Archives 101: Learning about Archives and Basic Archival Management

Studies have demonstrated that patrons of archives have greater success when they have a basic knowledge and understanding of archival management – what are archives and what exactly do archivists do? Here you will learn about how archivists acquire, protect, and prepare historical records for research. You’ll also discover how to find historical records and what to expect when you visit archives. This site is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of archives or the archival profession; rather, we hope it will serve as a relatively quick and easy summary that will help make your research experience fun, exciting, and productive.

You can keep up on what’s happening at the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives by visiting and following our Central Upper Peninsula & NMU Archives or the Archives’ blog The Northern Tradition

Basic Overview of Archives Research Policies and Procedures

The following links provide a basic introduction to historical research in the archives reading room. Archival research is very different from work in a library. Libraries deal with discrete items - books - that in most cases librarians can replace if lost or damaged. In archives, researchers must conform to certain rules and expectations designed to protect historical collections from theft or damage. Researchers will also encounter collections of several, sometimes hundreds, of boxes of material that are knowable and accessible through detailed collection finding aids.

• Introduction to the Central Upper Peninsula and NMU Archives
• De-Mystifying the Archive (The Historical Cooking Project)
• Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research (Society of American Archivists)
• What not to do when conducting research in an archives (a humorous perspective)
• How do Archivist and Researchers find Historical Collections?
  An excellent overview of how archivists “describe” collections by creating and using narrative finding aids.
• How to use the Archives' collection finding aids database (ArchivesSpace)
  A basic overview of the structure and content of an archival finding aid.
• Introduction to Processing (Arrangement and Description)
  This short video summarizes how archivists prepare historical manuscript collections for public research.

The Archival Profession

Learning to be an archivist requires a considerable amount of specialized education and training. Many archivists also obtain advanced degrees in history.

• So You Want to be an Archivist: An Overview of the Archives Profession (The Society of American Archivists)
• Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics (The Society of American Archivists)
• A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology (The Society of American Archivists)
• The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA), founded in 1989 at the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists, is an independent, nonprofit certifying organization of professional archivists. Individual members qualify for certification by meeting a series of defined professional standards and passing an examination.