Rehousing practices during processing

The final housing and storage location will determine the type of folders the cataloger will use during processing:

If the collection is to remain in the Houghton building and stored flat, sort it using old folders. The End-processing Section will replace these with new flat-style folders. You may write anywhere on the tab, for this folder will be used again for sorting. End-processing Section will use small numbers you later will put on these folders for identification.
Collections in HTC mainly remain on-site and are shelved upright, so we usually use Hollinger boxes and acid-free new legal-sized folders for them. Again, if you know that upright storage is not appropriate, then use old folders and the collection will be refoldered in End-processing.
If the collection is going to the Harvard Depository (previously decided by the curator) and is to be stored upright in acid-free document/Hollinger boxes, use new, acid-free legal-sized folders, and write within the label template area so the end-processor can simply paste over your writing and use your sorting folder as the final housing. You will need to estimate how many of these new folders you need and ask the Manuscript End-processing Assistant to order them for you.

For collections that are mostly non-manuscript material (i.e., photographs, sound recordings, etc.), consult with the Manuscript End-processing Assistant about suitable housing. This is best done before the final cataloging of the collection.

Any serious questions about preservation can be discussed with the Preservation Librarian and/or Curator; or if not urgent, they should be flagged, and will be handled later by the End-processing Section.