Title
Name of creator
Dates Dates
Size Size
Information about creator
Description of materials Description of materials
Restrictions on access
Reference number Reference number
Custodial history of the material
These elements are
common to most
archival descriptive
standards.

38. Descriptive standards
• RAD and other archival description standards
break down descriptions into a set of key
elements
• This helps archivists describe materials in a
consistent way
• …and helps users know what to expect from
an archival description

39. RAD concentrates on describing
fonds
Information
about
records
Information
about
creator(s)
Archival
description

40. The Series System
• For certain types of records, particularly those
of governments, it is easier to describe
records at the level of series, rather than as a
fonds
• The creating body may change frequently (e.g.
with government reorganizations), while the
records continue to be created according to
their original purpose

41. Series System entities
Record
series
First
creator
Secon
d
creato
r
Third
creator

42. Series System
• Developed in Australia in 1960s and widely
used by archives of all kinds there
• In Canada it is mainly used to describe
government records such as those held by the
Archives of Ontario

43. Rules for Archival Description
• First edition published in 1990
• Last updated in 2008
• Based on the Anglo-American Cataloguing
Rules (AACR2, a library standard)
• Maintained by the Canadian Committee on
Archival Description, a committee of the
Canadian Council of Archives

44. RAD Principles
• P1.0 Archival description should be
undertaken with attention to requirements for
use
• P2.0 The description of all archival material
(e.g. fonds, series, collections and discrete
items) should be integrated and proceed from
a common set of rules

45. RAD Principles
• P3.0 Respect des fonds is the basis of archival
arrangement and description
• P4.0 Creators of archival material must be
described
• P5.0 Description reflects arrangement

46. RAD Principles
• P5.1 Levels of arrangement and description
constitute a hierarchical system
• P5.2 Descriptions should proceed from
general to specific
• P5.3 Information provided at each level of
description must be appropriate to that level
• P5.4 Relationships between levels of
description must be clearly indicated

47. RAD areas
1. Title
2. Edition
3. Class of material specific details
4. Dates of creation
5. Physical description
6. Series area
7. Archival description
8. Notes
9. Standard number

48. Important RAD areas
1. Title
2. Edition
3. Class of material specific details
4. Dates of creation
5. Physical description
6. Series area
7. Archival description
8. Notes
9. Standard number

49. Title Area
• 1.1B3 Title proper
• Enter the name of the person, family, or
corporate body responsible for the creation of
the records, followed by the word fonds. If the
unit being described is an artificially
accumulated collection, use the word
collection instead of fonds

50. Examples
• Anthony Adamson and Marion MacRae fonds
• Frederick Hagan fonds
• Kingston General Hospital photograph
collection
• Proctor family fonds

51. Dates of creation
• 1.4B Date
• Give the date(s) of creation of the unit being
described either as a single date, or range of
dates (for inclusive dates and/or predominant
dates). Always give the inclusive dates. When
providing predominant dates, specify them as
such, preceded by the word predominant.
• If there is no date, provide an estimated date in
square brackets. Do not use ‘n.d.’ or ‘undated’

52. Examples
• 1890
• 1934-1955
• [ca. 1875]-1954
• 1812-1903, predominant 1845-1867

53. Uncertain/probable dates
[1867?] probable date
[ca. 1867] approximate date
[before 1867] terminal date
[after 5 Jan. 1867] terminal date
[1892 or 1893] one year or the other
[between 1915 and
1918]
use only for dates fewer
than 20 years apart
[197-] decade certain
[186-?] probable decade
[17–] century certain
[17–?] probable century

54. Physical description area
• 1.5B
• At all levels of description, record the extent of
the unit being described by giving the number of
physical units and their nature
• Record all the different types of materials found,
starting each on a new line
• Use metric measurements

55. Examples
• ca. 200 photographs
• 50 maps
• 21cm of textual records
• 102 posters : silkscreen ; 60 x 90 cm, 40 x 60
cm and smaller

56. Archival description area
• 1.7
• This area contains the core of your archival
description, including information on the
creator(s) of the material and the nature of
the material itself

57. Administrative history/Biographical
sketch
• 1.7B
• Record in narrative form or as a chronology the
main life events, activities, achievements and/or
roles of the entity being described. This may
include information on gender, nationality, family
and religious or political affiliations. Wherever
possible, supply dates as an integral component
of the narrative description.

58. For organizations include:
• Dates of founding and/or dissolution
• Mandate/sphere of responsibility
• Predecessor and successor bodies
• Administrative relationships with other bodies
• Administrative structure
• Names of the chief officers
• Other significant information

59. Notes area