Full Processing List

The following is a list of all the tasks you might do if you were fully processing a collection from start to finish.

I. Pre-Processing - appraise, transfer, accession
Appraise records	Appraisal pre-processing	Processing manual link
Physical transfer packing instructions	Initial site visit Packing	Processing manual link
Connecting devices for digital transfer	Identify media	University of Texas, San Antonio guide
	Create accession record	Processing manual link
	Label and photograph the media
	Connecting drives and devices	Floppy drives Zip disk drives Jaz disk drives Optical disc drives Memory card readers Data tape drives Hard drives and storage devices Computers
Create accession record - if can't complete all the required fields come back to them after the survey	Basic information section	Title (required; DACS 2.3, CAAIS 1.4) Identifier (required; CAAIS 1.2) Accession Date (required) Content Description (required; DACS 3.1, CAAIS 3.3) Condition Description (DACS 4.2.5, CAAIS 4.3.2) Disposition Note (required; DACS 5.3.4 & 7.1.8, CAAIS 4.4.2) Provenance (required; DACS 5.2, CAAIS 2.1) Acquisition Type (required; CAAIS 1.6) Resource Type (required) Restrictions Apply? (required) Access Restrictions Note (required; DACS 4.1) Use Restrictions? (required) Use Restrictions Note (required; DACS 4.4)
	Dates section	Label (required) Type (required) Begin (required)
	Extents section	Portion (required) Number (required) Type (required) Container Summary (required)
	Collection management section	Processors (required; DACS 8.1.5) Processing Status (required)
II. Survey
Planning stage - Survey collection or accession during the survey you are just looking at the collection and taking notes - do not start moving, foldering, or otherwise altering the materials	Research content subject	Processing manual link
	Note groups / themes Note potential materials to weed Note potential materials to send back to donor Note oversize materials Note legacy media that will have to be reformatted Note preservation concerns	Processing manual link
	Create work plan or processing proposal	Processing manual link workPlanTemplate.docx
	Update accession record
III. Processing
Appraisal	Deaccessioning	Processing manual link Airtable deaccession request form
	Disposal of weeded materials	Processing manual link
	Partners' papers	Processing manual link
Access restrictions (Screening)	MIT records policies	Institute Archives & Special Collections: Institute Records Access Policy Institute Archives & Special Collections: Institute Archives Records Collection Policy
	Access restrictions (in years)	75 years - FERPA education records, faculty and staff personnel records, health care patient records, gifts records, PII 50 years - Corporation records 20 years - all MIT records
	Access restriction categories	Processing manual link
	Examples	In faculty, "personal archives" - processing manual
	Reviewing for restrictions, "screening" (physical collections)	Processing manual link
	Reviewing for restrictions, "screening" (digital collections)	Processing manual link
Arrangement	Physical arrangement Intellectual arrangement Digital arrangement Levels of arrangement	Processing manual link
Preservation	In-house preservation (work done by processors)	Best Practices Storage Handling and Lifting Cleanliness Standard Tools and Supplies Rehousing Materials Foldering Bound Materials (books, albums, volumes) Slide and Split Ring Binders and Other Adjustable Bindings Metal Fasteners Newspaper Clippings Photographs (prints, negatives, slides) Telegrams and Other Fragile and/or Acidic Materials Transparencies Physical Legacy Media (Substrates That Hold Digital Media) Textiles Frames Digital Disk Images Photocopying Material Recording Preservation Actions
	Disk image extraction	Processing manual link
	Wunsch Conservation Lab	Processing manual link
Description	Guidelines	Subjects Style Guidelines
	Collection level description	Collection Level Description Overview Identifier Resource Type Level of Description Language Publish
	Component list	Component List Overview Series Level Description Series Level Notes File Level Description Folder Markings File Level Notes Component Unique Identifier Sample Series Titles
	Titles	Processing manual link Collection, series, file level w/ style guide
	Dates	Formatting for Narrative Fields Formatting for Collection Level Description and Component Lists Normalized Dates Date Expressions Using the Date Module Content Reference
	Extents	Calculating Extent Using the Extent Module Guide to Extent Types
	Notes	all Required: Abstract Appraisal Note Arrangement Note Biographical or Historical Note Conditions Governing Access Conditions Governing Use Immediate Source of Acquisition Physical Location Preferred Citation Processing Information Scope and Contents
	Finding aid data	Finding Aid Data Overview EAD ID EAD Location Finding Aid Title Finding Aid Date Finding Aid Author Description Rules Language of Description Sponsor

Processing

Label boxes
Barcode boxes
Transfer boxes to storage
Create container list at series, box, folder level
Document digital media and where it exists within the collection in accession record
Migrate legacy media
Photograph physical media
House media in format-specific containers
Run virus scan
Package content and generate checksums
Record technical metadata
Record software or tools for viewing or use
Scan for PII within the files
Delete/deaccession files with PII where appropriate
Redact files with PII File format normalization/migration for material outside of Archivematica or proprietary formats
Identify file formats
Perform file format normalization/migration with ready pathways/services in Archivematica
Create Dissemination Information Package (DIP) - mostly create DIP at access request by researcher

Description

Resource Record (Required Note Fields)

Abstract
Appraisal
Arrangement
Biographical / Historical
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Physical Location
Preferred Citation
Processing Information
Scope and Contents

Space shortcuts

Page tree

I. Pre-Processing - appraise, transfer, accession

II. Survey

III. Processing

Processing

Description

Resource Record (Required Note Fields)