Reappraisal and Deaccessioning in Archives and Special Collections

Archivists and archival institutions are reappraising and deaccessioning now more than ever before. Archival reappraisal and deaccessioning have become vital tools for managing archival collections. Reappraisal and Deaccessioning in Archives and Special Collections is the first book dedicated entirely to the topic of reappraising and deaccessioning in special collections and archives. This edited volume features 13 chapters offering informed opinions, practical recommendations, and valuable examples for reappraising and deaccessioning. Readers will gain important insight into the most important element of reappraisal and deaccessioning: decision-making. Through mostly case studies, the chapters address important issues inherent in these practices including: ethical concerns, donor relations, appraisal questions, and disposition options. The case studies cover collaborative and solo projects, various material types such as manuscripts, records, and artifacts, and a range of scenarios from major projects involving thousands of linear feet of material to ad hoc projects removing single items. Chapter topics include: -weeding vs. deaccessioning, -getting rid of contaminated materials, -donor-driven deaccessioning, and -using reappraisal and deaccessioning to improve access to existing collections. Readers will find beneficial information on streamlining workflows, carrying out procedures, creating policies, and implementing these practices locally. Additionally, the chapters cover the intricacies of disposition options, such as transferring to other institutions, returning material to donors, and destruction. This volume can serve as a valuable resource for large and small repositories, experienced and novice archivists, and those working with manuscript and archive collections.

Author: Laura Uglean Jackson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 07/26/2019
Pages: 206
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.69lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.48d
ISBN: 9781538116012


Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2020

About the Author
Laura Uglean Jackson began her career in archives at the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center (AHC) on a grant-funded reappraisal and deaccessioning project. Since then, she has been an avid proponent of reappraisal and deaccessioning, chairing the Society of American Archivists team that created the Guidelines for Reappraisal and Deaccessioning and publishing and presenting on the topic. Following a seven-year long career at the AHC, she became Assistant University Archivist at the University of California Irvine. She has been Archives and Special Collections Librarian at the University of Northern Colorado since September 2017. She holds a BA in Art History from Colorado State University and an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College.