BWA Heritage and Identity Commission

MANUAL FOR DEVELOPING A BAPTIST ARCHIVES

by

Eljee Bentley

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Published by the Commission on Baptist Heritage of the Baptist World Alliance
6733 Curran Street, McLean, VA 22101-6005, USA

July, 1990 (Internet Version Jan 2001)
(c) copyright BWA Heritage Commission

 

'The Baptist Heritage Commission produced this manual some time back in the hope that it would help Baptists, and others, know how to preserve their history. But then we had no good way to make the Manual available to those who might use it. Now we have that way -- the internet!'

'Please use what you can. Preserve your stories. Do not lose your past. All of us and generations yet to come are enriched by knowing what came before.'
Eljee Bentley, Jan 2001

CONTENTS

Preface

INTRODUCTION
A. What Is an Archives?
B. Why Establish an Archives?

I. GETTING STARTED
A. What Is a Program Statement?
B. Writing a Program Statement.
C. Adopting a Program Statement

II. ACQUIRING HISTORICAL RECORDS
A. Adopting an Acquisition Policy
1. Your Own Records.
2. Personal Papers
3. Other Records
4. Formats
5. Supporting Library.
B. Getting What You Want.
1. Surveys of Organizational Records
2. Gifts
C. Appraisal.

III. ORGANIZING HISTORICAL RECORDS
A. Accessioning
B. Arranging and Describing
1. Record Groups
2. Record Series
3. Personal Papers and Records of Other Organizations
4. Description

IV. PRESERVING HISTORICAL RECORDS.
A. Choosing Space and Materials
B. Processing
1. Non-Paper Records
2. Lists

V. USING HISTORICAL RECORDS
A. Adopting a Users Policy.
B. Serving Users.
1. Information
2. Duplication
3. Loans
4. Research Area
5. Exhibits.

CONCLUSION & BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX A - EXAMPLES

1. Program Statement.
2. Records Survey
3. Records Survey Instructions
4. Statement of Gift
5. W.M.U. Archives - Listing.
6. Accession Record & Processing Record
7. Catalog cards
8. Inventory
9. Request for Reproduction
10. Rules Governing the Use of Archival Materials

 

APPENDIX B - BLANK FORMS

1. Records Survey
2. Statement of Gift
3. Listing
4. Accession Record
5. Processing Record
6. Request for Reproduction and Copyright Warning

 

First Chapter