Archiving Random Thoughts

In 2025, we all have goals that we want to achieve to improve ourselves. For me, I have chosen this to be the year of branding; one of the components is to get back on the speaking circuit. Before Covid, I would often speak at many conferences. The topics would vary. They would include music genres, LARPs, and tips to boost public speaking.

One book on my shelf, Creating Family Archives, gave me plenty to think about. It is a guide that shows how to create an archive for your family history. My intention was to read the book and use it for research in a talk that I am developing. I would have combined this in both a physical and digital space. After reading this book, I have enough to split it into two parts.

For those who know me, welcome back. If you are new here, thanks for stopping by. My name is Patrick Burden; I am currently the Digital Collections Archivist for WVU. I have over 17 years of experience in the IT field before making the jump to archiving.

Whenever I read reviews, the most common thing people do is scroll to the bottom of the page and see the star rating. People often ignore anything that the reviewer commented on. This is a dumb way to get recommendations. You not only need to know the perspective of the person reading the book, but also their rationale. Having them explain the title's core tenets helps. It shows if you will mesh with their thinking.

What you (the reader’s) goal is to figure out where I am coming from and how it applies to me. Comparing our frames of reference to yours to see if this is a title that is worth picking up. This is why I tend to write the same 3rd paragraph in each post I do, to give you a sense of who I am before explaining my opinion. Now onto the book.

This book targets people who want to create family archives “the right way.” As in following standards to pass down the generations. If I were to strip away the subject and get to the point, what would you learn in this book:

• 7% is about where to buy archival supplies.
• 7% is how to display materials to avoid damage (e.g. hanging a picture on a wall)
• 14% is digital preservation.
• 14% is accessioning and creating a finding aid.
• And 58% is about the conservation and handling of materials.

This book goes in depth on handling physical materials and what you can do to not damage things. If you are a member of the NEDCC this is nothing new. As someone who doesn’t often handle physical things, it was a gold mine. I know that I am not going to do the more advanced things (talking to a professional is a common theme). I now know enough to get by on a basic level and do the basics in the future. The material of the book is dense enough to fulfill anyone's appetite.

What I frequently asked myself was who the intended audience was. The author does a great job of explaining concepts to those who have not been to library school. It also tries to explain how to do a scope and context for a finding aid that 4% of people will get around to doing.

I get that this is an SAA-published book. There is a good assumption that there is going to be an archivist reading this. Mainly because, either they have a project or are curious (that’s me). It loses me because it assumes you know nothing. Yet, it talks about archival boxes and the chemistry of acidic materials. While I have seen this practice done before, it is a fine line to walk if that was your intended goal.

If you are reading this and lack a master's degree, much of the book will be too advanced for you. Now, that does not mean you should not read the book. Instead, I would look for simpler techniques and focus on that for your collections. Your rate of return on effort to time will diminish over time to the point where it is not worth it.

This inverted J Curve represents the chess players trying to take their skills seriously. Starting at Game 49 Source: The Leaning Curve for Chess Skill

At first, doing the basic actions will save years in preserving materials. Over time, you are going to hit a point that will require too much effort to save little time. As an archivist, I would say do it all to protect your items forever; I also know that Father Time has a perfect record.

This is the point where one would extrapolate and give you a top X things anyone should do. I am not going to do that. That is like giving away plot details in a movie; some people don't want spoilers. There is GREAT advice given in this book; there is also unique advice as well. If removing dust from a tapestry by using cheesecloth on the end of a vacuum on low power six inches (ca. 15 cm) away from the surface appeals to you, buy this immediately.

If you are going to want to know enough to get started, get it from the library. There are several passages you can skip over and focus on what makes sense to you. The material here is top-notch, and you can ensure that it is well worth reading.

If I were to make a suggestion, I would reorder the tips in each medium from simplest to most complex. This will get people to hit the “I am not doing that” part of the chapter and move on to the next from there. Keep the jargon as a glossary item for those wanting to know the details away from those who want a simple guide.

This technique is not the best way to write a book about this subject. Yet, it would be more approachable to those willing to pick up the book on Amazon. This was a great read and I would recommend people picking it up for their project.

Until next time, take care.