Services
Archival and Collection Management Services
I help individuals, families, libraries, historical societies, and cultural institutions preserve, organize, and make accessible the records that tell their stories. Whether you need hands-on archival processing, policy development, or long-term planning, I provide practical, tailored solutions grounded in professional standards.
Archives
Archival Arrangement & Description
I provide professional guidance on the arrangement and description of historical materials, following current archival standards and best practices. Whether you have organizational records, family papers, photographs, or manuscripts, I can assess your collection, develop a processing plan, and implement it efficiently and thoughtfully.
If desired, I also train staff or volunteers to process records in-house, ensuring sustainable workflows and long-term stewardship.
Archival Processing & Collection Management
From appraisal and rehousing to creating detailed inventories and finding aids, I bring order and intellectual control to complex collections. My goal is to make materials discoverable, usable, and preserved for future generations.
Documentation & Legacy Planning
Your life’s work deserves thoughtful documentation. I advise individuals, families, and organizations on proactive strategies to preserve records that reflect their history, values, and impact. This includes guidance on organizing personal papers, digital files, photographs, and institutional records to ensure long-term accessibility.
Historical Research & Writing
I conduct in-depth historical research using primary and secondary sources and produce well-documented, engaging narratives. Services include:
Institutional and administrative histories
Organizational anniversary publications
Personal and family biographies
Research reports and interpretive essays
Manuscript & Book Inventories
I create clear, detailed inventories of manuscripts, rare books, and special collections materials. Accurate inventories enhance access, support valuation or donation decisions, and strengthen collection management.
Consulting
Strategic Planning & Project Development
Strong archives don’t happen by accident — they require thoughtful planning and realistic implementation strategies. I work with organizations to clarify goals, define scope, and build actionable plans.
Services include:
Developing detailed project proposals and implementation plans
Creating phased strategies aligned with staffing and budget realities
Designing practical, sustainable workflows
Identifying risks and preservation priorities
Whether you are launching a new archives program or strengthening an existing one, I help translate vision into structured action.
Collecting Policy & Systems Selection
Clear collecting parameters and the right technology foundation are essential to long-term success.
I can help you:
Develop or refine a collecting policy aligned with your institutional mission
Define scope, priorities, and appraisal criteria
Evaluate and select a collections management system
Compare software options based on functionality, scalability, cost, and staffing capacity
The result is a coherent collecting strategy supported by appropriate tools.
Grant Writing & Funding Support
Many archival initiatives depend on external funding. I provide professional grant writing and review services to help secure support for preservation, processing, digitization, and access projects.
Services include:
Writing full grant proposals
Reviewing and strengthening draft applications
Developing project narratives and work plans
Aligning project scope with funder priorities
Creating realistic timelines and measurable outcomes
My approach combines strong narrative development with practical project design — funders want both vision and feasibility.
Collection Management
Archival Policies & Procedure Manuals
Clear policies ensure consistent decision-making, transparency, and long-term sustainability. I develop customized:
Collection development and collections management policies
Access and reference procedure manuals
Processing and description manuals
Records management and archival governance procedures
Each document is tailored to your institution’s size, mission, staffing model, and legal obligations.
Cataloging & MARC Records
I create full and minimal-level MARC records for manuscript and archival collections, ensuring discoverability in local catalogs and national databases. Services include:
Creation and editing of MARC records for manuscript collections
Authority control and subject analysis
Integration into your in-house ILS
Contribution of records to OCLC
Accurate metadata strengthens access, improves research visibility, and integrates archival materials into broader library discovery systems.
Archival Facility Planning & Design Consultation
Proper space planning is essential to long-term preservation and efficient workflows. I collaborate with clients and architects to design:
Secure, environmentally appropriate archival storage areas
Functional and researcher-friendly reading rooms
Efficient processing and collections workspaces
Consultation includes workflow assessment, storage capacity planning, environmental considerations, security, and compliance with professional standards.
Data Cleanup & Migration Support
System migrations often introduce inconsistencies and legacy data issues. I provide post-migration data review and cleanup services, including:
Metadata normalization and standardization
Authority record reconciliation
Duplicate detection and correction
Structural and descriptive data remediation
The result is cleaner, more reliable data that supports accurate retrieval and reporting.
Let’s Talk.
Every collection and organization is unique. I welcome the opportunity to discuss your project and develop a solution that fits your goals, timeline, and budget.