SPEC Kit 314: Processing Decisions for Manuscripts &Archives · 99
Statistics are reported in annual reports, ARL reports, and in-house assessment.
Statistics are reported monthly by staff there is also a Departmental monthly report.
Statistics reported in annual reports.
Summarized in annual report.
The Processing Coordinator generates/collects it. They are reported regularly to the Department Head and the
department’s unit heads.
These statistics may be provided through a unit annual report or through statistical reports to ARL.
Through the Archives annual report.
To Library Administration and if requested state and national surveys.
We do record certain key information in pastperfect (which controls collection location information) — e.g., Collection-
level record? Processing Level? — and we can create reports from this database that pull information from other fields
and allow us to identify, for example, all minimally processed collections. A bit klutzy.
We normally incorporate these into an annual report for our unit.
Workload statistics are reported monthly by processing staff numbers for collections processed are submitted at the
conclusion of each project key indicators of items acquired, processed, and added to the division’s holdings are reported
quarterly and annually, as well the number of finding aids created and digitized and the number of catalog records
created and revised and authorities established.
Estimating Processing Work and Processing Metrics
As reviewers for national grant applications for processing manuscript and archival collections, we became aware that
it is necessary for the applicant to estimate how long it will take to complete the project. We want to learn how your
institution determines the time it takes to process a collection.
17. Please briefly describe how your unit/department/library calculates the amount of time it takes to
process a manuscript or archival collection. N=69
1 hour per cubic box.
40 hours per linear foot – item level 30 hours per linear foot — mixed formats, little or not arrangement 20 hours per
linear foot — average problems, papers have some order 10 hours per linear foot — no organizational problems.
After preliminary review of a collection and decisions on processing levels, past experience is used to estimate
processing time. If we were applying for a grant we might do some pilot project processing for firmer numbers. We are
generally just interested in a rough estimate for internal purposes, and that information is for planning purposes.
An initial assessment of size and type of material, collection review and series establishment, item vs. Folder level, and
extent of conservation activities.
Approximate times are based on the following variables: staff assigned (professional/student), size of collection, level
of disorganization or complexity of collection. For example, it takes an experienced student processor about 20–30
hours to fully process 1 cubic foot of materials (beginning to end). It would take less if only an inventory and rehousing
Statistics are reported in annual reports, ARL reports, and in-house assessment.
Statistics are reported monthly by staff there is also a Departmental monthly report.
Statistics reported in annual reports.
Summarized in annual report.
The Processing Coordinator generates/collects it. They are reported regularly to the Department Head and the
department’s unit heads.
These statistics may be provided through a unit annual report or through statistical reports to ARL.
Through the Archives annual report.
To Library Administration and if requested state and national surveys.
We do record certain key information in pastperfect (which controls collection location information) — e.g., Collection-
level record? Processing Level? — and we can create reports from this database that pull information from other fields
and allow us to identify, for example, all minimally processed collections. A bit klutzy.
We normally incorporate these into an annual report for our unit.
Workload statistics are reported monthly by processing staff numbers for collections processed are submitted at the
conclusion of each project key indicators of items acquired, processed, and added to the division’s holdings are reported
quarterly and annually, as well the number of finding aids created and digitized and the number of catalog records
created and revised and authorities established.
Estimating Processing Work and Processing Metrics
As reviewers for national grant applications for processing manuscript and archival collections, we became aware that
it is necessary for the applicant to estimate how long it will take to complete the project. We want to learn how your
institution determines the time it takes to process a collection.
17. Please briefly describe how your unit/department/library calculates the amount of time it takes to
process a manuscript or archival collection. N=69
1 hour per cubic box.
40 hours per linear foot – item level 30 hours per linear foot — mixed formats, little or not arrangement 20 hours per
linear foot — average problems, papers have some order 10 hours per linear foot — no organizational problems.
After preliminary review of a collection and decisions on processing levels, past experience is used to estimate
processing time. If we were applying for a grant we might do some pilot project processing for firmer numbers. We are
generally just interested in a rough estimate for internal purposes, and that information is for planning purposes.
An initial assessment of size and type of material, collection review and series establishment, item vs. Folder level, and
extent of conservation activities.
Approximate times are based on the following variables: staff assigned (professional/student), size of collection, level
of disorganization or complexity of collection. For example, it takes an experienced student processor about 20–30
hours to fully process 1 cubic foot of materials (beginning to end). It would take less if only an inventory and rehousing
