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Format and Physical Condition: These aspects of the materials are almost as important as the content in deciding what to process and what levels of processing will be used. Are most of the items letter, legal, or oversized? Are there duplicates? Are there fragile materials? Is mold visible? Are there peculiar odors? Is the handwriting legible? What formats other than paper are in the collection? What condition are these other materials in? Are there a lot of photographs or audiovisual materials?
A survey is also a time for appraisal. A survey allows you to describe the collection, but it should also provide you with enough information to appraise its research value, the relative merits of its parts, opportunities for weeding, etc. Some questions to keep in mind include: Which parts of the collection contain the most complete documentation of the person/organization? Are there materials that are not included that were expected to be part of the collection? Are there materials that could be weeded (duplicates, some newspaper clippings) or are out of scope (some student papers, etc.)? Could Is any of it the material be a good candidate for digitization?
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