Team Special Collections

By Rose Buchanan and Rachel Jacobson

There is a commonly held assumption that processing archivists work in dark, dusty rooms, all alone except for their precious manuscripts and their gray Hollinger boxes. Here at NCSU, however, processing archivists frequently collaborate on collections and divide the work between two or more team members. This is especially the case when a collection is very large and would take one archivist months to rehouse, arrange, and describe by him- or herself. With large collections, it is not unusual for a team of archivists to complete an initial survey of collection materials, decide together how to divide materials into series, and each process one or more series independently. The team periodically comes together to discuss their progress, interesting findings, and obstacles they encounter.

Since January, the Library Associates at the Special Collections Research Center have been collaborating on a particularly large collection: the Raymond LeRoy Murray Papers, a collection that is nearly 300 linear feet. Murray was a physics professor in the Nuclear Engineering Department at NC State University and was instrumental in establishing and operating the University’s nuclear reactor. His papers include research and teaching materials, publications, correspondence with professional organizations and other scientists, and software and programming materials. As the Library Associates have found, processing these papers together is challenging in some ways, but advantageous in others. The lists below outline some of the pros and cons of processing large collections in teams.

Benefits :

• Collections are processed more quickly.
• Archivists can bounce ideas about arrangement and description off of each other.
• Archivists do not feel as anxious as they would if they were expected to process nearly 200 cartons of material alone.

Challenges :

• Archivists working on individual series may have difficulty visualizing the collection as a whole and where the series they are working on fits into it.
• Archivists may use inconsistent naming conventions or styles when labeling folders and creating finding aids.
• Team members must be conscientious of each other’s work style and speed.

Overall, working together to process a large collection is the best option to ensure that things get done in a timely manner. That being said, how can archivists overcome some of the challenges that team processing can present?

Here are some of the guidelines we have for ourselves as we work in a team:

1. Make sure to communicate with team members . Information found in one series may illuminate materials placed in another series. Sharing this information with each other will promote a richer, more integrated finding aid.
2. Be flexible . Ordinarily, there is a method behind people’s madness!
3. Be willing to share work . Remember, you are processing this collection together. Although you may work more closely with a specific series than other team members, that series does not become “yours.”
4. Help your colleague if he or she needs it . Processing is not a race. You do not score points for finishing a series before your team members or for letting team members struggle.

Using these strategies, processing archivists can successfully collaborate with each other on large collections and make those collections more accessible for researchers as a result.

For a guide to the collection as it was initially received by Special Collections, go to the Raymond LeRoy Murray Papers, 1948-1993 . For information about the current status of this collection, please contact Special Collections .