Based on their forthcoming book chapter in Navigating Archival Backlogs: Strategies for Success, Philanthropic Studies Archivist Molly LaPorte and Digital Preservation and Digital Collections Archivist Evan Miller will expand on their work from a processing case-study at Indiana University Indianapolis’s Ruth Lilly Special Collections & Archives. The Junior Achievement (JA) Records contains approximately 38 cubic feet of unprocessed photographs, and the presenters aimed to develop an efficient processing workflow while respecting depicted individuals. The JA collection is partially processed but highly used, necessitating intervention for the backlog of accruals to expand access.
Striving to balance the minimum processing and preservation concepts of MPLP alongside the careful attention and empathetic touch of a feminist ethics of care, this session will explore both their successes and failures and provide a practical system other archivists and practitioners can use in their own institutions. From preliminary prep work and documentation gathering to digitization selection and reconciliation with born-digital assets, the presenters hope to share their thoughts along with a streamlined workflow for efficiently reviewing stagnant backlogs while keeping people front of mind.
Speakers Molly LaPorte, Indiana University Indianapolis Evan N. Miller, Indiana University Indianapolis
