Processing plan template
Fill out a processing plan for the collection if it is bigger than 5 linear feet or you think it might have a particularly complex arrangement. Consult with the Head of the Manuscript Section after the plan is finished. Make any needed adjustments. At this point, the plan can be shared with the collecting curator to keep him or her informed on the details of processing.
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Processing plan
Consult the box list for the collection. If no box list exists, then produce a simple content list. Determine whether or not the collection is in any order that could be/should be preserved, or if it is in no discernible order and requires a large amount of physical sorting.
There Generally, there are four levels of description used:
- Collection level
- Series /box level
- Folder File level
- Item level
A collection may employ more than one level of arrangement, for example, the correspondence in a collection may be described at the folder file level while clippings in the collection may be described at the series /box level. In consultation with the Associate Librarian for Technical ServicesHead of the Manuscript Section, decide on the level of description needed for the collection , considering the status of the collection, needs of the Reading Room, and desires of the curator.
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If arrangement of the collection appears to be non-standard, consult with Senior Manuscript Cataloger with the Head of the Manuscript Section and/or the Associate Librarian for Technical Services. Although the curator can often be helpful with ideas, the arrangement and description standards for every collection are determined within the Dept. Department of Technical Services, Manuscript Section, not by the curator.
In some cases the cataloger should create a rough timeline for processing the collection and give the timeline to the Associate Librarian for Technical Services.