Philosophy

Houghton Library’s processing practices follow the Principles outlined in the Joint Processing Guidelines of Harvard University, which in turn have been developed from the DACS Statement of Principles. All archivists working at Houghton Library should be familiar with both of these resources prior to beginning processing work.

Archival processing in the twenty-first century has also been shaped by two significant and intertwined threads in archival description. Firstly, our work has been shaped by Mark Greene and Dennis Meissner’s 2005 article "More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing,"  or “MPLP.”  Implementing MPLP does not mean adopting minimal processing practices across the board but rather employing analysis and decision-making to programmatically determine how much to appraise, arrange, describe, and preserve all collections within any given repository. It takes what was once a one-size-fits-all approach to processing and inserts archival judgment, agility, and strategy. Relatedly, processing of archival collections has also been impacted by a reconsideration of our past practices and interest in providing equitable, inclusive, and appropriate description of all those included in our collections. This has led not only to efforts to improve legacy description but also to rethink our approaches to description in order to better serve an inclusive and diverse user community. While inclusive and reparative descriptive work is done carefully and on a case by case basis, the Joint Processing Guidelines include Guiding Principles for Conscious and Inclusive Description at Harvard that provide a foundation for how we consider this work at Houghton Library.

Houghton Library’s processing manual responds to both of these threads, focusing on the provision of access and careful consideration of materials in balance.

Guiding Principles

Principle 1

Strive to make all collections, even those that are unprocessed, open for research.

• Exceptions may be made for collections with institutional, legal, and donor-stipulated restrictions.

Principle 2

Strive to provide a publicly discoverable collection-level description for each collection within a repository.

• Repositories should prioritize gaining collection-level control over all holdings. Detailed description should wait until after all collections are discoverable at a baseline level.

Principle 3

Aim to provide the “golden minimum” in processing and description.

• Analyze and assess each collection in order to perform the appropriate amount of work necessary to make each collection useable.
• Further description should be justified by research value, use cases, or other repository priorities.

Principle 4

Make assessment-based, data-driven decisions regarding processing priorities, policies, workflows, and staff and resource allocations. Assessment measures should reflect and support local needs and practices.

Principle 5

Clear and consistent communication across functions (technical services, public services, curatorial) is necessary to support efficient archival processing.

Principle 6

Documentation of our policies and practices provides continuity and promotes transparency, both of which strengthen our relationships with our users and other stakeholders.