1. Articulating Accessioning
Works in Progress Webinar
Articulating Accessioning
8 November 2018

2. Rachel Searcy, NYU
Chela Scott Weber, OCLC
Rosemary Davis, Yale

3. Our Work in Archives, Special, and Distinctive Collections:
oc.lc/rlp-agenda
OCLC Research has a long history of work in the area of archives, special, and distinctive collections in research libraries. We work in special collections because they are an important sight of knowledge creation, made possible by library’s commitment to the stewardship of their distinctive collections. The unique nature of material in special collections can make scaling a challenge, and we work to identify areas of common need and patterns of innovation to help libraries scale learning and expertise with these collections.
In October, we released the Research & Learning Agenda for Archives, Special, and Distinctive Collections.
The agenda was created via a participatory and iterative process, involving feedback and participation from colleagues across the RLP.
It discerns and articulates the shared challenges and opportunities research libraries are are facing in this sphere, and suggests approaches for working on them together.
The agenda will guide OCLC Research work in this area in the future, and we hope it will also serve to frame larger conversations and spur action across the field
This year, OCLC RLP will be presenting a number of webinars that respond to issue surfaced during our work on the agenda.

4. Articulating Accessioning
“Baseline control of collections and the data created while gaining that control are key to understanding, responsibly managing, and advocating our collections.” …
“In light of the lack of baseline physical, intellectual, and administrative control in our backlogs, a clear reconceptualization of goals for and approach to accessioning is in order.”

5. notes + resources: bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

6. Rachel Searcy New York University rachel.searcy@nyu.edu @whimsiful
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

7. The professional literature about the process of accessioning is scant
The professional literature about the process of accessioning is scant...A clear reconceptualization of goals for and approach to accessioning is in order.
Chela Scott Weber, “Research and Learning Agenda for Archives, Special, and Distinctive Collections in Research Libraries (OCLC Research, Dublin, OH, 2017), 19.
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

8. ACCESSIONING
Activities we carry out to examine, stabilize, and document information about archival materials upon their arrival, thus confirming our stewardship of the collections.
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

9. Traditional Accessioning Framework
Physical Control
Legal Control
Intellectual Control
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

10. NYU Accessioning Framework
Stabilization
Administrative Control
Documenting Knowledge
Access and Maintenance
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

11. Preventive Conservation
Stabilization
Physical Control
Preventive Conservation
Born-digital
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

14. Administrative Control
Legal Control (Acquisition)
Administrative Control (Accessioning)
Establish custody through agreement, contract, or mandate.
Communicate terms of custody through archival description in system of record
Product: Deed of gift in collection file.
Product:
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition/Custodial History
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

15. Documenting Knowledge
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

16. Documenting Knowledge
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

17. Inventory (Excel + OpenRefine)
Accession and Resource Records (ArchivesSpace)
EAD XML (Oxygen)
MARC
(MARCEdit)

18. Access Through Accessioning
Collection-level records:
David Havens Photographs on the Cuban Revolution (TAM 691)
David Jaffin Papers (MC 261)
Collection-level records with box-level inventories:
Joan Holt Papers on Indian Point Energy Center (TAM 754)
David Pollack Collection of Cereal Boxes (MSS 512)
Small collections with un-arranged container lists:
Records of L.U.C.H.A. (Latinos Unidos con Honor y Amistad) (RG )
Kathryn Diehl Riot Grrrl Collection (MSS 448)
Collections with hierarchy and/or complex container lists re-purposed from existing metadata:
Billionaries for Bush Records (TAM 725)
New York Foundation for the Arts Records (MSS 515)
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

19. Collection-level Record

20. Collection-level record with box-level inventory

21. Small record with unarranged container list

22. Collections with hierarchy and/or complex container lists re-purposed from existing metadata

23. Accessioning Statistics (AY 2015-2018)
Count
Linear Footage
Born-digital extent
Audiovisual Items
Accessions completed
995
46.76 TB
27,340
Opened to Researchers
372 GB
Not recorded
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

24. Departmental Statistics (AY 2015-2018)
COUNT
EXTENT (lf)
BORN-DIGITAL
AUDIOVISUAL
Accessions Completed
995
46.76 TB
27,340
Opened to Researchers
372
1069.9 GB
Not recorded
Collections Processed
157
1.8 TB
10,458
Total Opened to Researchers
529
1.95 TB
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

25. Departmental Statistics (AY 2015-2018)
COUNT
EXTENT (lf)
BORN-DIGITAL
AUDIOVISUAL
Accessions Completed
995
46.76 TB
27,340
Opened to Researchers
372
1069.9 GB
Not recorded
Collections Processed
157
1.8 TB
10,458
Total Opened to Researchers
529
1.95 TB
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

26. Thanks!
Q & A at the end
You can find me & 😸
bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

27. notes + resources: bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

28. Rosemary K. J. Davis Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale

29. a (not so) sudden perception of accessioning: value, labor, and impact

31. BEINECKE staffing levels
Total
around 120
Manuscript unit
around 24
Accessioning
5 (soon 6!)

33. 4036 linear feet baseline processed
→ fiscal year 2018
4036 linear feet baseline processed
since FY 2013!
The Beinecke typically acquires over a thousand linear feet of manuscript material each fiscal year. In addition to the brilliant, longer-form processing work done by our Manuscript Unit colleagues, the five-member Accessioning team routinely churns through between 750 to 2000 linear feet worth of collection materials every twelve months. And to be clear here, accessioning for us involves completing all of the following:

34. history of accessioning at the beinecke
Mid-late 1960’s → Curators and assistants have their own homegrown systems for incoming acquisitions

35. history of accessioning at the beinecke
Mid-late 1960’s → Curators and assistants have their own homegrown systems for incoming acquisitions
Early 1970’s-Mid 1980’s → Paper slip system developed that tracks acquisition information and cataloging status → information largely bibliographic

36. history of accessioning at the beinecke
Mid-late 1960’s → Curators and assistants have their own homegrown systems for incoming acquisitions
Early 1970’s-Mid 1980’s → Paper slip system developed that tracks acquisition information and cataloging status → information largely bibliographic
Mid 1980’s--early 2000’s → DBText database generated electronic slips and description starts to include more archival information including inventories

37. history of accessioning at the beinecke
Mid-late 1960’s → Curators and assistants have their own homegrown systems for incoming acquisitions
Early 1970’s-Mid 1980’s → Paper slip system developed that tracks acquisition information and cataloging status → information largely bibliographic
Mid 1980’s--early 2000’s → DBText database generated electronic slips and description starts to include more archival information including inventories
1990’s-early 2000’s → Uncataloged materials database and increased archival description

38. history of accessioning at the beinecke
Mid-late 1960’s → Curators and assistants have their own homegrown systems for incoming acquisitions
Early 1970’s-Mid 1980’s → Paper slip system developed that tracks acquisition information and cataloging status → information largely bibliographic
Mid 1980’s--early 2000’s → DBText database generated electronic slips and description starts to include more archival information including inventories
1990’s-early 2000’s → Uncataloged materials database and increased archival description
ish → Barcoding and baseline processing projects = retrospective accessioning + introduction of Yale Finding Aid Database

39. history of accessioning at the beinecke
Mid-late 1960’s → Curators and assistants have their own homegrown systems for incoming acquisitions
Early 1970’s-Mid 1980’s → Paper slip system developed that tracks acquisition information and cataloging status → information largely bibliographic
Mid 1980’s--early 2000’s → DBText database generated electronic slips and description starts to include more archival information including inventories
1990’s-early 2000’s → Uncataloged materials database and increased archival description
ish → Barcoding and baseline processing projects = retrospective accessioning + introduction of Yale Finding Aid Database
2012-present → expansion of accessioning-focused staff members + Archivists’ Toolkit, ArchivesSpace = hardcore shift into archival/DACS

40. baseline descriptive elements captured during accessioning
Required Elements
Call Number/Unit ID
Unit Title
Inclusive Unit Dates
Physical Description
Arrangement
Description of the Papers/Records/Collection
Processing Notes
Optional Elements
Languages
Associated Materials
Acquisition Information
Custodial History
Container
Note
Information About Access
Physical Location
Almost all of the “optional” elements
are usually standard practice for us.

41. what we talk about when we talk about accessioning
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing

42. what we talk about when we talk about accessioning
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing
creating the initial accession record in ArchivesSpace
creating the initial accession record in ArchivesSpace

43. what we talk about when we talk about accessioning
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing
creating the initial accession record in ArchivesSpace
generating legal and payment paperwork including deeds of gift and acknowledgments
generating legal and payment paperwork including deeds of gift and acknowledgments

44. what we talk about when we talk about accessioning
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing
creating the initial accession record in ArchivesSpace
generating legal and payment paperwork including deeds of gift and acknowledgments
verifying the contents of collections against existing inventories
verifying the contents of collections against existing inventories (or in the absence of any kind of inventory at all)

45. what we talk about when we talk about accessioning
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing
creating the initial accession record in ArchivesSpace
generating legal and payment paperwork including deeds of gift and acknowledgments
verifying the contents of collections against existing inventories
physically stabilizing materials including freezing and rehousing
physically stabilizing materials including freezing and rehousing

46. what we talk about when we talk about accessioning
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing
creating the initial accession record in ArchivesSpace
generating legal and payment paperwork including deeds of gift and acknowledgments
verifying the contents of collections against existing inventories
physically stabilizing materials including freezing and rehousing
performing baseline arrangement and description including a finding aid in ArchivesSpace and a collection-level catalog record
and, of course, performing baseline arrangement and description including a finding aid in ArchivesSpace and a collection-level catalog record for all incoming acquisitions over ten boxes (I believe that’s technically the guideline)

47. PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, & SO MUCH EMAIL
donor +
dealer
logistics
transport

54. what we talk about when we talk about accessioning
assisting with or establishing shipping arrangements for incoming acquisitions, including in-person pickups and onsite packing
creating the initial accession record in ArchivesSpace
generating legal and payment paperwork including deeds of gift and acknowledgments
verifying the contents of collections against existing inventories
physically stabilizing materials including freezing and rehousing
performing baseline arrangement and description including a finding aid in ArchivesSpace and a collection-level catalog record
and, of course, performing baseline arrangement and description including a finding aid in ArchivesSpace and a collection-level catalog record for all incoming acquisitions over ten boxes (I believe that’s technically the guideline)

56. donor/seller interaction
shipping logistics
intellectual
collection pick-ups
intellectual + emotional + physical
donor/seller interaction
intellectual + emotional
payments + acknowledgments
intellectual
collection verification
intellectual + physical
freezing
intellectual + physical
rehousing
intellectual + physical
creating accession records
intellectual
baseline processing
intellectual + emotional + physical
collection-level catalog record intellectual
I made this slide for a recent talk at SAA and I like it a bunch so I’m going to use it again today. Seeing this wall of different duties that make up my day-to-day work is really clarifying. Reminding myself of the different types of energy that I (and my colleagues) expend in service of performing these duties feels important. Acknowledging the complexity that undergirds even the most seemingly mundane decisions is crucial to understanding how we can more consciously evolve towards practices that not only better serve patrons and donors and local communities, but that also ultimately better serve ourselves as archivists who want to grow and gain joy from the work that we do every day. Looking at this also reminds me of how much energy we direct outwardly, beyond the walls of our archives, as we interact over and in person with people who are handing over their life’s work, their partner’s memories, the products they created, and the records they kept.

58. You can find me at @widelight and rosemary.davis@yale.edu
Thanks!
You can find me
and

59. Questions?

60. notes + resources: bit.ly/oclc-accessioning

61. Thank you!