r/Archivists

Forgive me for any mistakes in terminology since English isn't my first language.

I would like to know if anyone here can recommend me a book, a course, a webinar or something that I can easily read/watch on the more practical concerns of archiving.

By that I mean things like storing and handling documents, conditions of storage, archival preservation.

And things like how to "organize" a Fonds from scratch (when material comes into the archive through acquisition) especially when it pertains to appraisal and classification. For me something focusing on personal and private archives would be especially useful.

I'm also interested in reading/watching things on low level restoration of documents (especially paper).

Unfortunately this practical side of archiving wasn't tackled in depth in my classes.

Thank you in advance !

Hello! I have been volunteering at a local archive of mine (and i will be working there this summer!) before starting a masters in archive management this fall. i’m pretty okay at reading cursive, but there are some handwritten historical documents that i am having trouble with reading, and i was wondering if there were any online resources on decoding illegible handwriting, or maybe how some seasoned archivists go about it. thanks for your help!

I recently made the choice to cut back on a lot of planned travel to attend conferences and various events because I can’t afford it. I can barely afford the gas to volunteer where I’ve been getting library/archive experience. I’m still in school, work full time, and it’s critical for me to do this networking and make connections for the future. I can’t do much unpaid as it is and the fuel prices are making it so much worse.
So my question is, how are you all affording to go? The ALA meeting at the end of June in Chicago is over $400 for a one day ticket. Yearly membership for so many of these organizations (ALA, SAA, ARLIS…) are already so expensive. I’ve already cancelled my plans to attend MAC.

I hate it here grandpa 😭

Hello! I am a college student in Montréal, I'm going to university in two years and am looking at my options. I know that I want to do a MAS or a MLIS, but I am still hesitating on what I should study for my bachelor's.

My original plan was to major in History and minor in Literature, as I have an interest in both, and think that both topics would be relevant for my future studies. That being said, I recently took a Photography class. I really enjoy it. My teacher is encouraging me to keep working on my skills and submit my work to scholarships, as she believes I have a talent that should be nurtured. She mentioned that she believes I should do, at least, a minor in photography.

I am still considering my options, but I take her comments to heart, as I am lucky enough to have found a skill that I both enjoy and have talent in. I still want to major in History, I still want to do my Master's.

From other responses, I have gathered that you can kind of study in anything and still be eligible for a MAS or a MLIS. I'm thinking that a minor in photography certainly couldn't help my chances, but I wanted to get actual activists' opinions on whether this plan would be viable. I'll keep doing photography regardless, but university is expensive and I want to know what I'm getting into.

Thank you!

Hey all,

I'm currently a 21-year old college student in for my Associates in Art (Video Game focus). Lately I've been rather burnt out of art, and looking into other fields. Having a hard time finding something that interests me at all. However, I do like working with history, specifically the time period of 1970-1994 or so (especially the 80s). As a person with high-functioning autism, I especially have a love for different dates and years and anything involving researching history (especially 80s music history or car history). I also am interested in restoration work.

However, I don't know if it's worth getting into. I want to have a stable enough job that pays decent that I don't hate. I don't want to end up getting burnt out doing archiving, and in general, I don't really know where to start. I'm seeing posts that talk about getting a Masters, but I'm concerned of going down that path just to end up not liking it and wasting time. I live in Raleigh, NC, and I want to stay local to the area, and I feel like there may not be a lot of opportunities in North Carolina.. Or especially with my niche focus.

Currently I collect a lot of vintage 80s audio equipment, search through online PDFs of old music magazines, and interview former business owners and musicians from the 80s. Music is a huge passion of mine. However again, I get burnt out and unmotivated rather easily. I don't really know if it's the right choice for me, but I am interested.

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

Hi, I'm a PhD researcher trying to trace the origins/authenticity of a sketched portrait that's reproduced in several places. It seems it was part of the Hulton Archive, now shut down, which has been digitised online by Getty Images. But the Getty webpage doesn't state who the artist is or how the archive came upon it.

It's probably a lost cause, but does anyone know if this archive still physically exists in boxes somewhere, or anything else about what happened to it? Thank you.

Here is a shot of some of the collection we will work with: R&B, Soul, Blues titles from a seller based in New Orleans.

Hi everyone,

I’m a PhD candidate in Music Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the founder of PopMusicology. My dissertation research, Taped Entanglement, focuses on the materiality and archaeology of cassette culture.

I’ve recently secured funding (via the Haskins and Music Department Grants) to launch a 6-week Summer Research Residency focused on the archival, cataloging, and digitization of my personal collection of over 1,100 cassette tapes.

The Project: We’ll be establishing a standardized signal path (utilizing Sony TC-WE825S decks and professional A/D conversion) to create high-fidelity digital masters while documenting the physical metadata (tape formulas, sleeve notes, tactile history) of the collection.

The Role:

• 6-week commitment (Summer 2026).
• $800 Research Award provided.
• Hands-on experience with analog media, archival standards, and digitization workflows.
• Located in University City, Philadelphia.

If you’re a fan of "slow media," musicology, or the technical side of hi-fi preservation, I’d love to have you on board.

How to Apply: I’ve set up a brief Google Form to collect info and interests. You can find the call and the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKQKnUYpkswCfAoEXNYt891KmQSgsZWfCH86byEPBR0xHZTg/viewform

Feel free to AMA about the methodology or the collection in the comments!

Best, Kwame

Hiya, I’m a current international postgraduate student in the ARIM/IMP programme and I thought I’d share my review of the programme for prospective students. 

I love the programme, but there are certain caveats that you need to know to inform your decision. 

I came back to school after 5 years of working professionally in various sectors. Because of this, I know how difficult the job market is and how to utilise LinkedIn and networking to my advantage. Approaching this degree with a networking and future job focused mindset is crucial for your success and actually gaining value in your education. I am friendly and pretty chatty, which I think is a plus for networking. I received a full time offer with a small company in January that will sponsor my visa. This is solely due to networking skills and they actually created the position for me without posting the job. 

Pros 

ARA, CILIP, and ALA accreditation

From my understanding, Glasgow is the only programme in the UK that gives dual-accreditation to be an archivist and a librarian. Additionally, the American Library Association has a reciprocity agreement to honour CILIP accreditation so you can work in the US, UK or Australia!

Instructor’s passion 

I find that most of the lecturers are knowledgable and passionate about information studies and digital humanities. Paul Gooding is absolutely incredible and so passionate about cultivating student scholarship, and I am so thankful for his input and guidance. Adele Redhead is the programme convenor and is a lovely person, but stretched quite thin with all of her responsibilities with the university. 

Some interesting classes 

I loved Records and Evidence and having the opportunity to interact with archival materials. I found Professional Issues in Archives and Records less interesting but still a good introductory course for the profession. 

Law, Information Governance, and Collections 

I liked this class because it gives you the most relevant information for jobs in the sector. My mentors at a world-renowned cultural heritage institution basically forced me to take this course and I don’t regret it. However, the instructor is changing next year and I am unsure if the instruction will be as good. 

Cons 

Intro to Digital Curation 

This class was a disaster, which is quite sad because I was most looking forward to it. It is all self-taught and they have recorded lectures to complete in your own time. The labs for this were an absolute waste of time. However, I actually enjoyed the assignments and did quite well in this course because I am passionate about digital preservation and archiving. You are able to choose really interesting projects! I did a data report on preserving the defunct Vine app and its revival, DiVine. My other project was a digital preservation guide for Spotify. TLDR: you teach yourself everything but if you find interesting topics, you can find value in the course. 

Outdated information 

I found some of the information and labs they taught us to actually be outdated. One of the labs had us try to use Conifer for web archiving, but that is a defunct platform with security issues now. 

Work Placement/Description, Cataloguing and Navigation 

I found this class to be pointless. This course was supposed to have a practical in-person placement but they were unable to find placements for everyone in the programme. The info studies department added a Library course and they also had issues finding placements. I am begging the department to hire a person to organise placements like the Museum Studies course has. 

International students stuff

Do not expect to get a work visa sponsorship. The sector is chronically underfunded and doesn’t have the capacity to sponsor visas. I was lucky because I marketed the graduate student visa, which is quite expensive, and then did independent research and found out that my company is eligible for a £611 visa. Find small companies and market yourself! 

I hate student accommodations but it was the easiest choice to find housing. You could find housing on other sites but finding a guarantor is difficult. Fortunately, Scotland has amazing rental rights and you can leave your place if you don’t like it within 30-60 days. 

Advice 

1. Advocate for your needs. If you are silent and do not develop relationships with the lecturers, you will struggle finding gainful employment. 
2. Network like crazy and attend conferences. This will help you find jobs! 
3. Find volunteering opportunities. The programme does not help you find independent work experience, but you can certainly find volunteer positions to beef up your CV.

If I think of anything else I will add/edit this post! Hope it helps. 

I see a lot of university job postings mentioning teaching, something I'm not really interested in, nor do I feel as if my mlis program has prepared me to teach. I'm wondering if this is typically the norm? If so, where are you guys learning the skills to plan a lesson for a class? Is it just one of those things you have to learn on the job?

Right now I’m looking to apply to MLIS programs, and am seeing a lot of conflicting advice on the importance of a big name university as the field changes. I want to be as competitive as possible, and while money isn’t a huge issue, I still want to consider it. Remote programs are also preferable. Does a program like San Jose’s for instance limit my competitiveness in the museum or university space? What programs are best for my goals? Any advice much appreciated!

I’ve also heard experience increasingly matters, for what it’s worth I just finished my undergrad last year and have been working at the Internet Archive getting valuable experience working hands on with materials and metadata management. I also worked at an archive during my undergraduate. I know it’s a competitive field but I hope that experience will mean something?

I am currently wrapping up my undergraduate degree at UARK and am looking for graduate programs for Fall 2027. I am looking at MLIS programs but I have hit a roadblock. There are no programs in Arkansas and I refuse to go back to my home state of Kansas to study. I used to live on the East Coast and really miss it, so I am thinking about potentially looking for programs there. But I want to know what would be more doable: going to a school in a different state and studying in person, or doing it online and try to find a career-centered full time job in a different state? I just want to make the smartest decision and am having a really hard time making a choice. If anyone can give any insight, I would really appreciate it.

Greetings,

I am studying archival in order to become archivist. My previous background is with computers, and as a not-so side note, I deal with old computers as a hobby.

My main question is, is there any central list containing as much physical supports as known, and the procedures to deal with them? I am fully aware that this is a very difficult matter and that even the branding of the support might involve changes.

I assume the answer is no, however I would like to ask just in case someone has worked on it.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Hello, I'm currently a high school junior on my way to becoming a senior, so it's about that time when I start plotting out my future, but I've kind of been caught in a dilemma. I love ecology, and up until now, I've been planning my entire future education around becoming an ecologist or at least working with wildlife (classes, majors, etc.), but I also love literature/writing/English, so the field of archiving and library science has piqued my interest.

I was wondering if there was any overlap or at least some way for me to smoothly transfer into this field if I did end up straying away from ecology, and when would it be too late for me to enter?

I’m an archive employee and want to get better at my job. To do so one of the requirements would be able to use SPRQL in a way to write the description and to add metadata. I’ve looked into it and feel a bit overwhelmed.

How common is using this method of integrating information? Do you work at an archival institution and use this professionally? How is that working out?

Also let me know if there’s any other sub you think I should repost this to.

Many thanks

I recently started working at a small museum and have discovered that much of the material has been left unprocessed. I know most museums (in my country, at least) struggle with a backlog of uncatalogued objects, so this is not really a unique experience. My museum is proud of its photography collection. Half of it has been scanned and registered in our cataloguing system, which is connected to a public-facing portal where people can search through our photos. The physical photos are stored in acid-free envelopes in two metal cabinets, organised by their registration number.

A few weeks ago, I discovered another drawer filled with unprocessed photographs. I was, quite frankly, shocked. The manner in which they had been strewn about in this drawer was unprofessional and disrespectful to whoever donated the photos to the museum. Some were in mail envelopes (perhaps they were sent), some were loose, some were developed, and others were negatives. Some are fine, others are scratched up.

So, what have I done? We might not know their provenance, and for most of them, we have no information about location/date/individuals, or how they were acquired. And yet, they should be catalogued and archived. I can easily create registration posts in the cataloguing software, and I've started scanning them. That said, I have no idea how to organise these in the archive. Should I include them in the main drawers or treat them as a separate "collection"? All registrations must belong to an acquisition (which also has a unique number). Since we don't know the provenance, what would the protocol be here? Should they all be handled as a single acquisition (with the metadata explaining what has happened)?

I really hope this is the right subreddit for this. I'm not an archivist, just a humble historian.

Hello! I am interested in creating an archive that houses black lesbian materials and I was wondering how do I get started. In my home I have my personal collection of art, zines, and books and I want to have visitors similar to the lesbian herstory archive. I make a zine every month for Black lesbians called living lesbian archive and I want space host our monthly meetups + a reading room to peruse our materials. While I have my collection at home I am not a professional and I do not have a mlis (applying to grad school though)

Here are my questions

1. How to raise money
2. How to lease a space
3. How does copyright work (sorry that is vague)
4. Should I register was a 501c3? Maybe even LLC?
5. How to build community trust