1. Bring Your Hidden Treasures into the Light!
Or Where do I start with these boxes?

2. WHO ARE WE?
Cheryl Wright Manager, Organizational Learning & Development The Indianapolis Public Library
Christopher Marshall Public Services Librarian Indianapolis Special Collections Room The Indianapolis Public Library

3. Library holdings need to be discoverable, this is especially important for local history materials which are likely to be scarcely or uniquely held
These materials are the most critical to be discoverable because they ARE unique and are the most likely to be in dark collections

4. Photo of patrons at a local Branch Library
World War I poster

5. What do I need

6. Getting started
Look at overall picture (what do you have) – organize your boxes first
Decide where to start (start small)
Pull out one box of items and start with that
Sort items into piles – find a common thread to use
Decide what to keep, what to donate to other orgs/libs or discard
Create subject headings for each stack
Label files (using a pencil) – DO NOT WRITE ON ARTIFACTS
Determine your storage method – archival boxes, vertical files
Make a catalog record if needed
Make a finding aid – broad list of topics (can be shallow or in-depth)

7. Activity – take items, sort, evaluate, create headings , document

8. General patron usage tips
FINAL THOUGHTS
How did it go?
General patron usage tips
QUESTIONS?
Cheryl Wright,
Manager, Organizational Learning & Development, The Indianapolis Public Library,