Archivist Course

Lesson 1 • History of Archival Practice

Traces archival practice from ancient record-keeping to modern professional standards. Contextualises current methods within a long institutional tradition.

Lesson 2 • Core Archival Principles

Introduces provenance, original order, and respect des fonds. These principles govern every arrangement and description decision made throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • What Archives Are and Do

Defines archives, archival records, and the archivist's mandate. Grounds all subsequent technical work in a shared professional framework.

Lesson 1 • Acquisition and Transfer Procedures

Details how archives acquire records through transfer, donation, or purchase. Students draft a basic deed of gift and transfer checklist.

Lesson 2 • The Records Lifecycle Model

Presents the classic lifecycle and continuum models of records management. Students distinguish active, semi-active, and inactive phases of a record's life.

Lesson 3 • Appraisal Theory and Methods

Covers functional, macro, and documentation strategy appraisal approaches. Students apply appraisal criteria to determine which records warrant permanent preservation.

Lesson 1 • Surveying and Inventorying Holdings

Teaches systematic survey methods to document collection scope and condition. Survey data informs arrangement decisions and resource planning.

Lesson 2 • Processing Plans and Workflows

Guides students in drafting a processing plan before arrangement begins. A written plan ensures consistent decisions and efficient use of staff time.

Lesson 3 • Physical Stabilisation Techniques

Addresses immediate conservation measures applied during processing. Prevents further deterioration before full preservation treatment is possible.

Lesson 4 • Housing and Storage Standards

Specifies appropriate containers, folders, and shelving for various record types. Correct housing directly extends the physical lifespan of archival materials.

Lesson 1 • Handling Special Format Materials

Addresses arrangement challenges posed by photographs, maps, audiovisual items, and oversize materials. Integrates special formats into the overall collection structure.

Lesson 2 • Levels of Archival Arrangement

Defines the hierarchy from record group to item and explains when each level is appropriate. Provides the structural vocabulary used in all description work.

Lesson 3 • Arranging Files and Items

Covers alphabetical, chronological, numerical, and subject-based filing schemes. Students select and apply the scheme that best reflects original order.

Lesson 4 • Documenting Arrangement Decisions

Establishes the practice of recording every significant arrangement choice made. Documentation ensures future archivists can understand and maintain the collection.

Lesson 1 • Writing Scope and Content Notes

Develops skills for writing accurate, concise scope and content notes at each level. Clear notes are the primary tool researchers use to evaluate relevance.

Lesson 2 • Constructing the Finding Aid

Assembles all descriptive elements into a coherent, navigable finding aid document. Students learn the standard sections and their logical sequence.

Lesson 3 • Access Points and Controlled Vocabulary

Teaches the use of name, subject, and geographic access points drawn from authority files. Controlled vocabulary links descriptions across repositories and improves search.

Lesson 4 • Descriptive Standards Overview

Surveys major international and national descriptive standards and their purposes. Establishes why standardised description improves discovery and interoperability.

Lesson 1 • Preservation principles and planning

Introduces the distinction between preservation and conservation and the role of risk management. A written preservation policy guides all subsequent decisions.

Lesson 2 • Environmental controls and monitoring

Specifies optimal temperature, humidity, light, and air quality for archival storage. Stable environments are the single most cost-effective preservation measure.

Lesson 3 • Audiovisual and digital preservation

Covers obsolescence, format migration, and bit-level integrity for AV and digital materials. Builds on arrangement skills to apply preservation actions at the series level.

Lesson 4 • Disaster preparedness and response

Guides students in writing a disaster plan and executing salvage operations. Preparedness minimises irreversible loss when emergencies occur.

Lesson 1 • Reading room operations

Covers registration, supervision, and handling rules for on-site research visits. Consistent procedures protect materials and ensure equitable researcher treatment.

Lesson 2 • Principles of archival access

Examines the tension between open access and legitimate restrictions on archival materials. Establishes the ethical and legal framework for all reference decisions.

Lesson 3 • The reference interview

Develops skills for conducting structured reference interviews to clarify researcher needs. Effective interviews reduce wasted retrieval time and improve user satisfaction.

Lesson 4 • Remote and digital reference

Addresses email, virtual, and self-service reference models for off-site researchers. Expands access beyond the reading room without compromising collection security.

Lesson 1 • Digital access and delivery

Addresses how digital archives deliver content to researchers through portals and APIs. Balances open access goals with rights management and bandwidth constraints.

Lesson 2 • Digital repository systems

Surveys open-source and commercial digital repository platforms and their core functions. Students evaluate repository options against the OAIS reference model.

Lesson 3 • Long-term digital preservation strategies

Examines migration, emulation, and normalisation as strategies for ensuring future access. Connects to preservation principles from Chapter 6 in a digital context.

Lesson 4 • Born-digital records fundamentals

Defines born-digital records and the unique challenges they pose for archivists. Builds on lifecycle concepts from Chapter 2 applied to digital environments.