Behind the Scenes: An Introduction to Archival Processing

The CARLI Archives Task Force was pleased to host this in-person workshop Behind the Scenes: An introduction to Archival Processing.

This workshop offered hands-on experience with archival arrangement and description. Participants worked through a hands-on processing activity using a real archival collection, toured the National Louis University Archives, and networked with others doing archival work.

Below are resources from the workshop including a list of recommended readings about archival processing and follow-up questions for the readings, an introduction to the steps of archival processing, and the archival supplies that are needed for processing and where they can be procured.

This workshop was held from 11:00am - 3:30pm on June 6, 2025 at National Louis University

Resources:

Recommended Readings about archival processing:

• Roe, Kathleen. “Chapter 4: The Practice of Arrangement and Description,” Arranging & Describing: Archives and Manuscripts (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2005): 45-97
• Meissner, Dennis. “Principles of Archival Arrangement.” In Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts, 16–34. Archival Fundamentals Series. III 2. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2019.
• Meissner, Dennis. “Physical Processing and Arrangement.” In Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts, 68–92. Archival Fundamentals Series. III 2. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2019.
• Hunter, Gregory S. “Arrangement.” In Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives: A How-To-Do-It Manual, Third edition., 95–108. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2020.
• Hunter, Gregory S. “Description.” In Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives: A How-To-Do-It Manual, Third edition., 109–127. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2020.
• Describing Archives: A Content Standard. Version 2022.0.3.2. (Chicago: SAA, 2022). “Statement of Principles”. This book is available in print and for FREE download.

Follow-up questions for the readings:

Slides

Introduction to the steps of archival processing:

Slides

Archival Supplies:

Slides

Speakers:

Pam Hackbart-Dean is Professor and Head of Special Collections & University Archives and interim Associate Librarian at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has been in this position since 2019. Additionally, she has conducted numerous workshops on arrangement and description, published articles, and co-authored How to Manage Processing in Archives and Special Collections (SAA, 2012).

Marcella Lees (she/her) serves as the Digital Archivist for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In this role she leads digitization initiatives and works to collect, preserve, and provide access to born-digital and digitized records documenting the university and Southern Illinois history. Marcella also serves as an instructor in the history department teaching archival processing and digital archives and is currently acting as the interim University Archivist providing reference, instruction, and collection development. She holds an MSLIS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign specializing in Archives and Preservation.

Meghan Ryan has worked with National Louis University’s Archives and Special Collections since 2014. Initially hired to re-establish the Archives program in the absence of an archivist, in 2018 she became full-time faculty and the Special Collections and Cataloging Librarian. Meghan manages the Archives and Special Collections, as well as catalogs library resources. She received her MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, and previously worked on CARLI’s Preservation Committee from 2015-2021, and is currently serving on the Archives Task Force.