Purple text from below draft of new wiki

Owned by Vicki Denby
Last updated: Jan 28, 2024
83 min read

(removed from a section it was randomly stuck under - determine if still needed:'

SAMPLE BOOK (and rules) for labels and tabs

 STUDENTS


Item records and barcodes in ALEPH


Whether something is going to the Harvard Depository [HD] or not, each separate volume, enclosure, or container of a collection or single item, must have a barcode and an item record in ALEPH. The default setting is for items that stay at Houghton, with the material type "mixed material"


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End Processing Objectives and Responsibilities

The first objective is to manage incoming material. This means trying to keep everything accurately labelled, and in a condition to facilitate access until it is permanently shelved. For example, things that come in loosely bundled with cloth tape would be transferred to a pre-fab, box or envelope as soon as possible. Upright items are held by a brick on the top shelf of the red "INCOMING MANUSCRIPTS" truck inside the door of the work room. As time permits, like items may be grouped together, i.e. pre-fabs, CMI boxing, questions, items that need minimal work, etc. When the shelves start to fill up, however, the items will need to be worked on. The lower shelves of the red truck are used mostly for small boxed collections. But there is also a flat 14x18" box on the second shelf, that accepts folders of that size and smaller. Sometimes oversize or oddly shaped items have to be finished right away to make room for other items. Or they can be kept on the top shelf of the baker's rack at the end of the work table. Managing incoming material also means serving as a resource to staff who package items for transport through workflows near the point of receipt.

The next objective is to ensure the best, simplest and easiest methods for permanent access and safe handling as possible by using consistently applied principles, logic, and communication devices in making and applying labels and updating records.  

In keeping with this goal, the final objective is to provide continuous container management and an up-to-date manual of procedures.

Responsibilities of the Manuscript end processor

The manuscript end processor helps coordinate the preparation of manuscript materials for labeling, including materials that only require an exterior label; prepares and applies labels to single items and some smaller boxed collections; advises and trains staff who participate in these activities for boxed collections and single items, whether cataloged in full detail, or minimally processed accessions; finds locations for and shelves all manuscript materials that stay onsite. The end-processor treats or advises and consults with processing staff on items that have restrictions or other special needs, making sure that necessary information appears on the labels and in online records, and that they are routed to the vault or newly-created locations when necessary.

The manuscript end-processor must account for all manuscript items that are passed on for end-processing until they are shelved; updating the Manuscript Tracking Form results, records in ArchivesSpace, Alma, AEON, or special project documents as required. This includes location, container profiles, and extent (number of containers). The person in this position assists processing staff in declaring final steps are completed as accurately as possible for material handed off to them, including portions of larger collections or more complicated accruals and single items. The manuscript end processor notifies the Head of Manuscript Processing Team upon seeing that a processing restriction can be lifted on material they have received. The manuscript end processor may also advise or work on printed material occasionally, or advise non-Technical Services staff in this capacity when asked.

The end processor relies on the following staff input and vehicles by which all items are handed off:

  • Manuscript End Processing Tracking form

    • google form filled out by archivist before items are handed over
    • provides exact wording of titles, descriptions, source information for labels with no need for end processor to edit or re-research
    • helps archivist review their work for accuracy and think through handling, workflow, curatorial, or other concerns
    • teaches new archivists about thought processes that go into our workflows
    • provides additional information relevant to end processing such as deadlines and restrictions, etc.
    • tracking form records whereabouts of items being end processed

  • AEON TN and slip

    • transaction in AEON usually initially created by acquisitions team
    • annotated in "Paging Notes" by acquisition team with tab and line information in Accessions spreadsheet relevant to the material
    • further annotated at bottom of AEON slip by archivist with source information for exact wording of donor plate (single items only)
    • AEON slip identifies the item during it's most vulnerable stage, before it is labeled and shelved
    • AEON slip secures workflow information when items are prematurely and temporarily removed from end processing for exhibitions, patrons, etc.
    • AEON record provides final proof of completion and shelving for all items received by end processing (i.e., EP complete. 1 prefab shelved onsite, etc.)

  • Houghton Accessioning form (responses)

    • form recording incoming material begun at point of receipt by books end processor and a second staff member, usually from acquisitions/accessioning team
    • curators record comments pertaining to handling, deadlines, restrictions, source, and other concerns
    • each new acquisition is represented on one line in the most recent Manuscript Tab
    • form is not updated with call number, so acquisitions team is best equipped to identify which Tab and Line pertains to a particular item
    • consequently, acquisitions team adds the location information to AEON, to assist archivists and end processor.
    • archivist checks location information and adds acquisition information relevant to end processing to the Manuscript End Processing Tracking form
      • information especially relevant to end processing is:
        • deadlines, such as exhibitions, loans, planned patron visits, seminars, etc.
        • restriction, including:  handling, viewing, and what type of restriction
        • preservation concerns, such as vellum, mold, insect, etc.
        • shelving concerns: oversized (pf), large number of boxes, curatorial requirements, etc.


BETTS:  add the above list to Archivist EP wiki?—And also :  "Upright material is generally placed on the top shelf of the big red end processing truck, and boxes on the lower shelves. Regular-size folders can go upright, using the brick, larger ones go in a 16x20 box on the shelves below, and oversized go on top of the bakers rack at the end of the endprocessing worktable nearest the windows. However, accruals and autograph file folders go in a separate box, upright, on the white truck behind the endprocessor's workstation, filed according to call number."

The end processor follows a basic checklist to ensure that material has been labeled and shelved; and that the necessary records have been updated for each item. That checklist includes:

  • AS (ArchivesSpace)
    • front matter (extent/notes/call number corrections, i.e. citation matches, or call number has been changed)
    • container profiles
    • locations
  • Alma
    • bib record (extent-300 field - matches front matter in AS)
    • holdings and item records
      • (852 field) : Shelved with... (this has a whole separate procedure)
      • location, b, MS, f, pfc, etc. or AS
      • barcode
      • library, HOU, THE, or HD
  • AEON
    • import updated information from Alma into AEON record to make sure it was saved correctly
    • mark the TN "EP complete. 3 boxes sent to HD"
    • route the TN to item re-shelved in order to close it
    • check to make sure it was closed
  • Tracking form
    • update as completed, recording extent, location, date, other notes
  • special project form
    • sometimes a separate spreadsheet in excel is used to manage special projects, which also needs updating

Whenever a procedure is modified or newly created, the end processor updates them in this manual. Below are some procedures, warnings, and tips, for handling the following basic manuscript types, formats, and media.

Responsibilities of the Archivist (links to step-by-step EP in archivist wiki)

Responsibilities of students, LHTS, and temps (links to  former student section?)

Procedures, warnings, and tips

Collections vs. Single Items

Manuscripts are cataloged either as single items in ALMA or as collections with many items, boxes, or volumes, both in ALMA and with a finding aid in ArchivesSpace. Single items are often a single volume or prefab, but sometimes need to be shelved flat in one or two boxes (usually not more than two). They can also have a separate "volume 1" and "volume 2", but usually not more than that. Whether something is a single item or a collection is determined before it comes to end processing. Because of the way our stacks were originallyi configured, and the fact that ArchivesSpace's system of record keeping uses a shelf-location numbering system, rather than shelving according to consecutive call numbers, single items are shelved consecutively, but separate from collections. The Manuscript Tracking form willl indicate wheher something is a single iitem or a collectionl.

See also:  BETTS ARchivist WIKI on this topic.

COLLECTIONS AND SINGLE ITEM MANUSCRIPTS ****student/temps (everyone in library, actually) will also benefit from understanding this - simplify for EP wiki, or add link?****

COLLECTIONS ****KEEP this, and next paragraph in EP wiki? Or maybe some of it pertains to catalogers? Work on this more closely together? The info also benefits students/temps. and V would be the one to update? or maybe V & B together would update? If V is to help update, would like at least a link here showing where info. is? Review each one of the steps under coll & single item together?****

SINGLE ITEM MANUSCRIPTS

Harvard Depository
Photocopies of box labels (with barcodes) are kept, annotated with date sent to HD. This is used for security, as a resource if questions arise. There are currently four volumes of black 3-ring notebooks.

SAMPLE BOOK (and rules) for labels and tabs

 STUDENTS

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COLLECTIONS AND SINGLE ITEM MANUSCRIPTS ****BC will update this section and move to cat wiki, this is linked to earlier****


Manuscripts are cataloged either as single items in ALMA or as collections with many items both in ALMA and with a finding aid in ArchivesSpace. There is an online shared Google Tracking Form document that is used for anything passed down from catalogers. It can also be used for repair/rehousing requests from other Houghton departments. It consists of a form to be filled out by staff, and a spreadsheet containing data about everything that is accepted in the manuscript end-processing unit. Any staff member can request access to this document.

Call numbers/accession numbers, container/location indicators, shelving categories, and special locations (an overview)


In order to navigate in ArchivesSpace, one needs to acquire a basic understanding of how Houghton's manuscript numbering system evolved. Manuscript call numbers used to have a "prefix"; a "stem"; and an "item" number, but the prefix had to be stripped away when searching in HOLLIS; and a new system of locating material, ArchivesSpace, made use of the prefix unnecessary and burdensome. The prefix would change according to the dimensions and storage location of a particular box. The stem always began with "MS", and the item number was always in parentheses. The call number, bMS Am 1200 (6), was a [b]oxed [MS] manuscript collection; [Am]erican; the 1200th one acquired by the library; and it was the 6th item listed in the finding aid. If this item had multiple folders, the first label would read: bMS Am 1200 (6) Folder 1 of 10. On box labels, brackets were used to abbreviate the folder number, for example: bMS Am 1200 (6 [1]). Besides indicating that material (if onsite) was located in the boxed manuscript stacks of the library, the prefix "bMS" also meant that the box was a standard size, but could be either flat or upright, either shelved at Houghton or at the Harvard Depository. The same things held true for items shelved in the Harvard Theatre Collection. But these are described as "Thr" [Theatre] rather than "Am" [American] or "Fr" [French], for example. An old Theatre Collection call number might read: bMS Thr 1200 (6). Houghton and the Harvard Theatre collection have approached shelving differently until now. Houghton segregated flat standard-size (bMS) boxes from flat larger (pf) boxes,  and rarely kept upright document boxes onsite. Because ArchivesSpace uses a shelf numbering system to locate items rather than a sequential approach, we now have sections of the stacks that can accept most box sizes, eliminating the need to send material offsite due to the configuration of its container. The Theatre collection still stores all sizes of both flat and upright boxes next to one another on the shelf, but is moving towards also creating ranges of the stacks for specific sizes of containers.

The prefixes "fMS" and "pfMS" referred to "folio" meaning an upright volume taller than 28cm, or "portfolio", indicating a box larger than a standard (flat) manuscript box, shelved flat. An item with no prefix used to indicate a volume shelved upright, that was 28cm or less. Both single items and individual items from collections were shelved together sequentially. Since single items are cataloged only in Alma rather than in ArchivesSpace, they remain shelved sequentially in the old system. But gradually individual items from collections are being shifted to newly-created ranges that accomodate specific sizes of shelves that are pre-numbered. To see examples of the housing referred to in this section, see manuscript end-processing supplies.

Accession numbers
New accessions are counted according to what year they are received. They receive an "accession number" before they get cataloged, so we can keep track of them. For example, 84M-62 is the sixty-second item received in the year 1984. Until recently there was an asterisk in front of the year (*84M-62). Also until recently, items were initially shelved under their accession number in specially marked areas of the stacks while awaiting cataloging. Current practice is to assign a call number at the same time as the accession number. There is now no need for a separate holding area, as items are often immediately shelved without being cataloged or end-processed. This can create some confusion regarding retrieval, permanent housing and restrictions; but the new system was implemented on an experimental basis to address organizational and space issues.

Accession numbers : variations
Rarely, a printed books cataloger may use different spacing than we normally do.  Manuscript accession numbers with suffixes normally have them in parentheses with a space between the accession number and the suffix, like this:  2015M-30 (173).  They first show the date, followed by a capital "M", for "manuscript". Printed books often use different combinations of letters after the date, and sometimes do not keep the space between the accession number and the suffix, like this:  2015T-37(165). 

In cases where there is more than one item represented by a given accession number with a suffix, the cataloger may put a lowercase letter after the parentheses (again, with no space) as a way of differentiating the specific items, like this:  2015T-37(165)a. This allows a search to reconstruct the original order of the items included under that accession number (i.e., 2015T-37(165)a, (165)b, (165)c...).  It is not deemed important that manuscripts and manuscripts cataloged as printed books/manuscripts (hybrids) are handled differently.


Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection (single items and pre-ArchivesSpace collections)


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Item records and barcodes in ALEPH


Whether something is going to the Harvard Depository [HD] or not, each separate volume, enclosure, or container of a collection or single item, must have a barcode and an item record in ALEPH. The default setting is for items that stay at Houghton, with the material type "mixed material"


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Procedures, warnings, and tips for the Manuscript end-processer : all manuscripts


*For examples of solutions to especially difficult housing issues, see slide shows under HOUSING SOLUTIONS, listed in the appendix.

  

ARCHIVAL ENVELOPES AS ENCLOSURES FOR MANUSCRIPTS
In general, we do not use archival envelopes of our own for permanent storage because pulling things in and out of an envelope can damage them. We prefer a 4-flap folder where the innermost flap completely covers the item, and extends to the edges of the inside of the folder.

DIGITAL IMAGING
DRS (digital repository service) is marked in pencil on folder labels by Mary Haegert and her staff.


FELT-TIP MARKERS (warning)
Felt-tipped pens can do a lot of damage quickly if the cap is left off and it rolls next to some manuscript material. The ink in the markers also migrates to adjacent material over time. Store them away from collection material.

FOLDED MATERIAL
Sheets within a collection are normally not unfolded. If an item has bent corners (dog ears) or other random creases, we generally do not unfold these, as they can break off. Also if we did this as a general rule, we would be spending a lot of extra time on something that is actually a preservation task, and potentially creating worse preservation issues by detaching pieces.

We do not make any new folds in manuscript material. That is we cannot fold something that isn't already folded in order to make it fit in a folder.

INTERLEAVING AND INNER PAPER FOLDERS
Use an inner paper folder when an item is in danger of shedding fragments, has a post-it, or is fragile or badly ripped. The folder will keep fragments together and will provide a backing for the ripped item to be handled safely. Use an inner folder also if an unstable item, such as a clipping or a sheet with stains from pressure sensitive tape, is offsetting to adjacent items. If there are a lot of such items in a folder, using single sheets of interleaving might make the contents less thick and easier to manage. An inner folder protects both the front and the back of a sheet. If, for example there is some pressure sensitive tape only on one side of a manuscript, a single sheet of interleaving may suffice. If a clipping is the last thing in a folder, one does not need to put any interleaving behind it because it is not offsetting onto anything but the folder itself.
If there is fragile media in a collection, such as photographs or drawing/pastel/painting, the item can be put into a completely separate folder if appropriate. The end-processor can change the number of folders for an item if necessary, annotating the finding aid for the cataloger to make changes at the end.
Mylar inner folders are sometimes used when paper is torn, as an alternative to repairing the item. They are expensive and add bulk, so are used sparingly. Do not use a mylar folder on pastels or other media that might be sensitive to static electricity. Consult the Preservation Librarian on current usage.
See also: GUIDELINES FOR TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS, FORMATS & MEDIA / BOUND PRINTED MATERIAL : Album or Scrapbook : interleaving clippings in an album.

MATERIAL DISCARDED FROM COLLECTION
Catalogers removed material not part of a collection before proceeding to end process the collection. Sometimes the curator is consulted, unless there are specific notes in the Manuscript Accession Spreadsheet.

MICROFILM LABELS
In the past, items that were microfilmed got small labels beneath the regular label that said: "Do not photograph Microfilm on file".  We no longer replace these stickers if they have fallen off, or get a new folder.

MULTIPLE FOLDERS FOR ONE ITEM
The more folders an item is broken down into, the safer the handling. However, materials and space are expensive and scarce nowadays, so we don't break things down as much as we used to. The cataloger provides the number of folders for an item in the finding aid.

MYLAR FOLDERS
While end-processing, watch for any clear enclosures/folder/sleeves within a collection that are not archival. Such sleeves should match the brands we currently use, or be discarded. The manuscript end-processor should determine whether a sleeve is really needed, whether to isolate the item in a separate enclosure, whether to put other items in sleeves also, or to put the sleeved item also inside a paper folder so that it does not put surrounding paper items at risk via static electricity. We don't put mylar folders next to surrounding manuscripts because they can stick and then rip. Do not put any art media such as chalk or pastel next to mylar as it can get pulled off from the static. Photographs that don't fit into a photosleeve can be safely housed in a mylar folder. Mylar inner folders must always be the same size as the outer folder or enclosure. Consult Preservation Librarian about current use of folders. There may be a current preference for avoiding use with torn or fragmented/fragile material because of concerns about static disturbance, possibly since readers might open the folders, not realizing they are meant to stay closed.
Our archival mylar folders are cut to the size of the 3-flap folders, and are not normally used with interleaving paper as an inner backing, as this would encourage people to open the folder to see what was on the verso of the manuscript, whereupon static could cause the item to rip.

OLD BARCODES
Old barcodes from Widener transfers, etc. are usually lined through the code only with a fine-point black felt-tipped marker. This is best kept in a drawer, or special container on a shelf or other area where it will not come in close proximity with manuscript materials or be easily borrowed nd set down by someone passing through your workstation when you are not there. You should check with the cataloger before crossing out the barcode. They will have to make a note in their records and delete old records in Aleph, sometimes in conjunction with the printed books section.
When necessary, barcodes directly adhered to items can often be removed easily by preservation staff with a heat tool. Sometimes it is worth inquiring whether the curator or cataloger thinks the barcode should be removed.

OLD CALL NUMBERS
Years ago, it was library's practice to pencil in the call number on the item itself (often a single item, but these sometimes get added to collections later). The end-processor should look for that it and verify any of these old "recat. from" numbers, notifying the cataloger if there was any mistake in copying it into the records.Then the old number is carefully penciled through, if that has not already been done. A ruler is not necessary, but if one feels the need, probably a very thin, small, flexible plastic ruler would be best. But use judgement, i.e. don't use a ruler if you are going to need to place it on top of gold leaf or pastel or some other medium that might be damaged. We don't normally erase or re-write the new call number on the piece as we use printed labels instead nowadays. In the case of a single sheet that has no cover, the label on the outside of its folder is its identification. If the penciled call number is current, do not cross it out, however.

OVERFLOW STORAGE (Basement N-26)
If a large project necessitates putting work on hold, the shelves in front of the elevator, to the right, may be used for overflow. Only the call numbers, MS Am, MS Eng, and MS Mus are kept there currently.

OVERSIZE AND ODD MATERIAL (pf, realia, etc.)
The manuscript end-processor should investigate materials that are too large to fit into the standard-size box. These are usually stored in larger "pf" boxes at the end of the collection. But sometimes items a cataloger has flagged as "pf" will actually fit in a smaller box, which is less of a labeling and storage challenge. Odd material such as all different kinds of objects are usually also stored at the end of a collection. Sometimes a small object will have to be pulled out of a regular size box and stored separately at the end, often with other objects from that collection. See also: GUIDELINES FOR TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS, FORMATS & MEDIA.

PAPER CLIPS (metal)
Paper clips are almost always removed from manuscript material because they can make creases, marks, rust stains, and tears. They are removed by placing the manuscript leaves flat on the table, then holding down the longer end of the paper clip (which will be covered by the manuscript leaves) with your finger, and carefully pulling up the shorter end of the paper clip and bending it up until you can easily take it off without danger of tearing the paper.

PAPER CLIPS (plastic)
Plastic paper clips, cannot be bent like metal ones, but the same principle of lifting the two sides, rather than pulling them off applies. They must be removed because they cause tears. Do not use plastic paper clips to attach notes to any manuscript material. In fact, plastic paper clips are best thrown out or otherwise taken out of the library, unless instructed, as they are a danger to the collections.
 
PENS FOR MARKING FOLDERS
If there is ever a need to use pen to correct an acid-free manuscript folder, the Weissman Center (Alan Puglia) suggests using black (no other color but black) Sakura brand, Pigma Micron pens. We have 2 such pens for the supervisor's use. Like felt-tip markers, these pens can pose a danger and should be stored separately from collection material when not in use.

PRESSURE SENSITIVE TAPE
"Scotch tape" or "masking tape" is referred to as "pressure sensitive tape", meaning it adheres because pressure is applied to make it stick. If an item has tape on it, you may want to put them into an inner folder (of folder stock) if the adhesive is oozing out. Or if the adhesive seems dry and stable, you could interleave it on both sides with the correct size of permalife instead. For excessive tape, or badly oozing tape, make a note and tell the supervisor. We sometimes put them into a mylar inner folder to contain the adhesive and keep it and/or stains from the tape from migrating to other items. Do not try to remove tape. Keep in touch with Weissman Center for current protocols.
If you find tape whose adhesive has dried and it has "popped off" by itself, you should examine it carefully to see whether it has any text on it at all, any pencil, pen, or typing or marks. If it does, we should keep it, ask the supervisor what to do. If it doesn't, ask whether it's alright to throw it away. In some very rare instances, with items (like Yourcenar), which have lots of editing that uses scotch tape and small pieces of paper, conservators might find such a thing useful in order to restore the original order. But in most instance, we just throw away a piece of scotch tape with no text.


RE-HOUSING (TEMPORARY) FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS

In preparation for large digitization projects like Colonial North America, an entire collection may need to go to preservation.To assist Weissman Preservation Center (WPC) staff, the slide show: Temporary housing for preservation projects.ppsx demonstrates how a collection can be re-boxed for travel and to accommodate necessary re-housing and re-labeling that will take place by end-processing staff when work is completed

WATER-BASED ADHESIVES
Use squirt bottle of water and paper towel to clean sticky fingers while working.
Clean bone or teflon folder, bowls, brushes with warm soapy water, and dry with paper towels.
Bowls and brushes are rinsed periodically with alcohol.
Do not set a water jar directly on a table.
Store the squirt jar of water vertically inside the plastic bin when not in use.

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Responsibilities of catalogers : all manuscripts

See the instructions for Numbering folders, labeling boxes, send to end-processing in the Manuscript Section, Processing manual, from the Houghton Technical Services Wiki.




COLLECTIONS




BOXED COLLECTIONS
Boxed collections are housed in two different ways. Either they are in acid-free file folders with a re-inforced tab that stand upright inside legal-sized Hollinger boxes, or they are in 2-flap acid-free folders that rest flat in a box with an attached lid (called a clam-shell box) that was specially designed for ease of use in the Reading Room. Usually collections that present few special housing considerations and are not frequently used are stored upright and sent to HD. If a collection is too fragile to go to HD, or if heavy use is expected, it may instead be kept in flat boxes on site, since Houghton shelving is adjusted to accept flat boxes about 4" high. Shelving in the Harvard Theatre Collection (HTC) and at HD can accept either upright or flat boxes. When a collection uses both flat and upright boxes, each type has an identifying prefix. Manuscripts in the standard-size box, whether flat or upright, have the prefix "bMS", meaning "boxed manuscript", as part of their call number. Any flat boxes larger than the standard size are called "pfMS" boxes, for "portfolio manuscript". Rarely, an upright box that is part of a larger collection must be kept at Houghton, and in that case it has no prefix, and is shelved with upright bound volumes, as simply "MS", since it is too tall for the regular boxed manuscript shelves. This was reviewed in more detail under the previous section: "Call numbers/
accession numbers, housing /storage indicators, shelving categories, and special locations".

COLLECTIONS OF BOUND VOLUMES
Some collections consist of diaries or scrapbooks, etc. In this case, the "(item number)" represents one of the bound volumes, rather than a folder full of loose sheets. Volumes that are stored upright have no prefix. Their call number begins with "MS". If they are shelved flat, their call number will begin with "bMS" whether they are in a box or not, because all flat items that approximate the size of the standard flat box (11x15x3") are shelved in the same area. In this instance "b" means "boxed", but also refers to a specific area of the stacks. There is a separate section on end-processing single items that applies to end-processing such collections.The difference between a collection of bound volumes and a single item bound volume is that the single item will not have an OASIS finding.




Printing Labels for Manuscript Collections

MANUSCRIPT FOLDER LABELS

These instruction are based on a filed named: README.txt within the folder:    H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.folders

(Similarly, the Location of files for box labels are within the folder:  H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.boxes

NOTE: the Box Label script will not work with collections whose boxes are attached at only the collection level

  • Create a desktop shortcut for your downloads folder
  • Create a desktop shortcut for the folder:   H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.folders
  • Open ArchivesSpace and download a resource EAD file (under "Export")
  • Save it to the downloads folder
  • Minimize ArchivesSpace and click on the desktop shortcut you created for the script:  hou.labels.folders
  • To start the script, double-click on the batch file:  hou.labels.folders.bat  (in H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.folders)
  • Select the downloaded EAD file from the file picker window (the window might be hidden behind other open windows)
  • If a "Header Record Delimiters" message box appears in Word, click "OK " and the script should continue.
  • You may see a "black" screen appear, indicating the script is "at work"
  • Sometimes it takes a few minutes before the labels appear automatically in WORD
  • If you don't see the labels, minimize whatever screen you are in, or, try clicking on WORD on your task bar to make them appear
  • Review the generated labels in Word and edit as needed. (May need to exit document and reopen in order to edit, or in order to print them).
  • Print the labels (1x4" 20 per sheet Demco WS14218070)
  • If you get a message the "labels cannot be made" there may be some coding errors in ArchivesSpace - consult colleagues
  • If desired, create a folder for that call number and store label document & any other relevant end-processing documents there




    Sample labels : MS Span 185

    MANUSCRIPT BOX LABELS

    These instruction are based on a filed named: README.txt within the folder:    H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.boxesNOTE: the Box Label script will not work with collections whose boxes are attached at only the collection level

    • Create a desktop shortcut for your downloads folder
    • Create a desktop shortcut for the folder:   H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.boxes
    • Open ArchivesSpace and download container labels (under "Export")
    • Save it to the downloads folder
    • Minimize ArchivesSpace and click on the desktop shortcut you created for the script:  hou.labels.boxes
    • To start the script, double-click on the batch file:  hou.labels.boxes.bat  (in H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.boxes)
    • Select the downloaded file from the file picker window (the window might be hidden behind other open windows)
    • If a "Header Record Delimiters" message box appears in Word, click "OK " and the script should continue.
    • You may see a "black" screen appear, indicating the script is "at work"
    • Sometimes it takes a few minutes before the labels appear automatically in WORD
    • If you don't see the labels, minimize whatever screen you are in, or try clicking on WORD on your task bar to see them.
    • Review the generated labels in Word. Edit if needed. (May need to exit document and reopen in order to print them).
    • Print the labels on 2 x 3.5" business card-size perforated labels (vendor chosen by Technical Services Librarian).
    • If you get a message the "labels cannot be made" there may be some coding errors in ArchivesSpace - consult colleagues
    • If desired, create a folder for that call number and store box label document & any other relevant end-processing documents there.


  • (Similarly, the Location offiles for box labels are within the folder:   H:\HOUGHTON\Technical Services\MS Section\MS documentation\hou.labels.folders
  • Pre-processing (upon request of cataloger)
  • Examine collection to assess supply, student help, and other needs.
  • Discuss questions with cataloger or relevant others.
  • Create a workable plan for completing the collection on time.
  • Discuss "Goals, Expectations, and General Procedures for students" with student assistants.
  • Follow BOX LABEL INSTRUCTIONS.
  • Inspect each box briefly for quality control while making sure all items are present and in order.
  • Send boxes to HD (or to stacks) in batches as they are finished (follow current HD protocol ).

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Responsibilities for all collections

  • Do not try to flatten random creases or dogears (bent corners).
  • Interleave or otherwise segregate harmful or delicate material. Ask Vicki about what type of interleaving to use.
  • Do not try to remove pressure sensitive tape or adhesions from manuscripts, keep a list of such items.
  • Do not use pressure sensitive (scotch, etc.) tape to mend or construct enclosures of any kind.
  • Do not attached "post-its" directly to manuscript material of any kind.
  • Keep erasure spread minimized so it doesn't get into the folders.


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    Procedures, warnings and tips for students : all collections



    APPLYING FOLDER LABELS AHEAD OF TIME
    Sometimes collections will need to be refoldered. Do not apply labels in advance to empty folders in order to "save time" as this can cause one to mistake an empty folder for a finished one and it can throw off the numbering of all the items. Also some items may turn out to be oversize and shelved separately, requiring a different size folder. If there happen to be many such items, the wrong size folder will continue to be labelled and supplies will go to waste. Applying labels slowly and carefully matching them with the items one at a time makes this less likely to happen, and provides an extra measure of "proofing" of everyone's work.

    BINDING MATERIALS
    Sometimes a group of papers is bound together with brads or staples or sewing along the edge. Always make a note of such bindings and ask whether to remove them. Usually staples are left in if they are part of a formal-looking "binding", or in a pamphlet. Usually brads and thread are removed as they can more readily damage the paper. Certain kind of brads are not removeable with ordinary tools, so they are left in. However, it is best to ask first, as the curator sometimes has a specific reason for wanting to keep the binding intact. (Even though as a standard practice, we remove staples that often appear on the upper left corner of a group of papers.)

    BOX LABELS
    Place a label holder on the box, rubbing it down with a teflon folder as instructed, and cut and fold the backing paper from the self-adhesive box label holders to make temporary labels that list the call number and range of items in pencil. If we run out of label holders temporarily, use post-its on the boxes. Center labels on the short end of the box unless otherwise instructed.

    CORRECTIONS TO THE FINDING AID
    Affix a large lined post-it sheet to the verso of a page that lists items needing correction or having questions. Allow the bottom edge of the post-it to protrude about 1/2 inch below the page so it is easily visible. List the item number and the question/correction. For example:  "(1) = 2 folders, not 6?"  or "(37) = sp. 'tomayto'?"  Affix a matching color small post-it to the temporary box label, listing each item number that has a question.

    FINISHING A COLLECTION
    Make sure that all papers and unused supplies, etc.leftover after a collection is finished are neat. Discard any labels that you know are not going to be used so that they don't create confusion about whether the work was complete. Any labels that are left behind should be clearly marked as to why they were not pasted down before handing peripheral materials to the supervisor, who will note any further necessary corrections to the finding aid. Give all leftover materials/supplies to the supervisor as well, and make sure the work station is clean and ready for the next collection.

    INTERLEAVING AND INNER FOLDERS
    Interleaving should approximate the size of the folder (about 1/16" smaller on all sides), not the size of the collection material. Use legal-sized sheets of permalife for legal-sized folders, and letter-sized sheets for letter-sized folders. We have packages of inner permalife folders with tabs for both legal and letter size folders. There is also a box of permalife, phototex, and Apollo tissue interleaving folders that we custom cut ourselves for items stored in flat standard size boxes. In some cases, use inner folders of folder stock, as instructed, which we also sometimes custom cut and keep in a document box for collections stored upright. User inner folders and interleaving sparingly so as not to add unnecessary bulk to a collection, or to overuse supplies.

    POST-ITS
    We don't use post-its ("sticky notes") on manuscript material because it can leave a residue that collects dirt. They can also harm some leather covers. However, in modern collections a post-it might be part of the material. In that case, make a note of the item number and you may be asked to put it in a permalife inner folder to protect other items, in case it were to detach. If there is an excessive amount of post-its throughout the collection, we might decide not to use any inner folders at all though, as it would add too much bulk and use up a lot of paper.

    PRESSURE SENSITIVE TAPE
  • "Scotch tape" or "masking tape" is referred to as "pressure sensitive tape", meaning it adheres because pressure is applied to make it stick. If an item has tape on it, you may want to put them into an inner folder (of folder stock) if the adhesive is oozing out. Or if the adhesive seems dry and stable, you could interleave it on both sides with the correct size of permalife instead. For excessive tape, or badly oozing tape, make a note and tell the supervisor. We sometimes put them into a mylar inner folder to contain the adhesive and keep it and/or stains from the tape from migrating to other items. Do not try to remove tape.
  • If you find tape whose adhesive has dried and it has "popped off" by itself, you should examine it carefully to see whether it has any text on it at all, any pencil, pen, or typing or marks. If it does, we should keep it, ask the supervisor what to do. If it doesn't, ask whether it's ok to throw it away. In some very rare instances, with items which have lots of editing that uses scotch tape and small pieces of paper, conservators might find such a thing useful in order to restore the original order. But in most instance, we just throw away a piece of scotch tape with no text.
  • Do not put pressure sensitive tape (scotch, etc.) on any enclosures, as it can stick to materials and cannot be easily removed. Enclosures are designed to function without the use of tape and adhesives whenever possible, in order to minimize exposure of material to dangerous substances. Also, enclosures are designed to avoid having to slide materials in and out. For example, a 4-flap enclosure is meant to be pealed open. It is not meant to function as an envelope.

    REMOVING STAPLES
    Staples are not normally removed from collections except by special request. Never use a "claw" type staple remover. Get a demonstration of the procedure below. Place sheets flat on a table with the ends of the staple exposed. Slip a microspatula under one end at a time, rotating the spatula to lift the end up. Turn the sheets over and slip the spatula under the front part of the staple and rotate until you can pull it out. If thin/fragile paper, put the corner of a rectangle of mylar under the two ends of the staple first and then try sliding the microspatula under them.Ask for instruction or assistance with fragile items or heavy duty staples before proceeding. Sometimes staples can safely be removed from thin/fragile paper using one's fingernail.


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End-processing an upright collection.


APPLYING SELF-ADHESIVE LABELS TO ACID-FREE FILE FOLDERS
Position manuscript material away from the reinforced tab of the file folder.
Work slowly so label doesn't accidentally adhere to manuscripts.
Label should cover any penciled text on the upper left tab and sit about 1/16" below top edge
Text that might protrude should be erased before the label is affixed to avoid smearing ink.
Use white Mars plastic Staedtler erasers for folders, sweep work area frequently into wastebasket.
Be consistent with placement in a given collection, once the location is chosen.
Do not reapply spoiled labels as they can smear and eventually fall off : it is better to reprint them.

FILLING AN UPRIGHT DOCUMENT BOX
There are acid-free board "spacers" for Record Storage boxes (Paige boxes) and Document boxes (Hollinger boxes) available to prevent this from happening. There is also a thinner, a wider, and a taller version of the document box available. If you cannot slip your hand into the back of the box, it is overfull. But it is also important not to under-fill the box. The folders and their contents will start to slip and curl at the bottom if the box is not adequately full, as illustrated below.

FILLING AN UPRIGHT FILE FOLDER AND WHEN TO CREASE BOTTOM OF FOLDER
In addition to the crease along the bottom of the folder, there are some additional score lines that could be folded to adjust the thickness of the folder when necessary. If in doubt about where to crease the folder, it may be better not to crease it at all, but to ask for help. Use the guidelines below:

  • IF UPRIGHT FOLDER IS NOT FULL ENOUGH bottom of folder might stay flat, but pressure from other folders in the box can cause bottom to "fan out" which causes adjacent folders to curl at bottom. Also causes bottom edges of contents to curl over time.
  • IF UPRIGHT FOLDER IS NOT FULL ENOUGH surrounding folders can create pressure causing folder to push up the contents unevenly and rest on the edge of one crease rather than laying flat. This can cause contents that would otherwise fit in the folder to stick above the top of it. Also, bottom edges of contents can eventually start to curl or cause adjacent folders to curl.
  • FOLDER IS FILLED PROPERLY if there is a small amount of contents that do not require an extra crease at the bottom. Folder is also filled properly when the thickness of the material matches thickness of the folder. Sometimes it is necessary to add a custom crease in order to match the thickness of the material. Ask for help if needed.


UPRIGHT FILE FOLDERS WITH THICK CONTENTS IN UPRIGHT DOCUMENT BOX
Folders with thick contents are the most likely to curl if the creases at the bottom of the folders are not folded to make the bottoms flat. However, one should not fold the bottom of a folder flat if there are only a few sheets inside the folder, because this too will cause the folders to slip down and become deformed. Please ask for a demonstration of the meaning of this as it is important to understand for the safety of the materials.

This is how it should look.

Creasing folders with thick contents, part I
Creasing folders with thick contents, part II


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VOLUMES STORED UPRIGHT IN BOX
If volumes are too tall to stand normally inside the box, or if the bottom of the text block is flush or slightly longer than the bottom edges of the boards, let the volumes rest on their spines within the folder. If they are stored with the spines up, it will put pressure on the boards and they will eventually detach.


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End processing a flat collection.


APPLYING SELF-ADHESIVE LABELS
Position manuscript material away from the upper left corner of the folder, to create a flat surface on which to rub down the label, and so as not to put pressure on the material itself. Return manuscript material neatly to its final location within the folder. Work slowly so label doesn't accidentally adhere to manuscripts.
Label should cover any penciled text on the upper left corner and sit about ¾" below top edge and about ¾" from the left (folded) edge.Text that might protrude should be erased before the label is affixed to avoid smearing ink. Be consistent with placement in a given collection, once the location is chosen. Do not reapply spoiled labels: keep a list of reprints needed.

ODD-SHAPED OR THICK ITEMS OR VOLUMES IN BOX
If you find an object, an unusually thick folder, or a volume in a box to be foldered, make a note of it or tell the supervisor who will take care of any custom housing for it. Often a volume will have a custom, stiff 3-panel folder made to fit the width of the volume and the height of the box. It will then be stored on the top of the pile, with a premade label that says KEEP ON TOP.This will keep it from sliding too much in the box.

KEEPING ORDER INSIDE THE FOLDER
Keep sheets as square as possible inside the folder, but do not try to pick them up and tap the edge on the table, because often they are fragile. Instead, for badly disarrayed sheets, lay them on top of each other one at a time slowly and carefully. But do this only if they are badly disarrayed or it will just waste a lot of time. Most collections probably won't even need to be neatened up. Keep the original order of the material, make sure no sheets are upside down (unless you can determine that this is part of the correct order).

Procedures, warnings and tips for Manuscript end-processor : upright collection


DOCUMENT BOXES
For upright document boxes, use archival corrugated board "spacers" boxes that are not all the way full. Document boxes come in half width, tall (12 ¾"), and wide (7"). We use the wide and tall rarely so as not to have too many different types of supplies to stock, store, and keep track of. Occasionally we use letter-size boxes, when it better suits the material. But we have only standard and half width of these. We custom make folders out of scrap for the tall document boxes, cutting them to the full height of the box.


UPRIGHT MANUSCRIPTS TALLER THAN FOLDER
Use a custom inner folder, which we cut from white acid-free folder scrap and store in a legal-sized document box (Hollinger). Unlike the legal-sized folders, these folders are the full height of the box and provide protection for manuscripts that would otherwise protrude from the top of the folder. These inner folders do not have tabs. We use these custom folders for protection, even though they cover the label on the reinforced tab of the outer folder. If vendors made folders the full height of the boxes, we wouldn't need to make our own. If such folders were available, we would use them exclusively, because it is safer to have the folders all of equal height. Occasionally we might use the custom folder alone rather than as an inner folder. In that case, we would put the label on the outside front of the folder so it is visible.

UPRIGHT MANUSCRIPTS TALL ENOUGH TO COVER FOLDER LABEL
Reuseable white acid-free "music-sized" folders from storage area can also be cut down to the size of the front flap of a legal-sized folder, and also trimmed a bit on the end so that they fit easily inside a regular legal-sized acid-free manuscript folder. These are useful for items that are torn, or need to be kept together, or need to be isolated for whatever reason. They can be used for clippings that are fragile. This also helps use up old stock that would otherwise be unusable.

UPRIGHT MANUSCRIPTS TOO TALL FOR DOCUMENT BOX
For a collection that is going to HD, use an extra tall (12 ½") Hollinger box for items that are best stored upright but do not fit into the regular size document box. DO NOT use a tall document box for HTC items that will be stored onsite, as they exceed the dimensions of the shelving. Use of the tall document box may be re-evaluated so that the number of different kinds of boxes and supplies can be minimized. In that case, we may decide to use flat boxes for those oversize items. For items that are removed from their normal sequence, the manuscript end-processor will annotate the Finding Aid Correction notebook with "shelved at end of collection" or "shelved as pf at end of collection".


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Procedures, warnings and tips for Manuscript end-processor : flat collection


FITTING OUT A BOX
Here are some examples of boxes fitted out for minimal movement of contents during transport to HD. In future this level of customization may be reserved for extraordinarily fragile items. (see sample box fitted out for transport).

INTERLEAVING A FLAT COLLECTION
Interleaving is used to protect manuscripts from items within the collection that may cause damage, such as acidic newspaper clippings, or pressure sensitive tape. We often use Apollo or permalife paper, folding a larger sheet into quarters before cutting to size. Always measure your first several cuts by putting them inside a folder to make sure you are cutting correctly before cutting a large batch. Or use the template (sample) on file.We don't want them to be the exact size as the inside of the folders because they would be likely to slide past the folds and get their edges bent when the folder is closed up, or stick out of the edges of the folder. They should be just slightly (1/8" approx.) smaller in dimension than the inside of the folder. They should be almost full-size, because it keeps whatever is behind it from touching other material. We don't use 8 ½ x 11" Perma-dur or Perma life sheets, for example, because manuscripts protrude from behind it. Cut all 4 sides, in order to make them as square as possible on the paper cutter.
Especially for flat collections, we might also use thicker folder stock, acid-free board, or corrugated board to separate items that may damage each other with their bulk, unevenness, or protrusions, such as a spiral notebook. To avoid the effects of gravity on the materials, since they rest against each other, we put very fragile items, such as tintypes, or brittle photographs inside pre-fabs and store that on the top of the pile inside the box, using a pre-printed label that says "KEEP ON TOP".


2-FLAP ACID-FREE FOLDERS
We currently use white 2-flap acid-free folders, cut to the size of the box, for most flat manuscript collections.

3-FLAP FOLDERS
We are using up the supply of these sturdy custom folders on collections of photographs or collections that have many small delicate pieces to be kept together. The Reading Room uses spoiled 3-flap folders to transport materials for reproduction, because they keep things from falling out. We no longer buy them because they are a bit difficult and time-consuming to fold, their thickness uses up a lot of space, and they are a bit cumbersome in the Reading Room.


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Autograph files and Catchalls


AUTOGRAPH FILES
The large collections referred to thus far are mainly closed groupings of items from the same source, such as gift or bequest of a certain individual, or purchased with a particular fund. But some collections are composed of items that each have a different source. They are grouped together either because they provide examples of handwriting and signatures of famous literary figures (hence the name Autograph file), or because they are miscellaneous and unrelated (usually) single sheets.There is a rather large Autograph file at Houghton and in the Theatre Collection. They were begun in the early years of the library and we continue adding to them. Their call numbers are : "Autograph file" and "HTC Autograph file". Items in these two collections, are filed alphabetically by author. They do not have item numbers like most other collections do. We have not added barcodes to the boxes for the Autograph files because each item, within its folder, has its own item record (see: Item Records and Bar codes). The number of boxes cannot be determined by looking at the item records for these collections. If a box is added, the finding aid should be updated. That is how one would know the number of boxes on the shelf.

CATCHALLS
Catchalls are also collections of single items that are related in subject matter, but that have come to the library from a variety of sources. Normally each item does not exceed one folder. Older collections are often filed alphabetically, but newer ones tend to have item numbers to which items are continually added, out of alphabetical order. Keeping the official list of all Autograph files and catchalls is part of the manuscript accessioning process. Most catchalls have normal-looking call numbers, but some do not. Examples are: 

Lowell Autograph file (old collection that was originally alphabetical but was given item numbers and closed; filed by item numbers)

Portrait file (filed alphabetically; no item numbers)

HTC Programs 2 (filed by item number; items are added continually, out of alphabetical order)

bMS Thr 511 (filed by item number; items are added continually, out of alphabetical order)
This is a collection of Tennessee Williams typescript compositions, 1936-1979 and undated, from various different sources. One of its box labels appears in the sample book.

 Consult ArchivesSpace Container Management module to determine box & folder size.

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SINGLE ITEM MANUSCRIPTS


Single items do not have finding aids in OASIS, because they don't represent collections of anything, but stand alone. They come in many shapes and sizes. They can be sheets of paper that get put into an acid free folder within a prefab; a bound volume requiring no housing; a volume or sheets of paper inside a cmi or preexisting box; an oddly-shaped item inside an oddly-shaped box; an upright document box with multiple folders; a flat clamshell box with multiple folders; or pf boxes of any size with multiple folders, etc. Single items can be shelved at Houghton or can go to H.D. There are many variations.
NOTE: Sometimes a small manuscript collection will arrive that seems more a single item, because it doesn't have a finding aid in OASIS. Instead, the "items" are listed in the 520 field. It is easy to get confused, even though there are separate tracking forms for collections and for single items. Custom procedures are required to produce the labels for such collections, since the format/placement of data doesn't conform with that of other manuscript collections. If the collection is end-processed as a single item by mistake, some of the information could be misconstrued on the labels.

Basic steps for end-processing single item manuscripts


■ Receive single items on the top shelf of the red "incoming manuscripts" truck in the manuscript end-processing work room.
■ Flat boxes are received on the lower shelves of the red truck, but exceptions can be made to conserve space.
■ Make sure the AEON slip accompanying the item shows the item is checked out to Manuscript end-processing. There should be no need to go into AEON until the item is ready for shelving.
■ Whether stored upright or flat, receive information about the item from Manuscript Collection & Single Item tracking form (viewable only in:  Adobe Acrobat DC and the ALEPH printout (with circled call number and accession number) from cataloger.
■ Examine item to make sure call number is visible and item is safe or in a safe enclosure while it is on the truck waiting for end-processing.
■ Discuss questions with cataloger or relevant others. Repeat this step whenever necessary.
■ As time permits, enter the item into the Manuscript Log, or batch items and have students log them in, using steps provided earlier in this document.
■ Print out the necessary labels from the Manuscript log, and end-process items according to practices and procedures listed below.
■ In ALEPH, create an item record, if none exists, using the guidelines in this document.
■ Scan bar code of the item into the item record.
■ Log out completed items, noting date shelved and number of labels made, etc.
■ Route items to "re-shelved" in AEON and place them on large white truck near door.
■ Note the date shelved on the tracking form and file it in box next to workstation, according to call number.
(These are kept until statistics are finalized at end of fiscal year).

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End-processing single item manuscripts : no housing required


Bound manuscripts (volumes) that are not part of a larger collection sometimes require no housing. The procedure for end-processing such volumes is different than that of boxed collections. Volumes without preservation issues or loose sheets/inserts can go upright on the shelf as they are after receiving labels and a shelf tab. Sometimes, however, volumes are housed flat because their boards have a worn bottom edge that will cause the volume to rest on the text block, and thus damage it over time. Volumes stored flat for this reason (usually larger volumes) may not require a box, unless they have loose pages or other preservation issues.
*NOTE: If a loose page or two at the beginning or end of the volume has made a clean break, the volume may be a candidate for quick repair, as this would be cheaper and faster than having a box made for it. Consult with or route the item to the Preservation Librarian, who may have further consultations with the curator or head of technical services. The same can be said for a detached board or spine. All single item volumes that do not require housing receive the following labels:

■ small label for back of volume:

shelf mark 
HOUGHTON LIBRARY


The small label for the back of the volume normally goes in upper right of the inside of the back board.


AVOID COVERING TEXT or MARKS OF ANY KIND.


It's hard to tell whether the pencil mark that was partially covered above was a little sketch or a random mark. Researchers often request to examine anything that is covered up like this. Preservation staff would then have to spend time carefully removing the plate. The plate would also then have to be re-pasted in a different location, and it slows down the patron's work as well. Do not cover stains or spots either, because they could mask the spread of mold or bleed through the label, making it difficult to read.

shelf tab:
(front)

shelf mark  

Bound volumes need a long shelf tab made from acid-free folder stock with the call number on the front as shown above. The tab is actually longer than shown here. It is the full height of the volume, plus the height of the bar code. Leave 1/16" or so between the barcode and the volume so avoid any chance of the adhesive from the bar code accidentally getting onto the volume (see below). Presently folder stock is used that is thicker than the white acid-free folder stock, because the white acid-free stock is damaged easily. The thicker stock doesn't fit into the computer, so a typewriter is used to add the call number to the top of the tab. The call number goes flush left on the top of the tab to make it more visible, and to not spend time centering it. We use scrap, cut slightly wider than the barcode, rather than using a computer to measure out the width. However, there is now a report in the Manuscript log for printing out shelf tabs onto the thinner white folder stock.

barcode:
(verso of shelf tab)

barcode

A barcode is placed on the back of the shelf tab as shown above. There are four kinds of bar codes: Houghton and Houghton [HD]; Havard Theatre Collection and Harvard Theatre Collection [HD]. This is subject to change. The shelf tab is placed inside the back board of the volume, near the gutter.

 donor plate:

(sample)

Bound volumes get a donor plate, centered, inside the front board, attached with methyl cellulose. To select the right donor plate, check provenance information in HOLLIS, or the 541 field in ALEPH to see what fund an item was purchased from, or in the case of a gift, the name of the donor. Then try to find a match in the three-ring notebooks that record all plates on the mezzanine. *See SAMPLE BOOK (and rules) FOR LABELS AND TABS for information on when to use the generic "HCL" donor plate shown below.


HARVARD COLLEGE

LIBRARY


NOTE ABOUT PLACEMENT OF DONOR PLATE
Though small labels and donor plates ideally are centered, some subjectivity regarding placement is unavoidable when text or other markings appear that should not be covered up. Also sometimes subjectivity in placement will occur when multiple donor plates must be pasted into one volume. Aesthetic sensibility and experience is required for this. Allowances must be made for an individual's judgement on placement. No two people will always put the plates in the identical spot. To assume otherwise is a kind of flawed perfectionism that may lead to work being unnecessarily re-done, which is not in the best interest of the material.
Instructions about placement of the small label and donor plate are reversed for Arabic, Indic, and Persian, manuscripts. For these volumes, the donor plate goes on the back cover and the small label goes on the front cover.

PASTING DOWN THE PLATE
When an item has a strong enough front board, clear of text, the plate is fully adhered to the center of the board. It is brushed from the center outwards with methyl cellulose on a pad of newsprint. When it is affixed to the board, an opened paper towel is placed on it and a teflon folder is used to smooth it down. Afterwards, a "sandwich" of hollytex, blotter, and mylar rectangles (about 4 x 5") is placed on it and the book is closed, acting as a weight while the plate dries overnight. The sheet of hollytex goes directly on the plate, to prevent sticking. The blotter, on top of that, absorbs moisture; and the last sheet, mylar, prevents moisture from transferring to the text block.
Plates can also be "tipped in" so one can lift them to view text. When tipping a plate into a volume, use about 1/16" of methyl cellulose and put very near the "gutter" of the volume if possible, as this will help it stick when the volume is closed. Use a rectangle of Hollytex to prevent sticking.

*NOTE: Volumes that are going individually to Harvard Depository (offsite storage) do not require shelf tabs. They are tied into a Tyvek envelope and the barcodes and labels are applied to the exterior of that envelope, as outlined under  End-processing single item manuscripts : Harvard Depository (offsite storage).


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End-processing single item manuscripts : CMI and Phase boxes


Sometimes volumes come to end-processing needing a box because they have a detached board, vulnerable text block, or some other preservation problem. CMI is the name of a company that makes custom boxes and four-flap enclosures for volumes of all shapes and sizes. The volume is labelled but not barcoded because the barcode will go on the outside of the box rather than on a shelf tab. Volumes with loose pages or inserts are also boxed whether they are in good condition or not. Such volumes are put into a white acid-free envelope whose flap has been trimmed off (at the request of the Preservation Department). Currently they are checked out with an AEON call slip that routes them to "In Technical Services - End-processing".  Items are measured by the Manuscript end-processor or a student trained and supervised by the manuscript end-processor, basically following the written instructions available in CMI Manuscript End-Processing and Cases and boxes.


Volumes that go into a CMI box get a small label inside the back cover, just like an upright volume that does not require any housing. They also get a donor plate. But instead of a shelf tab, they will receive a spine label with the call number, and a barcode will go on the upper left of the front of the box. If there is no place to put the donor label on the volume, it can be pasted inside the front cover of the box instead.

See details in: CMI Manuscript End-processing (Acquisitions and End-processing section of the Houghton Technical Services WIKI).

*NOTE: CMI or phase boxes for volumes that are going individually to Harvard Depository (offsite storage) are labeled slightly differently.   End-processing single item manuscripts : Harvard Depository (offsite storage).


End-processing single item manuscripts : cloth boxes


Rarely, if an item is very valuable and important it may require a cloth box, possibly with a leather spine label. In this case, the volume receives a donor plate and a small label as would a volume that did not need housing. If there is no place to put the donor label on the volume, it can be pasted inside the front cover of the cloth box instead.
The volume is then into a white acid-free envelope whose flap has been trimmed off. An AEON call slip that routes them to "In Conservation - Boxing" and a preservation routing slip is included that mentions a cloth box is required. The volume is then given to the Technical Services Librarian on mezzanine, who brings it to Preservation.
When the boxes are ready, Preservation staff will bring them to the end-processor for labeling and final shelving.
If a spine label hasn't been affixed by the box maker, or if the call number doesn't appear on the spine label that the box maker has made, a neat, formal-looking paper label on rag paper should be made, consisting of only the call number. It can be pasted on with pva, as methyl cellulose might not hold. The bar code can then be adhered with pva onto the front upper left corner of the box, as is done with cmi boxes.

Alternately, a short shelf tab can be made using the shelf tab report in the Manuscript Log:

shelf tab:
(front)

call number

The shelf tab should have a bar code on the back as shown in the previous section about volumes that do not need housing.
If the call number appears on the spine label that the box maker has made, the box will only need a bar code on the upper left front.

*NOTE: Upright volumes in cloth boxes for volumes that are going individually to Harvard Depository (offsite storage) may be labeled differently. See section on  End-processing single item manuscripts : Harvard Depository (offsite storage).

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End-processing single item manuscripts : pre-fabs

Some single item manuscripts might be merely a few sheets of paper. Rather than wasting a box for such a small amount of material, or having a custom cmi box made, we put them into pre-fabricated (pre-fab) enclosures made by Gaylord, so they can be stored upright with bound volumes. These are stocked in several sizes and stored on Mezzanine and in a special aisle of the stacks in Lamont, known to the books end-processor.
Sheets going into a prefab need a labelled two-flap inner folder to keep them from falling out when the pre-fab is opened. Students make these ahead of time from scrap and they are stored with the pre-fabs on shelves behind the end-processor's workstaion. Pre-fabs used in this manner also receive a donor plate pasted inside the front cover, an identification label on the front, and a barcode under that.
Items accumulate on the truck with the tracking form and ALEPH record, and AEON slip protruding on top and visible. When the truck is beginning to get full, items consisting of loose sheets (sometimes having arrived in white acid-free envelopes) should be transferred into the proper size pre-fab.
Paperback or otherwise vulnerable volumes of a certain thickness also go into pre-fabs. These volumes receive a small label in the back, as is the case with most other volumes. The donor label is pasted inside the front of the volume, rather than inside the pre-fab whenever possible.
Items consisting mainly of several loose sheets that require an inner white paper have their donor plates fully pasted down inside the front of the pre-fab, since there is no book "board" upon which to affix it.

Between projects, the manuscript end-processor finds the right donor plate for each item, and produces all needed labels for volumes, inner folders, etc. Pre-fabs can be batched for pasting in the donor plates and other labels, and done by students. If done in batches, prefabs can be left open and stacked in small piles to dry.

Sometimes awkwardly shaped items can be stored in a customized prefab. And, oftentimes, one can use a prefab to hold loose sheets that are supposed to accompany a volume, but are larger than the volume itself, thus creating a 2nd volume. If there are loose fragments, like a clasp, a pre-fab can be sometimes trimmed to the size of the volume, and measured with it for a CMI box. Here are some examples of custom fitted-out prefabs:

*NOTE: Single items in prefabs that are going individually to Harvard Depository (offsite storage) are labeled differently, as noted in the section  End-processing single item manuscripts : Harvard Depository (offsite storage).

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End-processing single item manuscripts : flat or upright document box

A single item manuscript consisting of many sheets of paper in folders, will be housed either upright in a pre-fab; upright in a document box or flat in a flat box.
One can make a single folder label using a Word template if that is what seems easiest at the time. See: Labeling single items. But making a single label in Word can cause unanticipated formatting problems. It is easier to simply use the Manuscript Folder Label report in the Manuscript Log. As long as the information is entered into the Log correctly, there should be no problem printing a single label for an item.

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End-processing single item manuscripts : Harvard Depository (offsite storage)

Historically, no single volume manuscripts to be stored upright have ever been sent to HD unless they were in an upright document box. Now this has changed. Procedures regarding housing (wrapping) and label placement mirror those of the upright single volumes that are cataloged and end-processed as printed books. These instructions apply only to upright manuscript volumes in cmi boxes; phase boxes; prefabs; and volumes that don't require housing.They do not apply to flat or upright document boxes. (Any items that are too small or thin to fully occupy a box the approximate size of our standard flat metal edge manuscript boxes should ideally not be sent to HD).


CMI AND PHASE BOXES : Harvard Depository
Procedures for CMI and Phase boxes for manuscript volumes are the same. The only differences between those boxed volumes shelved onsite and those shelved offsite are that offsite boxes must include an "HD HOU" or "HD THE" sticker below the barcode. A clear plastic protector sheet is applied over the labels on both the spine and the front of the volume as shown below.

 

 

PREFABS: Harvard Depository
The only difference between prefabs shelved onsite and those shelved offsite is the placement of the labels on the front. A prefab shelved onsite has the call number label on top and the barcode below.  A prefab shelved offsite has the barcode on top, the "HD HOU" or "HD THE" sticker underneath it, and the call number on the bottom. A single clear plastic protector sheet is applied to cover all three labels, as below:

 

WRAPPING VOLUMES THAT ARE NOT IN A BOX OR PREFAB: Harvard Depository
This procedure is the same as that outlined in the Printed books End-processing manual. Items are put into a Tyvek envelope, tied in a specific manner with cloth tape, and labeled on the front of the envelope in the same manner as a prefab.

(image will be inserted here).

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Donor Plate Guidelines.

HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY PLATE  (HCL plate)

We currently continue to use the (small) HCL plate on things which need a plate but for which provenance is unknown. Most transfer items should have an old plate of some kind in them, but for things which don’t, a small HCL plate can’t hurt, unless directed otherwise by Head of Technical Services or curator.

WHEN TO USE HCL (Harvard College Library) plate:
  ■ when an item is given by an anonymous donor.
  ■ when an item is purchased with funds other than Houghton's (usually Widener funds)
  ■ for transfers, such as: "transferred from New England Deposit Library" (see: fMS Ger 290)
  ■ for transfers, such as: "transferred from Widener in 1971" when there is no information in Aleph about the original source; there was no original donor plate put into the volume by Widener); there is no bound accessions record in RR for *71M-124 in which to check for any missing information: MS Ger 285
  ■ for transfers, such as: "transferred from HTC in 1967", with the accession number *66M-205. There are no bound accessions records to check; nothing is known about provenance beyond that it was transferred from HTC: MS Am 2261
  ■ when an item has been purchased by another library, not accessioned and then given to us (these, strictly speaking, aren't transfers). We are noting the fund(s) used and purchasing data in the 541, as we would for one of our own purchases. These items are receiving Houghton accession numbers, ownership labels and tabs, as per usual.

WHEN TO OMIT DONOR PLATE:
  ■ if items are on deposit
  ■  if an item is given to Harvard by someone whose last name is unknown (see: MS Gr 33)=re-check this, see HCL plate above.
  ■  if an item has been accessioned by another library and then given to us (bona fide transfers)

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GUIDELINES FOR TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS, FORMATS & MEDIA


Below are guidelines for the manuscript end-processor in handling various different types of manuscripts, formats and media found within the collections. The manuscript end-processor keeps this section up to date. Certain kinds of materials should remain on-site. In the Conservation Overlap section is a list of Harvard Depository (HD) FORMAT RESTRICTIONS.

Types of manuscripts (audiovisual, digital, photographic, printed material, realia)                                                     

AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS (Time-Based Media)

DIGITAL DISKS : CDs, LDs (Laser disk) and DVDs
CDs and DVDs should be removed from housing that is not polypropylene and stored upright in a polypropylene case. If they occur in a flat manuscript box, they can be removed and shelved upright in a labeled CD case. If it is necessary to keep the old housing, they can be stored upright together on the shelf and labelled 1 of 2, 2 of 2. Large numbers of cds/dvds can be put in boxes in order to keep them with a collection, if necessary, as long as they are in polypropylene cases and stored upright. Consult Preservation Librarian about LDs.

BORN-DIGITAL MATERIAL
This material is separated out from collections and processed and stored independently. See the wiki for Born-Digital Materials

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MAGNETIC TAPES : audio
Audiotapes, etc. are subject to condensation when moved to store offsite. Weissman has guidelines for audiovisual materials of all kinds. They recommend always making a preservation copy before sending off to HD. This is because all magnetic tapes are in a constant state of "decomposition". Protocols will be established, but for now deal with the tapes on a case by case basis. (When a single reel occurs among a collection, it can sometimes be housed in a simple 3-flap sleeve adhered to a stiff board and stored upright among papers, using standard acid-free materials.) Consult Houghton Preservation librarian as needed. They too should be housed so they don't move around in the box. Various kinds of magnetic tapes include DAT (Digital audiotape); micro cassette--from hand-held recording devices; reel-to-reel tape; standard audiocassettes.

Audiocassettes, in general, especially if there are many, can be housed upright in a box so the exposed tape edge faces upward. Replace jewel-box type plastic covers with archival ones only if chipped, or if more protection is needed. Loose chips or fragments can fall into the tape and damage it.

MAGNETIC TAPES : audiocassettes 
MS Am 3362  Gore Vidal audiotapes


MAGNETIC TAPES : video
Betacam or Video Home System (VHS); consult the Preservation Librarian. These should be stored upright and labelled along the edge for easy viewing. Videocassettes, in general, can be stored upright with the exposed tape edge facing up. Note whether there is a tab on that edge that needs to be removed to prevent taping over, and ask Preservation Librarian how to remove it. See also "movie film" -  Consult Preservation about SOUND-ON film, as it is sometimes magnetic and should NOT go to HD (i.e. "Super 8" movie film).


PHONOGRAPH RECORDS
Phonograph records are stored upright and not sent to HD because of their fragility. They should be packed firmly with interleaving sheets of coroplast or archival board so that they stay upright and won't warp. There are boxes made especially for phonograph records. Each record should have an acid-free protective sleeve if there is no other sleeve protecting it. The catalogers will determine whether the orginal sleeves will be kept, and the Preservation Librarian can assist in determining whether the original sleeves can be housed next to the records. Consult Preservation Librarian about other specific storage methods for metal, vinyl, or wax records, and about new ways to house phonograph records in future.

Bound albums containing phonograph records sometimes fit better in an extra-tall document box rather than a phonograph album box. If one record is too large to fit even in the taller box, see the housing solution slide presentation for an oversize phonograph record album. 

There are now custom oversize prefabs for larger individual records. And, we keep several sizes and styles of box on hand. These boxes are also generally useful for other media, such as reel-to-reel tapes.


Container Profiles for Record Albums

 


HOU prefab 1/4" spine (record album with cover) (13.125 x 13.5) [13.5d, 13.13h, 0.25w inches] extent measured by width



HOU prefab 1/4" spine (single record album) (12.75 x 13.25) [13.25d, 12.75h, 0.25w inches] extent measured by width



HOU Record Album box (45 rpm) [7.75d, 7.5h, 9w inches] extent measured by width



HOU Record Album box (extra large) [17.38d, 17h, 6.38w inches] extent measured by width



HOU Record Album box (half) [13.5d, 13.5h, 3.25w inches] extent measured by width



HOU Record Album box (large) [13.38d, 13.16h, 7.5w inches] extent measured by width



HOU Record Album box (small) [10.75d, 10.75h, 6w inches] extent measured by width



To choose the desired box, type:  HOU record



MOVIE FILM (16mm. etc.)
Movie film reels should be stored upright (according to the Preservation Librarian). If film is in good condition, stable, not warped, doesn't smell, is polyester-based, it can be sent to Harvard Depository, but if it is old or unstable-seeming in any way, ask Preservation for advice, as protocol can change. HD no longer keeps reels of film in "cold storage".  Films are either acetate, nitrocellulose, or polyester, it is usually best to consult the Preservation Librarian in general about film reels. Consult Preservation about SOUND-ON film, as it is sometimes magnetic and should NOT go to HD (i.e. "Super 8" movie film).

If the film has a strong smell that could be "Vinegar Syndrome" it may need to be tested for level of deterioration, and segregated or treated in a special way. Test strips are used for this purpose.

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PHOTOGRAPHS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS


Many early photographic techniques require special handling. Consult Conservation, who may suggest alerting the Photo Conservator at Weissman Preservation Center for assistance and advice. These are marked below, that will always need assistance, but also ask Conservation if there is any uncertainty about any particular photograph or technique.

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AMBROTYPES  *see: daguerreotypes

DAGUERREOTYPES *Consult Houghton Conservation (Weissman Center wants to examine all new material or problems)
Daguerreotypes can be stored upright only if: (a) the original box is in good condition, i.e. hinges in good working order, cover not loose and (b) it is in an enclosure that has been custom padded-out for protection. Otherwise, they can be stored flat, also in a padded-out box, and it does not matter whether they are stored with the image facing up or down, even though salts or degradation products from the glass from falling on top of the image can cause damage if they are facing up. In most cases, however, it is preferable to have the image face up, so the reader can see it without having to open it and then close, flip over, and open again.

Daguerreotypes and ambrotypes should be shelved in the Houghton building when possible because the climate at HD is too cold and Pusey/Lamont has too much fluctuation in RH.



MICROFILM
Old metal canisters, or paper reels can go into microfilm boxes/cartons. If going to HD, use tissue or some other method so that they won't roll around in the box. Microfilm CAN be sent to HD.


NEGATIVES
In the past it was thought that since negatives are different than photographs chemically, they should be stored in a different sleeve made of polyethylene rather than polypropylene. However, the new photo conservator tells us that if we simply use Phototex paper (available from Archivart) rather than polyethylene to interleave or folder negatives, we can avoid doing damage to those few types of negatives that don't store well in polyethylene. Thus, we can avoid having to test each batch of negatives to see whether they are the ones that are the exception to the rule. We keep a pf size ream of this paper in stock.

*GLASS LANTERN SLIDES *Consult Houghton Conservation (Weissman Center will want to provide specialized housing)
These are put into archival 4-flap folders, from preservation vendor. They come in various sizes. They should be stored upright. The Preservation Officer is looking into purchasing the right type of boxes, so should be consulted before proceeding.

*TINTYPES *Consult Houghton Conservation if problems or questions, and to keep up with new procedures
Tintypes can be stored upright in a prefab, in an inner folder, with a phototex barrier. If too many to fit in a prefab, store in a card file box in individual folders upright on the long side. Pad out the box so they stay upright. However they must have enough slight pressure to make sure they don't wobble in transit. Whatever the stiff outer enclosure, it should be padded out, or double pre-fabbed, to keep it from getting bent or crushed. Tintypes can go to HD. 4-flap folders for glass slides, with an inner backing of acid-free matboard cut to size of the folder usually work well as inner folders.

X-RAYS
X-rays are treated like negatives. It is best to store negatives in paper that does not have a watermark. Thus far, the only paper we have is phototex. If we need to use stiffer paper on a rare occasion, we use white acid-free folder stock. Since phototex is such a thin tissue, we often make a 3-flap folder which is the same length as the longest dimension of the enclosure.

*PHOTOGRAPHS *Consult Houghton Conservation with any questions. Weissman Center photoconservator can assist or advise.


Photographs are especially sensitive to fingerprints. To avoid the reader having to touch the surface, photographs are housed in archival photosleeves made of polypropylene  which are approved by Houghton's Preservation Department (see also: How to use Photosleeves.). Photographs that don't fit in these sleeves are stored sometimes in phototex paper, white archival folder stock, mylar folders (rarely), or alone in a single folder. Photographs that are too big for a sleeve, but that have white borders can sometimes be left as they are since fingerprints would only touch the border, and not the image itself. When handling photographic material directly, it is best, when possible, to wear the right size of nitrile glove, which will prevent fingerprints.
It is usually more efficient to have manuscript end-processing staff handle photographs, because photos rarely match the sizes of the enclosures, and lots of decisions have to be made such as whether the material that surrounds the polypropylene photosleeve is too fragile or thin and might either stick to it (by static) or be damaged by it. In such cases we might want to start a new box or folder at that point to avoid having to interleave or to allow a fragile item to be the first item on the pile in the next, rather than at the bottom of the first box. Also, if a box or folder becomes too full, we might decide to start a new one, which might affect whether they are stored in photosleeves or phototex paper, etc. The cataloger will not be able to foresee all these things, and neither will the end-processors until the time of actual end-processing. Having the manuscript end-processing staff handle photographs avoids having to re-do work and waste supplies.
Students will fill out the verso of the instruction sheet that accompanies each collection, indicating which items from the finding aid contain photographs. But sometimes the photographs are interspersed within a thick folder of papers and aren't that easy to find. Since this is time-consuming,we ask that catalogers put all photographs from an item at the back of the folder if possible. As with most things we do, there are often several different potential solutions to a problem, and it is impossible to foresee exactly which one will work, or whether a new one will occur to us. 
Sometimes a decision is made to interleave with phototex paper instead of using photosleeves, based on the types of surrounding materials; or whether the photographs are a more-or-less uniform size and might fit better into a small 4-flap enclosure. The photo Conservator at Weissman (Brenda) has approved the use of our archival white 2-flap folders with photographs when standard supplies don't work. Interleaving isn't required between the photo surface and the folder. [This would be in the case where a photo is too large to fit into a photo-sleeve]. The phototex paper is very thin and better suited for flat storage of photographs.
According the the WPC photo conservator, if there are lots of same-sized photographs stored together, it is ok not to interleave them, as long as they are in an enclosure that is close to the same size so that they don't slide around a lot. And, as long as there are no other preservation issues that might transfer from one photo to another.
Often a photograph on thick backing will need to have the individual sleeves cut down and folded under the edge so that they don't fall out. If the backing has a border of an inch or more, and supplies are low, and it is the only thing in the folder, it is ok to leave it without a sleeve or any sort of inner folder. The border will protect it from fingerprints. Because there are many such complicated considerations, it is best not to make decisions about housing photographs before the time of end-processing.
Standard-sized photographs in any manuscript collection here thus far are the exception. So, there are about 5 or 6 different standard-sized polypropylene photosleeves that we purchase, then cut the edges and fold them under the photographs to keep them from falling out. Only a photograph that fits exactly in the sleeve is in not too much danger of falling out. All others which are slightly smaller even, will start to slip out with the movement of the box off the shelf, etc. Also, there has to be at least 3/4 " flap to fold under or the flap will not hold either. So usually the Manuscript Assistant puts the photos into the sleeves, and the temp. or student does the clipping and folding.

We try to use sleeves with the most number of pockets per sheet as possible. Storing four photographs in one flat sheet uses space more efficiently than storing four photographs in two sheets; especially if there are hundreds of photographs in a collection. Anyone using photosleeves should first view TEST>>>>  How to use Photosleeves        How to use Photosleeves. See also : Preliminary Processing - Photo album (Nabakov)

PHOTOGRAPHS : chemical instablility
The main thing to watch for in any kind of photograph or negative is instability--meaning that an item is off-setting onto other items, or has adhesive or other sticky substances, or labels that could stick or off-set onto other items. If an item is cloudy, the image is otherwise obscured or seems like it might have mold on it, consult the Houghton Preservation librarian.

PHOTOGRAPHS : color
It's recommended that blueprints, cyanotypes (old blue photos), albumen prints (a photograph printed on paper that is coated with an emulsion of egg whites) and early color photographs be protected and stored in unbuffered material. HOWEVER, since that is time-consuming and confusing to students/staff, Brenda tells us that it is ok to store all photos in the same kind of materials, no matter when the photographs were produced, as long as they are stable, with nothing adhering to their surface.

PHOTOGRAPHS : identification
If there is uncertainty whether an image is a photograph or a half-tone, a lupe (8x) or illuminated microscope (30x) can be placed on top of a small sheet of mylar over the surface of the image. Photographs will not have regularly placed "dots" indicating a non-photographic process.

PHOTOGRAPHS : Polaroid
Use the same polypropylene photosleeves that are used for the majority of our photographs.

PHOTOGRAPHS : postcards
We don't put postcards in photosleeves unless they are actual photographs and not reproductions. If you can't tell, ask. We have a 30X illuminating microscope/8X magnifier that will reveal the many tiny dots of a half-tone, which indicates it is not a true photograph. Hold the tip of the magnifier slightly away from the surface of the postcard, or use mylar to protect as a barrier.
If there are many photographs that are postcards, ask the curator whether or not the postcards merit being put into photosleeves, because perhaps that image has been reproduced so often elsewhere that the photograph itself is unimportant. If so, it won't be necessary to spend so much time and use up expensive supplies on them.
Black and white, or color photographs go into the right size photosleeves, which are made of polypropylene, stored in boxes on the shelves in our workroom. Ask for a demonstration of how to use them, as it is not intuitive. Photos can also be safely stored in archival Mylar folders/sleeves.
When, a sheet of photosleeves is only partially filled, (for example, a sheet that will hold 4 photos is used to store an item that only contains 3 photographs), we use scissors to cut away the empty photosleeve. We save the unused portion of the photosleeve sheet in a black box in folders according to size. The reasoning is that if a reader sees an empty sleeve, they may waste everyone's time asking us to confirm whether something is "missing".
It is usually best to distribute all such fragments into these folders when done with a project as it becomes wasteful having them pile up without organizing them. And, it is less likely that someone will take the time to look through to find what they need. Keeping them in folders also prevents dust accumulation between projects. Storing them that way makes them much easier to find.
Photographs are usually stored flat, but sometimes we store them upright if they are mostly thick and in good condition, or if they are in photosleeves.



PHOTOGRAPHS : matted
Photographs that are matted are normally left as they are, unless the mat is very acidic and not relevant to the piece. Or it the mat is irrelevant and the photograph is not attached to it. Many factors, including the importance or condition of the collections come into play when making decisions about housing photographs. When a photograph is mounted on a stiff board, with a sheet of tissue tipped onto the top and covering the image, the tissue can often be removed with permission of the curator. The photograph can then be transferred to a polypropylene sleeve, which is the desired form of storage. Houghton Conservation can help if a mat is severely stuck down, but needs to be removed.

PHOTOGRAPHS : upright storage
We put all photographs into photosleeves. If a photograph is a bit taller than the folder, we make an inner folder out of white acid-free folder stock, just slightly smaller than the outer folder. The inner folder is at least the same height as the photograph. We try to make such folders uniform in size within a box as it looks neater, rather than have a lot of custom-sized inner folders of all different heights, even if it means that the photograph will sometimes be shorter than the inner folder. If there are a lot of photographs that are too big for the sleeves, we will put them into inner folders made usually of white acid-free folder stock, or simply interleave them with the folder stock.

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PRINTED MATERIAL : bound

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Books stored upright
Sometimes annotated books are found in a manuscript collection. If these are too tall to stand normally inside the box, or if the bottom of the textblock is flush or slightly longer than the bottom edges of the boards, let the volumes rest on their spines within the folder. If they are stored with the spines up, it will put pressure on the boards and they will eventually detach. If the book is in good condition, and has no inserts, it can be housed upright by itself as an "MS".
Books stored flat
Sometimes there are many books in a collection of mainly papers. They can be stored flat in separate piles within a box with a divider to keep them from abrading each other. Often a tab that is the full width of the volume and the width of the box, and of a slightly stiff material, is made to keep them from moving around too much in the box. They can be treated in the same way as bound manuscripts. Books within a collection that is mainly papers and letters are not plated. Sometimes a small label is put into the back of the volume, however, as would be the case with a bound manuscript within a collection.

BOUND PRINTED MATERIAL : Album or Scrapbook : interleaving clippings in an album
Scrapbooks are usually housed flat to make detachment of contents less likely. Try to estimate the thickness of paper that would be added to the volume if you were to interleave every page. This might be so much paper that it would compromise the structure of the binding. But if it is just a few pages and doesn’t seem like it would harm the binding, you could interleave. But, first find out whether this is an extraordinarily valuable item (sometimes clippings are not very rare); and whether the binding is already somewhat damaged. If the item is not unique or of great value, you may choose not to interleave.

Consider as well whether there are more such albums within the collection, and how much paper it would use up. If there are a lot, you might also decide not to do interleave.

If you do decide to go ahead, you can use Apollo “tissue” that is just slightly thinner than permalife, cut precisely to the size of the text block. Or if not much interleaving is needed, one can use 8 ½ x 11 and 11x17 permalife that has been cut to size.

BOUND PRINTED MATERIAL : pamphlets
Staples that are part of the binding are not removed from pamphlets. But they can be folded flat, at the staple, in order to reduce the thickness of a folder if necessary. They can be stored either upright or flat.

BOUND PRINTED MATERIAL : periodicals
If they are large and to be stored upright, make sure they are very secure inside the box so they do not curl. We do not put labels or donor plates into magazines. Care should be taken in the placement of the folder if the periodical is to be stored flat. If it would cause contiguous items to warp, then they can be stored on the top of the pile inside the box with a "keep on top" label on the folder.

PRINTED MATERIAL : unbound

CLIPPINGS
When original letters and ms. material include clippings, we normally unfold them as much as possible so that Imaging Services doesn't have to do that. We then interleave them with permalife, apollo, or permadur sheets so that they don't discolor surrounding material. However, if part of a collection is exclusively clippings, or if the clippings are adjacent to material such as photocopies of other clippings, we would not interleave. See also: GUIDELINES FOR TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS, FORMATS & MEDIA / BOUND PRINTED MATERIAL : Album or Scrapbook : interleaving clippings in an album.

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REALIA

DEATH/LIFE MASKS : originals or casts of face and other parts of body
Whether plaster or metal, these are all to be stored in the VAULT together, usually in a "hat" box, padded with volara or acid-free tissue, and with tissue as a "base" for the hollow area. Consult Conservation for difficult pieces. Metal should be stored in unbuffered boxes if possible. If not possible, surrounded with tissue.   See also:  plaster.

FLAG 
(Housing Solution for a flag).

MATCHES

See MANUSCRIPT MEDIA, powder-based

MIRRORS
Can be housed in unbuffered tissue: the same kind used for textiles. WPC says that buffered tissue would have calcium in it that could be abrasive to mirror. The Harvard Theatre Collection has some mirrors with elaborate metal frames. If intricate or problematic, it would be best to consult Preservation for advice on what materials to use for housing.

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Manuscript Formats (matted items, rolled items, spiral notebooks, etc.)

MATTED ITEMS

Matted items can go into folders along with the rest of a collection as long as they are roughly the same size as most of the other items within the box, and do not present any other apparent dangers to surrrounding material. If a large part of a collection is matted, or if the matted item is likely to be exhibited some day, we might go so far as to put a sheet of transparent paper interleaving behind the mat, and put an additional label with a water-based adhesive on the verso of the mat, or inside the mat below the hinged item, so there is no problem identifying it during the sometimes harried process of installing an exhibit, when folders can get separated from items.
If a mat is acid or in bad condition, the curator or cataloger may approve discarding it. Old hinges can be carefully cut off above the edge of the sheet with a scalpel or sharp olfa cutter. The curator or cataloger may want text photocopied for the curatorial files before discarding old mats. (See also: PHOTOGRAPHS: matted).

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PALM LEAVES : string

ROLLED ITEMS

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SPIRAL NOTEBOOKS (metal or plastic)
Many spiral notebooks will fit in the largest size of prefab. This will protect the materials that lay both underneath and on top of it from being dented by the metal or plastic. The largest pre-fabs are slightly shorter then the ms. boxes, but not too short to be used inside the box as if it were another ms. folder. However the width must be trimmed about 1/8 of an inch in order to be able to close the box. It might be best to use a metal ruler and olfa cutter to save wear on the paper cutter on the work table. Try to cut as close to the inner folder as you safely can. If you are using clam-shell boxes you won't have to trim the pre-fabs--but you will if you are using some of the older boxes, as most are slightly smaller inside.
The green paper cutter is not strong enough or large enough for cutting thick board like this. Always trim the pre-fab empty of contents, or you could end up cutting off the edge of a manuscript.
If stored upright, spine should be facing down, and be sure to accurately crease the bottom of the folder it is in. If this seems to present problems to rest of material, make a stiffer folder for it, or consider whether it could be stored with the spine up instead. If stored flat, you may have have it on top of the pile with a label "keep on top", unless it does not seem like it will damage other material or be damaged. One could pad out the area of the protruding spiral with board, but it is very time-consuming and materials are costly to do this routinely for large collections.

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Manuscript Media (metals, paint, powder-based, plaster, textiles, etc.)

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METALS
Copper plates, mounted on wood, used in book illustration, should be stored in boxes small enough that weight is not a problem. They should be on their sides, rather than laying flat, so that the surface is less likely to be damaged from pressure. They should have either full individual folders or 2 pt. board or mat board interleaving, rather than corrugated board, as corrugated might make an uneven impression on them. And they should be stored as firmly pushed together as possible so they don't move much, though not so tightly that they are exerting pressure on each other and on the box.
As far as buffered, non-buffered, Weissman Preservation Center (WPC) does not specify one or the other, just to use the usual materials we have on hand, i.e. the mat board and the 2 pt. board that is used for most everything else.
Check with WPC for other metals. Sometimes they are to be stored in unbuffered boxes, or at least wrapped in unbuffered materials to make corrosion less active, like tissue. Sometimes a ziplock bag might be acceptable, though bags in general are less desirable than folders/boxes that don't require pulling the item in and out.
Handcuffs, swords, etc. (see: bMS Am 2373) have been housed in unbuffered 6-pack microfilm boxes from metal edge. A cushion or ring base can be formed out of the UT30500R Acid-free unbuffered tissue from Gaylord's. Buffered boxes can also be used as long as it is lined with acid-free unbuffered tissue.

POWDER-BASED MEDIA (flat storage)
Artwork or important/fragile manuscripts that use charcoal, chalk, pastel, other powdery media should be put in a specially cut mat and then housed in a pre-fab (if they fit) so that nothing touches the surface. It is best if they are stored at the top of a box so there isn't excessive weight on them. Use a pre-printed "KEEP ON TOP" label. Do not use mylar or mylar-like material next to such items as static may pull some of the powder off the surface. Check with Houghton's preservation office before putting any kind of protective paper inside the mat as well.

POWDER-BASED MEDIA (realia)
Matches are sometimes part of a collection. Matches can often be removed from their boxes, or removed from a packet by taking out a the staple. The flammable tips are powdery and may flake off onto other items in the collection.

PAINT (flat storage)
Small oil paintings on canvas should be put in a pre-fab so that they won't be exposed to pressure or accidental bending that might cause the paint to flake off.
Water-based paints (acrylics, watercolor, poster-paints, etc.) should be separated from other materials. There is no need to use special folders or prefabs unless the paint has a thickness to it that looks as if it might be damaged by pressure or bending.

PLASTER
Plaster death/life masks, plaster casts of other body parts, etc. can be put into a box that has about 1/4" thick ethafoam bottom and beyond that, a "ring" made of unbuffered acid-free tissue tied with linen tape (mentioned also under "metal") can be put on the bottom as a base to keep items steady.

TEXTILES
Crumpled unbuffered acid-free tissue, rolled into snakes, can be put inside clothing next to folds, since that is where damage usually first occurs. Leave items as unfolded as possible. You will need larger boxes than usual for costumes, etc. The box doesn't have to be unbuffered, as long as there is unbuffered tissue between the item and the box. Use the large roll of tissue we keep in the manuscript end-processing work room.


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Books
Bound volumes in good physical condition should have the barcode labels attached to outside covers. Barcodes should be placed in the upper-left-hand corner of books, with the spine facing left. An alternative barcode location for books transferred from browsing collections is at the top of either the front or back book cover. No books can be accepted at the Depository with barcodes more than one-inch from the top of either cover or on the inside of either cover. Fragile books should be stored in protective acid-free envelopes, wrappers, or boxes, with one barcode attached to the outside of each container (in the upper left-hand corner), and a duplicate barcode may be affixed to the actual book. The preparation and barcoding of fragile items is described in more detail in the following section (Preparing Fragile Books For Transfer).




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SAMPLE BOOK (and rules) for non-standard labels and tabs


Before instructions went online, there was a three-ring notebook (still kept onsite by Manuscript End-processor) containing samples of labels from past collections that were sometimes useful for understanding how labels have evolved over the years, how to interpret early methods of handling certain circumstances. Some of the samples pre-date 1981. A new online version of the sample book is begun here as a shared resource, and is updated regularly. These are mostly samples of exceptions to the standard rules

ACCESSION NUMBER AS CALL NUMBER
Sometimes catalogers will choose to allow an accessions number serve as a call number. For volumes, the small label in back can use the date on the bottom instead of duplicating the accession number. For example, printed books that were once classed as 52L-MANUSCRIPTS and are being reclassed as 52L-1140 etc. will have small labels that look like this. We no longer include the date at the bottom of the small label that goes into the verso of the volume. We also omit "THE" from "HOUGHTON LIBRARY, as well as the asterisk that used to precede the accession number. Here are samples of the old and the new labels for bound single items.

CURRENT:

52L-1140
 HOUGHTON LIBRARY

OLD:

*52L-1140
THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY
1950

For volumes over 28 cm, put a lowercase "f" in front of the accession number (call number), but leave a space in between them. The "f"s are shelved in a different aisle. Some of the older ones have an uppercase "F" at the end rather than a lowercase "f" in front.  To continue the current practice, here is a sample label for an item in a prefab over 28 cm.:

              f 52L-1141
THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY
                 1950

ASTERISK USE AT THE END OF A CALL NUMBER*
In the past, catalogers used an asterisk at the end of a call number to indicate that an item was part of Houghton's collections. If the cataloger includes that asterisk from the old call number, use it. If an asterisk appears physically written on an item (as is often the case with RECON items) but the cataloger has not included it, then we won't bother including it on the label or card either.
Use information the cataloger has provided, since we are copying the information directly from ALEPH to make labels. It is no longer an important issue whether the asterisk is or is not included at the end of a call number.


ASTERISK USE AT THE BEGINNING OF AN *ACCESSION NUMBER
Houghton no longer uses an asterisk in front of the accession number (i.e. *2000M-33 would now be simply 2000M-33).


[BRACKETED INFORMATION] : SAMPLE LABEL

MS Am 2522
[Amy Lowell] [graphic] [ca. 1880?]. 1 photograph : tintype ; 1.5 x 2 cm.

source accession number
THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY


Brackets are used when information is supplied by the cataloger. But some types of bracketed information is not supposed to appear on the label. Information about author or place, for example, such as [Amy Lowell] is necessary to keep. But other descriptive information, as below is not meant to be included.

Here are some examples of bracketed items that should not appear on the label (except as marked):
[art original]--DOES BELONG
[graphic]
[motion picture]–DOES BELONG
[object]
[realia]
[stats]

catchall

CATCHALL BOX LABEL : COLLECTION WITH ITEM NUMBERS

sample Tennessee Williams catchall box label.



 

FEARING COLLECTION : SAMPLE CALL NUMBER/LABEL

f F 6870.53.20

This is an odd collection of volumes (logbooks). Each has its own call number, but it is cataloged as a manuscript collection. Since it is manuscript, labels can be done in the manuscript fashion, putting the call number in a single line along the spine, rather than breaking it up at the points as is done with printed books. The volumes don't get individual barcodes because they are considered as items within a collection. The small "f" indicates folio. Large F is part of the call number (Fearing).

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FRAMED STORAGE (in Harvard Theatre Collection, Pusey level 1)

Here is a sample call number as it appears on a label. The specific location is not included on the label, as it can change, but is entered in HOLLIS as public information:

        FRAMED STORAGE   pfMS Thr 414.4 (14)

HD STICKERS : SAMPLE LABELS for boxes going to HD

NOTE: *A small piece of tape must be adhered to the open end of the label holder so that the label can't slip out.*

Labels are printed on Avery 5911 perforated business cards. The bar code and the HD sticker are affixed to the card, NOT to the box itself, or to the label holder. This is because if the label ever needs to be changed, the card can simply be removed and replaced.  Also the label holder doesn't offer protection for stickers adhered to the outside of it thus defeating its purpose. And, there would be a problem removing those stickers from the outside of the label holder if it were necessary to do so.

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Below is a sample of a plastic label holder that had a self-adhesive label stuck to the outside of it, thus making it useless. In this example, an additional label (not pictured) had also been stapled over the label holder and the self-adhesive label. Since the legs of the staple cannot be bent in, they protrude sharply into the box, endangering materials and human hands. Staples should not be used to affix box labels. Label holders are meant to facilitate temporary labeling and future changing of label information during end-processing. But if a temporary removable label is used by the cataloger, it should be placed directly on the box, rather than the plastic label holder, as these removable labels also tend to stick to the plastic and are hard to remove.

     

Please see the  Box labeling presentation.

 

HYDE BACK STACKS:  see SPECIAL LOCATIONS : Hyde Back Stacks

  • labels = bMS Hyde 98
  • shelf tab = MS Hyde 87
  • box label = HYDE 2003JM-40 (pf)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lobby : SAMPLE LABEL

Lobby X.1.1
MS Eng 1544
THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY
recat. from Her 2.5


"Lobby X.1.1" is part of the call number and should also appear exactly as shown on the shelf tab.


Lowell Autograph Collection : SAMPLE LABEL

Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827. A.L.s. to Count ...Oppersfdorf...1s.(3p). 1 folder.


Amy Lowell Autograph Collection
THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY

 

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MANUSCRIPTS REMOVED FROM A VOLUME : SAMPLE LABEL

T. Troward, ALs to [William James],
19 Jun 1909 and John Kershaw, 2 ALs
to William James, Feb. 1909 and 20 Feb 1909,
removed to bMS Am 1092.1


This type of label is normally pasted into the front cover of the volume, at the bottom, against either the left or right edge, rather than centered.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
POETRY BLUE STAR : SAMPLE LABELS
Some material that is part of the Woodberry Poetry Collection is shelved at Houghton and cataloged as manuscript material, using the same prefixes, stem, and item number system as other large manuscript collections. They are called Poetry Blue Star because originally, when the books were shelved in the poetry room of Lamont, there was a blue dot or star attached to the label. We don’t do that anymore now that they are shelved in Houghton, but just use the asterisk as a star, that was once blue. The category "BLUEB", (Blue Star b) should be chosen as the "collection" designator in the item record.

For a flat boxed item, see the sample box label below:

bMS Am 2753  POETRY*
Woodberry Poetry Room (HCL) collection of photographs of poets, 1959-1994 and undated.
Box 1 of 1

Manuscript folder labels look just like those from any other manuscript collection. They do not need to include the "POETRY *" designation. Boxed items are shelved with all other boxed collections on sub-basement. They are not included in the special "Blue Star" area of the stacks behind the cmii shelves that is designated for printed Blue Star material.

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PRINTED BOOK COLLECTION LABELS

A small percentage of collections are given printed book call numbers but are cataloged as if they were a manuscript collection and are end-processed by Manuscript end-processors. Normally the labels are identical to the abbreviated ones used for a manuscript collection, including only the call number, THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY, and the accession number.
There may be particular rules for the inclusion of the lowercase "b" in the call number on folders and box labels. Here are some samples that provide guidelines.

UPRIGHT IN DOCUMENT BOXES AND SHELVED AT HOUGHTON
f *AC95.B5665.969c
Black Panther papers
The lowercase "b" for "boxed" does not precede the call number in this instance because the boxes are in a shelving area for upright volumes. The "f" shows that it is shelved with "folios" (on basement level). There is a space after the "f". Though in the past there often was no space.

UPRIGHT IN DOCUMENT BOXES & SHELVED IN SCIENCE FICTION ROOM
b SF-133
In this instance the lowercase "b" means "boxed" rather than "broadside". The "b" was included as an aid for locating the material within this special room.

UPRIGHT IN DOCUMENT BOXES & SHELVED AT HD
FC8.A100.873p
If this were a manuscript collection, the "b" would be retained on all labels because it appears as part of the call number in HOLLIS. Some in printed books, however, may omit the "b" boxed indicator for items going to HD, since they do not have a location at Houghton.

FLAT IN PF-SIZE BOXES
p FB9.A100.968p (1), etc.
This printed book collection is cataloged like a manuscript collection in that it has (item numbers) at the end (1), (2), (3), etc. The lowercase "p" is an indication of location and currently a space appears after it. But most of the other items, done before macros were used, do not include a space after the "p". So it is not crucial whether or not the "p" is done the old way or the new way. However, regular printed books end-processing uses the space after the "p".

RESTRICTED LABELS
All pre-1600 manuscripts are restricted, regardless of call number. Because this is already well-known by the Reading Room, we don't label such items restricted, unless perhaps there is a special archival copy to make readers aware of, or some other special restriction called for by the curator.
All other manuscripts from the time periods after 1600 will be marked restricted according to the dictates of the HOLLIS holdings record. The wording on the label is short. Sometimes it merely says "RESTRICTED". Sometimes it is possible and appropriate to list the reason for the restriction as below:
bMS Am xxx RESTRICTED

bMS Hyde 98 (1382) RESTRICTED : closed until 2053

bMS Am 2072 (7) RESTRICTED : use archival photocopies

RESTRICTED - FRAGILE

RESTRICTED : consult curator for access

 

The Stack Supervisor is in charge of producing and updating labels at the ends of the aisles where manuscripts are shelved. Here is a sample label.


bMS Am 1948 (cont’d.) -

bMS Am 2031


Pusey - 12

 

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THEATRE COLLECTION STACKS : PPF and PFD DRAWERS (oversize folders and labels)

 

         SAMPLE LABEL

 

(label goes parallel to crease of folder, at the top left, as shown above)

LABELING OVERSIZE ITEMS FOR HTC FLAT FILES

Items labeled as “pf” are kept in pf boxes on P-2.
Larger items go into flat file drawers.

18 x 24” 20 x 24" folders are placed side by side in the “half-drawers”. (WE HAVE SINCE SWITCHED TO 20X 24" INSTEAD of 18 x 24")

28 x 38” folders are the standard for the “full drawers”

(For slightly larger items, oversized tan folders 34 x 45” can be used)

For help in determining what size to use, consult with Manuscript End-processor.

Orientation of folder labels are as follows.

half-drawer folder:   (18 x 24”)      (20 x 24")       

Full drawer folder:   (28 x 38”) : for larger items, use folders 34 ½ x 45”




When examining folders in Reading Room on a table they normally open like a book, from right to left, as shown below.

The label should go vertically in the top left corner, both for pfd and ppf folders.

 

                Top left corner of folder

Left is the
creased edge
of folder                                                                                                                                                   (on right is open side of the folder)

        

       

Inside a half-drawer (pfd) the (20 x 24") folders are oriented side by side with the label (open) end facing the front of the drawer as below (sometimes fragile items are kept on top of the pile.)

 

 

Full-drawer folders (below) (ppf) (28 x 38" or larger) are oriented with the crease facing the front of the drawer. The label will be right-side up and facing whomever is opening the drawer.

 

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______________________________________________

VAULT : SAMPLE LABEL


bMS Thr 432 (40)
SHELVED IN VAULT
FRAGILE - Light Bulb
Boston Bijou Theatre Company records, 1882-1927.

Box 1 of 1

 

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STUDENTS

 

HARVARD STUDENTS

The Library is responsible for the care and security of its collections. End-processing manuscripts is an essential activity through which that responsibility is met. Consequently, maturity is expected of student assistants; which involves ability to focus, follow through, be organized, follow rules, and ask appropriate questions. Good communication is required from the beginning of the hiring process. All students hired for end-processing manuscripts should be shown a copy of the current job posting during an interview, so that both parties are clear on expectations. Some of the expectations mentioned in this manual are also mentioned in the job posting itself. If there is time, have student candidates read a copy of the Goals and Reponsibilities, if not during the interview, than certainly on their first day of employment.

Goals
The main goal of end-processing manuscripts is to ensure that patrons and staff can identify and handle material safely in housing that is neat and clean. Most manuscripts are therefore numbered, housed in acid-free file folders, and labelled on the upper left of the folder. Certain material is prepared for photoduplication or digitization by unfolding, and removing staples and paper clips. Unfolding the material also allows for more compact storage. By marking affected items "restricted", the Library honors agreements with donors. Manuscript end-processing is an essential activity that supports the Library's mission with regard to the care and security of its collections.

 Expectations (student workers and all new staff)

Focus on the work while you are here: cell phones, social media, & schoolwork on your own time
Food and drink policies are ever-changing : get the latest from your supervisor
Complete 30-minute library-wide ergonomic and handling TRAINING when possible.
Handle folders and manuscript material with clean hands.
Do one thing at a time and be careful of the original order that manuscripts are in.
Point out defects in supplies to the supervisor.
Proofread information on labels before attaching : point out errors to supervisor
Don't discard fragments of collection material that contain text; or throw out any collection-related material (including old folders) unless instructed to do so.
Use only pencil : store pens and felt-tip markers away from collection material
Leave work stations clean and organized.
Computers should be turned off before leaving for the day (unless you know it will be used afterwards).
READ these Guidelines for all

Below is a sample Harvard Student job posting:

Job Description: For large and small collections, unfold letters, remove paper clips, staples, etc. from manuscript material; transfer manuscripts into appropriate archival folders and boxes. Match items with correct label and attach to specified type of folder, following basic housing principles and procedures. Comprehend and independently point out and correct inconsistencies in the orientation of folders/labels and type of boxes used. Enter data for box labels; list potential errors or problems. Occasionally assist making and attaching labels to volumes, alphabetizing, or simple tasks related to cataloging assistance.


Job Requirements: Manual dexterity/attention to detail while doing repetitive tasks/word processing/basic office skills/care in handling fragile materials. Ability to stay focused on work that can be tedious; good attendance, good hand skills; patience. Alert and sensitive to conservative consumption of archival supplies.

 

Additional Information/Comments:

Food and drinks in break room only.


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SUPPLIES

Supplies : cartons (Paige boxes)

Finding a Paige Box

Using a Paige Box
Fill the box with properly creased folders that fit the papers well. Well-fitting folders match the width of their contents and thus remain flat on the bottom. This allows for support and ease of removal.

Folders that are too wide, or too narrow for their contents will not stay flat on the bottom.

They will become distorted, and rest on top of one another, making them hard to remove from the box.


Sometimes pulling a poorly-fitted folder out can even result in the folder behind it, unexpectedly coming out.


A thinner folder that rests upon the base of a poorly-fitted thicker folder, besides possibly popping out unexpectedly, will also protrude some at the top of the box. A well-filled box should have folders evenly lined within it, and all folders should go in and out easily.

The following videos show how to choose the best crease for each folder by examining problems that arise when folders are not creased properly.

Filling the box

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Supplies : folders.

Standard white archival folders used for collections housed flat in clamshell or metal-edge boxes.

Standard sizes for 2-flap folders are mostly the same as those listed in the printed book end-processing manual under: Supplies, Acid-free folders. (See the Houghton Technical Services Book End-processing Wiki. See also:  Acquisitions and Accessioning Special Topics : Broadsides for sizes specific to printed books section.) The correct standard sizes are listed below (consult with manuscript end-processor, as some of the ACTUAL sizes may vary by a few fractions of an inch to accomodate the particular interior structure of the various boxes):

STANDARD SIZES (November, 2014)

Acid-free folders

  • 10 x 13" = small (old) black box
  • 11 3/8 x 15 1/4" = New Clamshell box (can be trimmed to 11 3/8 x 14 5/8" to fit Metal Edge box below)
  • 11 3/8 x 14 5/8" = Metal Edge box: IDEAL SIZE (can also trim down New Clamshell box folders to fit if supplies get low)
  • 14 x 18"
  • 16 x 20"
  • 20 x 24" (half-drawer size for HTC and most drawers)
  • 22 x 28"
  • 28 x 38" (full-drawer size for HTC and most drawers)
  • 35 x 45" (largest full-drawer size for HTC and most drawers)
  • SMALL QUANTITIES OF VARIOUS DEFUNCT LARGER SIZES are in HTC supply drawers, consult manuscript end-processing assistant.
       (NOTE: the white Lichtenstein map flat file on basement can hold items up to 36 x 60" consult preservation officer about items this size or larger)

Supplies : photosleeves.

Photosleeve sizes are divided into basic groups, some of which are named. They are listed according to size below:

Slides:

  • Sheets: Used very infrequently. About once every 4 years there is a collection of slides that uses up no more than 2 packages. So we don’t need to keep many on hand. Can also be used for storing coins, buttons, etc.
  • Individual slide sleeves (mylar): We have a small supply of these. They too are used very infrequently. Sometimes these can be used for storing coins or buttons, etc.; in conjunction with other photosleeves.

Baseball card size:
2.5 x 3.5" (9 inserts per page)
Used less frequently, but very suitable for older small photos, sometimes for housing buttons or coins.

Snapshot size:
(snapshots from 50s/60s are often square : but since manufacturers no longer make square, we categorize them into the following sizes that are available):
3.5 x 4.5" (6 inserts per page)--no longer available: this size is being replaced by 3.5 x 5 below
3.5 x 5" (4 inserts per page)
Used less frequently, but very suitable for certain collections that have a lot of this size. Usually only about 1 collection every year or so that might need these. Other collections sometimes have a few of this size.

Stereocard size:
4x12"

Houghton Standard size: 4x5 range (MAY BECOME OBSOLETE)
4.25 x 5.5" (4 inserts per page)
This was a very good all-around sheet, since it was slightly wider then 4" and held 4 photographs. It was good becuase it fit so many different sizes and accomodated so many photos per sheet.
NO LONGER AVAILABLE FROM MANUFACTURERS
4x5 (4 inserts per page)
We currently have a lot of these and will have to evaluate them. Good that they hold 4 per page, but they are narrower and might not accomodate as many different sizes.

NEW Houghton Standard size (to replace 4x5 range): 4x6 range
4 x 6" (3 inserts per page)
These are good because you can fit 3 to a page.
4 x 6" (2 inserts per page)
These are ACTUALLY 4x7.5" which might turn out to be occasionally useful. But they only hold 2 photos, so not very versatile. Probably don't order this type again.

Houghton Standard size: 5x7 range
Pockets are too large to be more than 2 inserts per page
5 x 7" (2 inserts per page) TOP LOADING
Top loading is not as good as side loading, because we fold the edges of the pockets down over the photographs to secure them. If a photo takes up the entire 5" height, there is nothing left to fold down. Side loading (below) is better because there is more often extra room in the 7" width to fold under; and it is unnecessary to do any folding along top.
5 x 7" (2 inserts per page) SIDE LOADING
These are more versatile. We should switch to these and stay with them. However, there are already lots left in storage from old HTC supplies.

Houghton Standard size: 8.5 x 11 range
8.5 x 11 (1 insert per page)
These are good, but check Lineco, which seems to have a 9" x 11" range size which would be even more versatile

Houghton Standard size: ANYTHING LARGER than 8.5 x 11
Use a large mylar folder; or a piece of white (Word Tech) folder stock. Use phototex paper for large flat photos or smaller photos: it's too floppy for a large upright photo.

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APPENDIX


Documents mentioned in this manual (arranged alphabetically by software)

 

 

MICROSOFT WORD
AEON instructions
Box label instructions
Box label template in Word
Labeling large collections
Labeling single items using WORD (sample) - not recommended for large collections.
Manuscript Collection & Single Item Tracking form (sample filled out form).


POWERPOINT & ADOBE SLIDE SHOWS
Box labeling presentation
Paige box storage
Photosleeve presentation 
Supplies slide show

 

POWERPOINT & ADOBE SLIDE SHOWS : HOUSING SOLUTIONS
BOX : fitted out for transport
CURLED STRIPS stored in MYLAR
FITTED OUT prefabricated document enclosureFLAG
PALM LEAVES : string
PHONOGRAPH RECORD ALBUM : oversize
RE-HOUSING PROJECTS : when not using temporary labels


___________________________________________________________________________________________________

THINGS VICKI MOVED TO LOOK AT LATER:

INTRODUCTION – this link goes nowhwere/or at least nowhere relevant
Staff Guidelines --this went to books endprocessing guidelines
All new staff should complete the 30-minute library-wide ergonomic and handling TRAINING


QUICK LOOKUP
Conservation overlap
Manuscript Tracking form
Routing and returning material to Manuscript end processing (AEON)
Supplies

PRELIMINARY PROCESSING, examples:
How to use Photosleeves
Nabakov photo album
Palm leaf - string
Rolled storage & Santo Domingo Posters Slide Show
Temporary housing for preservation projects
Vidal audiocassette presentation

End processing archival collections: --this link goes to Betts/archivists wiki step-by-step

Boxes
Container Information & History
Box labeling presentation
Box Sizes (standard flat)
HD stickers & barcodes

Folders
Filling and creasing file folders
Creasing file folders with thick contents, part I
Creasing folders with thick contents, part II
Oversize folders : drawers in Case Ranges  (PFD and PPF.)

Vicki's note:

End-processing instruction sheet 

End processing work in a SC setting can be done by individuals who are not on an active professional library track, but who receive training in aspects of librarianship necessary to carry out the work. The job can grow over time with an individual, as training can increase or expand. For example, aspects of the work that are oriented more towards preservation/conservation are one avenue for expansion that is not universally pursued in depth by someone who has finished library school. In this way, those who carry out end processing may fall outside the "paraprofessional" or "unskilled" categorizations associated with non-SC libraries. Indeed many people who did not choose to go to library school, but obtained other degrees or mastered other pursuits, can be quite skilled and very professional in their work.  As well, there are opportunities for using skills of management, organization, creativity, problem solving in work such as this. Such people can enhance the success rate of a library by supplying outside views and perspectives.



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