Step 1
Every donation that arrives in the House Archives, is given a specific number. Known as an accession number, these numbers are important in collections management, but also in preparing guides and keeping inventory.
If individual items are donated at a time, they also receive their own accession number. Some of the items that are individually donated range from cameras used by House photographers, name plates from offices, and sometimes old stationary.
1855 Lithograph of House Floor (21st Century) by Conservation Center for Art and Historic ArtifactsPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 2
As archivists starts working with new collections, they look to see if any items need extra preservation or conservation. Examples may include torn or folded documents, rusty staples, or rolled photographs. This image shows an 1855 lithograph that needed professional repairs.
Our office is not trained in professional conservation. For best practices, refer to a professional art conservation company or preservation company if you have an item that requires repairs.
Organizing collections (21st Century) by Pennsylvania House of Representatives ArchivesPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 3
Items are then separated into categories, or “series.” This helps to keep similar items together within a collection. Examples include photographs, memorabilia or events.
Barbie looking at archival box (21st Century) by Pennsylvania House of Representatives ArchivesPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 4
After categorizing, documents are transferred to acid-free folders. Acid free materials help reduce deterioration of materials. Folders are labeled with pertinent information to help make retrieving documents useful.
*Archivist Barbie looks over the collection.
Items that are larger or are not paper, are kept in separate boxes to alleviate potential chemicals from harming the paper. Oversized items are kept in flat file drawers or large textile boxes.
Negatives (21st Century) by Pennsylvania House of Representatives ArchivesPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 5
After the folders are placed into acid-free boxes, documents or photos may need extra protection. Polyester sheeting or envelopes can be used for better preservation like with these photo negatives.
Finding Aid Cover (21st Century) by Pennsylvania House of Representatives ArchivesPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 6
All the relevant information about the collections is then entered into a database. After all the data is entered, a “finding aid” is produced which helps in aiding researchers find relevant information. Finding aids are keyword searchable.
Examples of pages within a finding aid.
Archival Stacks (21st Century) by Pennsylvania House of Representatives ArchivesPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 7
Boxes are labeled and stored in rooms with low light, low humidity, and with an average temperature of 60 degrees. These conditions and steps help preserve collections for years to come.
You are all set!
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