volunteer programs in archives

7/29/2019 Volunteer Programs in Archives

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Resources for

Volunteer Programsin Archives


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Contents1 Irduci

1 Hw U hi Rurc

2 Vlur i Archiv: A ovrviw

Archiv ad Prjc Dcripi

Church History DepartmentLatter-Day Saints Church (LDS)

5 Joseph Smith Papers

Harry S. Truman Presidential Libraryand Museum

7 Online Photograph Database

Indiana Historical Society9 Deaccessioning

11 Oral History ranscriptions

National Archives at College Park

13 Online Indexing o Vietnam Unit Awards (4 Series)or Fold3.com Digitization Project

15 Rearrange and Re-label Record Group 407, WWIIOperations Reports File Units, Entry 427F-CountryFiles, 19411948

National Archives at Fort Worth

17 Assisting Patrons

19 Processing Conederate Court Records

National Archives Building

21 Indexing Bounty Lands Records

Oregon Jewish Museum

23 Congregation Beth Israel Project

Providence Archives, Mother Joseph Province

25 Exploring the Archival Proession

Shelburne Museum Archives

27 Archives Appraisal and Processing project

Smithsonian Institution Archives29 Electronic Records Projects: Born-Digital Video

31 Preserving Primary Materials that Documentthe History o the Institution rom the Nineteenthand wentieth Centuries

State Historical Society o North Dakota,State Archives

33 North Dakota County/District Court Case File Project

35 Prairie Public elevision: SPINProgram Digitization

tl shard by Archiv

Indiana Historical Society

38 Volunteer Questionnaire

National Archives and Records Administration

41 Volunteer Service Application

45 Volunteer/Intern Emergency and Medical Consent Form

46 Standards o Conduct or Volunteers

48 Volunteer Project Worksheet

Oregon Jewish Museum

50 Archival Processing Manual

Providence Archives, Mother Joseph Province

73 Volunteer Handbook

Shelburne Museum Volunteer Program83 Volunteer Application Form

Smithsonian Institution Archives

87 Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer Program:Volunteer Project Description

Addiial Rurc

88 Online Resources

88 Print Resources

Acknowledgments

Resources or Volunteer Programs in Archives was

envisioned, compiled, and edited by Judy Luis-Watson,

Rebecca Martin, and Lee Ann Potter o the National

Archives. It was also edited by Benjamin Guterman othe National Archives. Contributions to this publication

made by the sta o the National Archives and Records

Administration are in the public domain.

Additional editing and production was done by the

Society o American Archivists, www.archivists.org.

Graphic design by Matt Duek, [email protected].


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When we celebrated the bicentennial

o the United States in 1976, sta at

the National Archives in Washington,

D.C. recruited and trained volunteers

to provide visitors o the Declaration

o Independence, Constitution, and

Bill o Rights in our Rotunda with a

richer experience. Te very next year,

when Roots by Alex Haley generated

tremendous interest in our resources or

genealogists, we recruited and trained

additional volunteers to help us serve our

research public.

From these beginnings and or the past

three decades, the National Archives has

proudly supported volunteer programs

in D.C., as well as in our regional acilities

and presidential librariesand, more

recently, online. Hundreds o volunteers

across the agency are engaged in a variety

o activities, contributing hundreds o

hours and their many talents to dozens

o projects, and we appreciate them every

day! We know that this appreciation is

not unique to the National Archiveswe

share this sentiment with many other

archival institutions that support and

benet rom volunteers.

We also realize that volunteers do not just

magically appear, volunteer projects do

not manage themselves, and volunteers

do not (usually) train themselves! Sta

members play invaluable roles; they

serve as project managers, human capital

specialists, teachers, and more. Tey also

create tools to assist in the volunteers

eorts.

Tese resources, rom multiple archival

acilitiesboth large and smallwere

assembled to serve the larger archivalcommunity and to assist archives

proessionals who work with volunteers

or who are considering doing so. Te

National Archives was proud to take the

lead in this eort with the Society o

American Archivists, and we are delighted

that colleagues rom nearly a dozen other

institutions generously contributed

resources.

DAVID S. FERRIERO

Archivist o the United States

Irduci

Hw U thi RurcBox ater box o material needing re-

housing, collections waiting or nding

aids, hours o untranscribed oral histories

languishing . . . the list o archival projects

we would like to complete oten seems

endless. Across the United States, many

archival institutions are expanding their

capacity to accomplish these and other

projects by using volunteers.

Tis guide introduces you to some o

the volunteer activities underway in

various archives. Arranged by institution,

the guide oers descriptions o sample

projects. Te smallest project uses one

volunteer, the largest several dozen.

Te project descriptions outline all

kinds o work, rom transcription to

processing, rom reerence to indexing.

Each description is meant to oer an

example o one way to organize work. I

you have never used volunteer help in

your organization, this guide will provide

you with a sense o the possibilities. And

i you are interested in expanding or

rethinking your volunteer program, this

guide will oer some ideas. Beore you

read the project descriptions, you may

nd it useul to review the next section,

which contains a general overview o

working with volunteers in archival

institutions.

Ater the descriptions o sample projects,

you will nd other resources, includingvolunteer applications, handbooks,

emergency contact orms, and volunteer

job descriptions. Tese model orms and

training materials may inspire you to

revise your existing orms, or they may

help you develop a brand new volunteer

program.

Bess Truman in March, 1946, writing a nat a desk. This photo is rom the collec

Truman Papers, Family, Business and Pe

Aairs, which was described by a volunCourtesy of the Harry S. Truman Presiden

Library and Museum.

General Frank E. Lowe with a captured Russian anti-tank gun in SouthKorea, September 6, 1950. This is rom the Harry S. Truman Papers,

Presidents Secretarys Files, Frank E. Lowe Fileanother collection

described by a volunteer at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Libraryand Museum. Courtesy of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and

Museum.

ung Charles Thayer dressed in a Cossack costume hiser purchased in Russia, ca. 1914. The photo is part o

Papers o Charles Thayer collection, which contains

e than 1,300 photos that two volunteers worked tocribe over the course o three years. Courtesy of the

y S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.


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Vlur i Archiv: A ovrviw

Why have volunteers in archives?

It is in the nature o archives to have

backlogssometimes huge backlogs. And

it is an unortunate reality that archives

are oten understaed. At a time when

the volume o archival records created is

increasing monumentally, it is common

in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world or

budgets to be cut and paid sta to

be reduced.

What attracts volunteers to archives?

Volunteering at archives appeals to people

who want to contribute to something

larger than themselves, something that

will be here long ater they and theirprogeny are gone. A love o history also

attracts volunteers to archives. For

students and those seeking new careers,

the training they receive and the hands-

on experience with original records in

archives are invaluable.

How do volunteers serve at archives?

Volunteers are an inusion o energy.

Teir enthusiasm or preserving and

providing access to the records, as well astheir drive to work on archival projects,

can be contagious. Tis can-do attitude

impacts not only the sta who work with

volunteers but also other sta at the

archives.

Volunteers can oten tackle the valuable

projects that sta do not have the time

to complete. Preparing nding aids that

assist reerence and pull sta as well as

researchers, or example, contributes to

the organization as a whole. Conductingholdings maintenance, which can

consume time and energy, has a similar

positive eect on the organization and its

customers.

Volunteers also serve as advocates or

archives. Tey get the word out about

the important role o a repository, public

programs, and records o genealogical

value; explain how to research records

at the archives or online; discuss their

volunteer projects; and help to recruit

other like-minded volunteers.

What should you consider beore

launching a volunteer project or

program?

In some ways, working with volunteers is

quite similar to working with paid sta

members. O course, there are also some

important dierences.

Beore working with a new volunteer or

establishing a volunteer program, be able

to respond to the ollowing questions

about the purpose and logistics:

What would you like volunteers to

do? Te abstract concept o getting a

volunteer to help is an appealing one.

But volunteers cant be successul

without knowing specically what they

are being asked to do.

Who will be in charge o the

volunteers? One person needs to have

the responsibility o setting out work

or the volunteers, reviewing that work,

providing eedbackand ultimately,

taking responsibility or it.

Where will the volunteers sit? Do

the volunteers need desk space? A

computer? A processing table?

Do the volunteers need any special

skills or abilities? Who is best suited

or this project? Should the volunteers

have experience handling archival

material? Will the most appropriate

volunteers be knowledgeable about

a particular historical topic? Do thevolunteers need to be able to bend or

lit objects? Can the necessary training

be made available to them?

What sort o training will you need

to provide or the volunteers to

be successul? Who will provide the

training? Will you be able to oer it

whenever it suits the volunteers, or

will you need to hold the training at a

specic time?

When volunteers come on board, make

sure you welcome them. Provide a tour

o your oce area or acility; introduce

them to other sta members; and explain

organizational procedures, such as whereto store coats and bags and when and

where to take a lunch break.

Make sure the volunteers have all the

resources necessary or the project, and

let them know what to do i questions or

problems arise.

Remember that one o the major

dierences between paid and unpaid

sta is the reason they are working with

your organization. No matter how much

they believe in the work you do, paid

sta come into work each day at least

in part because they are earning money.

Volunteers contribute hours or dierent

reasons. Some volunteers are looking or

opportunities to be with other people.

Some are interested in networking and

developing their proessional skills.

Some want to eel that they are making a

dierence by helping an organization they

support. Some simply nd the work to

be un. For your organization to succeedwith volunteers, youll need to make

sure that youre supplying whatever each

volunteer hopes to gain rom spending

time with you, whether that is a chance

to chat with you or with others or an

opportunity to try out a skill gained in

graduate school. Feeling appreciated is

important to all volunteers, regardless

o their other motivations. As you work

with volunteers, make sure that you

thank them and that you express the

importance o their contributions to your

organization.

What are some o the special

challenges or volunteer programs at

archives?

Not all employees at archives are

supportive o volunteers in archives.

Tere is a eeling among some sta,

including supervisors and managers, that

volunteers diminish the status o the


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archival proession. Some sta ear that

volunteers will replace them and take

away their jobs. As a starting point, a

commitment rom upper management is

critical.

Building trust in the volunteer program

across the archives at all levels must

be an ongoing eort by the volunteer

program manager and all managers.

Including archivists and other sta in

volunteer orientation and training helps

to not only build bridges by providing

an opportunity or sta to share their

expertise, but also or sta to get to

know new volunteers and the knowledge,

skills, and enthusiasm they bring to the

organization. Another way to build thecredibility o the volunteer program is

to regularly share the successes o the

volunteers and projects supervised by

sta as a win or the organization.

Security at archives is critical. At

government agencies, or example,

citizenship or specic types o visas and

background checks may be a requirement.

Tis process can be time consuming and

costly and is part o the organizations

investment in the volunteer program.

Te role retired archivists play when they

return as volunteers requires careul

negotiation not only with the new

volunteers, but also with the managers

who supervised the archivists. What

projects they will work on, where they

will be located, and what records they

will have access to are some o the issues

that must be claried beore the retired

archivists begin their volunteer service.

Are volunteer managers and project

supervisors necessary at archives?

Yes! For a volunteer program to be

successul, expectations or volunteers

must be clear and volunteers

expectations must be managed starting

with the application process and

continuing throughout the volunteers

experience. Te quality o the orientation

and initial and ongoing training, as well

as regular assessments, contribute to

the quality o the volunteers work and

experience and, thereore, to the archives

Project supervision ensures that

volunteers receive support or the

projects they work on. Te well-planned

volunteer projects with clear instructions

rom the start result in a high-quality

product and satised volunteers who look

orward to the next project.

Vlur i Archiv: A ovrviw (ciud)


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Archiv ad PrjcDcripi


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Archives And Project descriPtions resources for volunteer ProgrAms in Archives

Te purpose o the Church History

Department is to help Gods childrenmake and keep sacred covenants by:

Keeping and sharing a record o His

Church and its people;

Assuring remembrance o Gods hand

in the lives o His children; and

Witnessing to and deending the truths

o the Restoration o the gospel o

Jesus Christ.

Te departments core work is divided

into three areas:

Collect;

Preserve; and

Share.

Collect: Te Church History Department

collects all types o records and materials

related to Church history. Records are

collected both rom Church entities and

non-Church entities. Tese records are

acquired and cataloged to make them

accessible or researchers.

Preserve: Proper preservation o the

collection is a high priority or the

department. Preservation acilities

include:

Granite Mountain Records Vault, which

contains 2.4 million rolls o amily

history microlm and other materials;

Church History Library, which has

twelve storage rooms that provide

temperature- and climate-controlled

storage or records;Museum storage acility, which houses

objects that are used in creating

exhibits or the Church History

Museum; and

Conservation Lab, which maintains and

repairs items in the collection.

Additionally, due to todays increasingly

automated world, systems are being put

in place to preserve digital inormation as

well as physical records and objects.

Share: Church history inormation is

shared in a variety o ways:

Church History Library holdings

accessible onsite and through our

online catalog with increasing digital

content;

Church History Museum exhibits and

programs;

Historic sites; and

Publications, such as the Joseph Smith

Papers volumes.

Te department is structured into six

components: Administration, Library

Division, Preservation Division, Museum

Division, Historic Sites Division, and

Publications Division. Te departments

sta consists o 240 employees, 15 to 30

interns, and 500 to 600 volunteers.

Church Hiry DparmLar-Day sai Church (LDs)www.lds.org/churchhistory/

Salt Lake City, Utah

Project itleJph smih Papr

Contact

Dan Gallup

[email protected]

(801) 240-8280

Institutional Information /Purpose Statement:

Project Details

Where is the project located within

your organizational structure

and who (e.g., archivist, curator,

volunteer coordinator, or other)

oversees the project?

Te project is in the Publications Division

o the Church History Department. Te

project is managed by the director o the

Publications Division and the managing

editor o the project. Tere is also an

editorial board that is the governing body

or the papers project.

How many volunteers work on the

project?

We currently have orty-two volunteers

working on the project.

I you have multiple volunteers

working on the project, how do you

organize them? For example, do

you have a lead volunteer; do you

organize work according to day;

does each volunteer work on an

independent piece o the project?

We have dierent kinds o volunteers:

Academic interns: Each semester we

bring in ten to teen unpaid academic

interns. Tey are assigned to assist a

historian/researcher.
http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.lds.org/churchhistory/


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Seasoned historian/researchers:

Tese volunteers work under the

direction o a volume editor and the

managing editor and have specic

assignments to research and write

about.

Full-time and part-time

missionaries: Tese volunteers aremembers o our church who are called

as missionaries or six months to two

years and are assigned to assist on the

project. Teir work can be managed by

any o the historians or writers on the

project.How do you recruit the volunteers?

We work with the History Department

at Brigham Young University (BYU) to

provide academic interns on a semester

basis. We invite LDS scholars toparticipate as volunteers. We also work

through the ormal missionary calling

process.

Do you have any restrictions on

who may participate (minimum or

maximum age, education, experience,

or other)?

Our guidelines vary, based on the type o

volunteering that the person will do.

Academic Interns: We look or

students in their junior or senior years

o study. We also conduct interviews to

ensure a good t.

Seasoned historians/researchers:

Tese individuals need to have a PhD

in an appropriate eld o study, be

published, and/or be an authority in

areas o LDS Church history.

Missionaries: We request basic

computer skills and a willingness to do

basic research. Some missionaries, such

as retirees rom the department, come

with signicant experience and can be

given expanded responsibilities.

All volunteers must be aithul

members o the LDS aith.

How many hours per week does each

volunteer contribute to the project?

From eight to orty-plus hours per week.

Does the project require volunteers

to have a specic schedule, or is the

schedule exible?

Te interns schedules are based on their

class schedules but are set during their

internships.

Most volunteers work during normalwork hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.),

but the seasoned historians/writers

have fexible hours that depend on their

schedules. Volunteers receive access to

the archives and library during normal

working hours.

Where does the work take place?

Te majority o the work is done on-site

in the Church History Library. Some

research and writing could be done at

peoples homes or at BYU.

What kinds o equipment does the

project require?

Primarily computer equipment is required

and is provided on-site. Other on-site

equipment, including microlm readers,

is also provided.

What kinds o tasks do the

volunteers do?

Many do source checking, and othersdo research associated with a particular

volume. Others do writing or editing.

What kind o initial training do your

volunteers receive?

Primarily, volunteers receive training on

using the archives. Some need training

in the use o hardware and sotware.

Most know how to do research and are

productive very quickly.

We also have standard saety training or

all employees and volunteers.

What kinds o ongoing training or

written instructions do you provide?

For documentary writing projects, there

is a signicant amount o collaboration,

discussion, and input in group settings.

Tis provides the kind o ongoing training

and direction that our volunteers need.

How do you supervise volunteers

day-to-day work?

Te employees who are directing the work

o the volume supervise the day-to-day

work o the volunteers.

How do you manage the project? For

example, how do you track and reportthe projects progress, and how do

you ensure quality control?

Tere are requent reviews by the

management team and volume editors.

Tere are also reading reviews o

manuscript drats by the executive

leadership as each volume develops.

I the volunteers work with original

material, how do they access this

archival material?

Project employees make all requests or

documents and oversee and supervise

the use o the original material by the

volunteers.

How do you handle security issues?

We have very tight security guidelines

and security protocols in the Church

History Library. Each volunteer has an

access badge that is programmed to

control access throughout the library and

archives.

How do you thank the volunteers?

Appreciation is expressed by their project

leaders. We recognize them in our

department meetings. And the human

resources director conducts an exit

interview with the volunteers.

How do you decide i the project

is a success?

Tis is a very signicant project spanning

more than twenty years. Each volume

is really viewed independently. Sales o

the volumes are one actor, but more

importantly, we look at the eedback

rom the scholarly community on the

content and its useulness in the study o

Mormon history.


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Te Harry S. ruman Library, the rst

presidential library to be created under

the provisions o the 1955 PresidentialLibraries Act, was established to preserve

the papers, books, and other historical

materials relating to ormer President

Harry S. ruman and to make them

available to the American people in a

place suitable or exhibit and research.

Te core o the librarys research holdings,

and the principal reason or its existence,

is its collection o the papers o Harry S.

ruman. At present, the library has about15 million pages o manuscript materials

in its custody, consisting principally o

the White House les or the ruman

Administration. Tey also include papers

that document rumans lie and careers

as a armer, soldier, businessman, local

politician, U.S. senator, vice president

and ormer president. In addition to its

manuscript collections, the library has an

audiovisual collection, and it establishedan oral history project in 1961 in an eort

to ll the gaps in the written record. More

than 13,000 researchers have visited the

librarys research acilities since 1959.

Te library is located in Independence,

Missouri, President rumans hometown.

Harry s. truma Pridial Library ad Muum(National Archives and Records Administration)

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/

Independence, Missouri

Project itle

oli Phgraph DaabaContact

Tammy Kelly

[email protected]

(816) 268-8242

Institutional Information

Project Details






Archivist and audiovisual archivist.


project?

Five to six volunteers.


working on the project, how do youorganize them? For example, do





It depends on the volunteers skill sets

and what they like to do. As this project

involves work with computers, volunteers

who dont like working with technology

can do research on the photos. Some

volunteers are comortable using the

scanner, but dont like having to describe

photos, so they just scan and build up a

pool o images that other volunteers can

work rom to enter descriptions. Some

volunteers like to work on all aspects o

the project: scanning, researching, and

describing the photos.

Many o our photos come rom

manuscript collections, so volunteers

who work on images rom start to nish

tend to work on those that originated

in manuscript collections, and they

just work on that collectionassigning

accession numbers, scanning, and

describing. Once they nish a collection,

we get another one rom our backlog and

start again. We have a large backlog, but

we also have a large number o photos

that have already been accessioned and

described. Volunteers who work on

parts o the project tend to work with

these photos. We have a volunteer who

just pulls boxes o photos in chronologica

accession number order and scans them,

and other volunteers who then take those

photos and enter the descriptions that

have already been completed into the

appropriate elds in our database.

How do you recruit the volunteers?

When someone applies to be a volunteer,

the volunteer coordinator provides a brie

description o the various projects that

we have available. I this description is

o interest, the applicant meets with thearchivists responsible, who then go over

the project in urther detail.




or other)?

Yes, volunteers must be at least sixteen

years old and must be either citizens o

the United States, permanent residents, or

holders o an A-1 or A-2 diplomatic visa.
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.trumanlibrary.org/


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Most volunteers work at least three

hours; some work or up to ve hours

each week.


to have a specic schedule, or is theschedule exible?

We dont require a specic schedule;

however, many volunteers tend to come

on specic days.


Volunteers work in the oces o the

archives sta.


project require?

Te project requires computers and at

least one scanner. Computer programs

include the scanner sotware, Adobe

Photoshop, and our custom-designed

database program.


volunteers do?

Volunteers undertake the ollowing tasks:

Assigning accession numbers (under

guidance o archivists);

Numbering photos and placing them in

photo sleeves;

Scanning photos (which are prooed by

the archivists);

Conducting research in the librarys

manuscript collections or inormation

about the photos; and

Describing the photos, either using

previously written descriptions or

writing them rom scratch.

What kind o initial training do thevolunteers receive?

We train them on photo-handling

procedures, how to scan photos, and the

process o entering a prewritten photo

description into the database. Depending

on the level o interest they express,

we then can show volunteers how to

describe photos that do not already have

descriptions.



We have a written process or entering

photo descriptions into the database thatgoes through the requirements o each

eld step-by-step, and volunteers reer

back to that. Archivists are also available

to answer questions that may come up

about specic photos or how to word a

description.


day-to-day work?

When volunteers rst start, every photo

that is scanned is checked against the

original to ensure that it is a aithul

representation o the original. Once they

have been scanning photos or a while,

scans will be spot-checked beore being

added to the database. All descriptions

are checked or spelling and accuracy

by one o the archivists beore they

are veried and added to our online

photograph database.


example, how do you track and report

the projects progress, and how do


Lists are kept o all active photo collection

projects. All the lists have our elds:

what photos have been scanned and how

many there are; when they have been

sent to the server; when the volunteer

has completed description; and when

they are veried by an archivist. Tis goes

or both photos rom our chronological

collection and newly described photos

that are removed rom the backlog. Techronological list cuts o at the end o

the scal year when the photos were

originally accessioned; each backlog

collection has its own list. Photos are not

actually counted as being added until they

are veried by an archivist.



archival material?

A member o the archives sta pulls

this material or volunteers. All

volunteers have completed holdings

security trainingwhich is mandated

by the National Archives and Records

Administrationand a member o the

archives sta is usually present with the

volunteers when they are working on

this project.


As mentioned above, all volunteers

have to complete holdings security

training and have background checks

and ngerprints taken. A member o

the archives sta is usually present withvolunteers, whether they are scanning

or describing photos. Newer volunteers

are typically not let alone with original

materials or any length o time.


Our volunteer coordinator plans various

dinners and gatherings or volunteers

that work in all departments, and the

library participates in National Volunteer

Week, when we recognize our volunteers

on our website and in the museum and

library lobbies.


is a success?

By the continued growth o the number

o photos available on our website and the

shrinking o our backlog o unprocessed

photos.


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Te Indiana Historical Societys Library

and Archives has teen ull-time and six

part-time (including paid interns) sta

members. In addition, we have teen totwenty volunteers.

Te library and archives mission (within

the IHS mission as Indianas Storyteller)

is comprised o three integral parts:

Collecting materials on Indiana

history rom all time periods and in all

archival ormats.

Preserving

the materials or uturegenerations.

Making available the materials to

anyone interested in Indiana and

Midwestern history.

For more inormation, visit

http://www.indianahistory.org/about

or http://www.indianahistory.org/our-

collections/library-and-archives

Idiaa Hirical sciyhttp://www.indianahistory.org/

Indianapolis, Indiana

Project itle

Dacciig

Contact

Steve Haller, Senior Director o Collections & [email protected]

(317) 234-0034


Project Details


your organizational structure,


volunteer coordinator, or other)oversees the project?

Our deaccession volunteer reports to

the registrar (who reports to the senior

director) and is supervised by the

department administrative assistant (who

reports to senior director).


project?

One volunteer works on this project.








N/A


Responsibility or recruiting volunteers

alls to the volunteer coordinator inhuman resources.




or other)?

We restrict volunteering to adults.

Additionally, prospective volunteers must

have skills that match the job description

and the physical requirements o the

position. Our human resources oce

conducts a background check.



Te volunteer spends about our hours

per week on the project.



schedule exible?

Volunteers must keep a specic schedule.


Te volunteering is perormed in an open

oce area and in deaccession storage.


project require?

A computer and telephone are used.


volunteers do?

Volunteers work is directed by the

department administrative assistant

under the registrars supervision. Using

preapproved lists, volunteers enter

inventories o deaccessioned items into

a spreadsheet. Volunteers then search

or prospective new homes (in-state

or out-o-state) or the deaccessioned

items. Initial contacts are then made

by either email or telephone to gauge

interest in the items. Prospective new

homes are reviewed with the registrar or

appropriateness. Volunteers also assist

the administrative assistant in packing

and shipping approved materials.
http://www.indianahistory.org/abouthttp://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.indianahistory.org/http://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/about


12/90


What kind o initial training do you

provide the volunteers?

Volunteers are trained in inventory

control and mail room operations as

needed.



N/A


day-to-day work?

Te registrar checks and reviews all work.





Te senior director periodically

monitors results with the registrar and

administrative assistant.



archival material?

Not applicable, since volunteers use

duplicate material.


We use a badge access system.


HR has an annual event to thank

volunteers. We also oten inormally

thank our volunteers.


is a success?

Success is visible when there is an

increase in the available space or new

collections.


13/90


Te Societys Library and Archives

has teen ull-time and six part-time

(including paid interns) sta members.

In addition, we have teen to twenty

volunteers.

Te Library and Archives mission (within

IHS mission as Indianas Storyteller) is

comprised o three integral parts:

Collecting materials on Indiana

history rom all time periods and in all

archival ormats

Preserving the materials or uture

generationsMaking available the materials to

anyone interested in Indiana and

Midwestern history

For more inormation, visit

http://www.indianahistory.org/about

or http://www.indianahistory.org/our-

collections/library-and-archives.

Idiaa Hirical sciyhttp://www.indianahistory.org/

Project itle

oral Hiry tracripi

ContactSteve Haller, Senior Director o Collections & Library

[email protected]

(317) 234-0034


Project Details


your organizational structure,




Oral history transcription volunteers

report to the director o manuscript and

visual collections (who reports to the

senior director).


project?

One or two volunteers help with

transcriptions.

I you have multiple volunteersworking on the project, how do you






Te volunteers work on dierent days and

on separate projects.


Te human resources volunteer

coordinator recruits volunteers.

Do you have any restrictions onwho may participate (minimum or


or other)?

Te volunteer must be an adult, must

have skills that match the job description,

must undergo a background check by HR,

etc.



Each volunteer spends about our hours




schedule exible?

Volunteers must keep a specic schedule.


Te volunteering is perormed in an open

oce area.

What kinds o equipment does theproject require?

ranscribing oral histories requires a

computer and audio transcription devices

(the specic type depends on whether the

media is tape or digital).


volunteers do?

Tese volunteers listen to recordings o

oral histories and transcribe what they

hear.

What kind o initial training do the

volunteers receive?

Volunteers are trained on equipment use

and editorial standards.



N/A
http://www.indianahistory.org/abouthttp://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.indianahistory.org/http://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archiveshttp://www.indianahistory.org/about


14/90



day-to-day work?

Te director checks work rom time to

time.



the projects progress, and how doyou ensure quality control?

Te director checks work rom time to

time.



archival material?

Not applicable, since volunteers use

duplicate material.


Volunteers use a badge access system.


HR has an annual event to thank

volunteers. We also inormally thank

them oten.


is a success?

An increase in accessible oral histories

indicates that the project was a success.


15/90


naial Archiv a Cllg Park(National Archives and Records Administration)

http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/

College Park, Maryland

Project itle

oli Idxig f Viam Ui Award (4 sri) fr Fld3.cm Digiizai PrjcContacts

Mary Rephlo, NARA Liaison with Fold3.com

[email protected]

Clif Snyder, Supervisory Archivist

[email protected]

Judy Luis-Watson, Volunteer Coordinator

[email protected]

(301) 837-3002


Te National Archives at College Park is

the largest modern archives in the world.

We have approximately six hundred

employees, two hundred contractors,

as well as seventy-ve volunteers. Te

building houses textual and microlm

records rom most ederal government

civilian agencies, army records dating

rom World War I, naval records dating

rom World War II, still pictures, motion

pictures, sound and video records,

cartographic and architectural holdings,

as well as electronic records.

Te National Archives and Records

Administration (NARA) comprises

orty-seven acilities nationwide that

include our records centers, regional

archives, Presidential libraries, and the

Oce o the Federal Register. Nationwide

at NARA, we have approximately 3,000

employees and 1,600 volunteers.

Project Details






Tis project was completed in 2010. Te

lead volunteer worked with the volunteer

coordinator who communicated with ourNARA representative when we needed

more immediate technical assistance

rom our partner organization Fold3.com.

Te archivist responded to any issues

regarding the original records and

scanned images.


project?

A team o ve volunteers collaborated on

this project.








On a printed sheet, volunteers signedup or a box to work on, indicating the

date. At the end o the day, they indicated

whether or not they had completed the

box or were in progress. When working

online, they signed up and selected a

section o records to index. Te lead

volunteer coordinated this team project

in collaboration with the volunteer

coordinator.


Volunteers nd us through our website

www.archives.gov, www.volunteermatch

.org, and by word o mouth. We also list

our volunteer opportunities on websites

o adjacent cities in Maryland.

Te volunteer coordinator discussed this

project with several volunteers whose

technical skills and interests matched the

project. While two volunteers emerged as

potential leads, one agreed to serve as the

lead volunteer and stayed with the project

to completion. All the volunteers were

already a part o the volunteer corps and

were delighted to undertake this project.

For most o them, this was just one o the

projects they worked on regularly.
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.archives.gov/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.archives.gov/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/


16/90





or other)?

Volunteers must be comortable with

computers and be very detail-oriented. All

NARA volunteers must be at least sixteen

years o age. Volunteers also must be U.S.

citizens, legal resident aliens, or holders

o a type A1 or A2 diplomatic visa.



Most volunteered our to six hours a

week. Te lead volunteer was able to work

at home and contributed many hours o-

site.



schedule exible?

Schedules were fexible.


Volunteers worked mostly in thevolunteer oce, which is a processing

space, but sometimes also at home.


project require?

Computers with Internet access have to

meet the specications o the partnering

organization iarchives.com.


volunteers do?

Box review: Compare the computer

images with the contents o the box to

determine i there are any pages in the

box that were not scanned or are out o

order.

Image Quality: Check that image

quality is comparable to the actual

document and that the image is

properly centered in the black border

space.

Metadata Entry: Enter the three

elements identiying the award using

the keyboard: 1) Award type, 2) Unit

Designation, 3) Date-year

What kind o initial training do you

provide the volunteers?

All volunteers participate in sixteen hours

o orientation to the National Archives, as

well as training in holdings maintenance

and records handling, and holdings

protection.



For this project, Fold3.com sta

conducted an on-site training using their

sotware or a group o volunteers as

well as sta overseeing the project. As

the project evolved, the lead volunteer

in collaboration with the volunteer

coordinator prepared written instructions

or the team.


day-to-day work?

Te volunteer coordinator worked

closely with the lead volunteer to oversee

production. Tey provided updates to

archival sta.





Te lead volunteer regularly provided

status updates and inormed the

volunteer coordinator o technical issues

that needed to be resolved. Regular

project updates allowed sta to track the

progress o the project.



archival material?

In some cases, the archivist delivered

the boxes o records ater they hadbeen scanned by Fold3.com sta in the

research acility. At other times, the

lead volunteer or volunteer coordinator

picked up the boxes rom the research

acility. Since the volunteer oce is a

secure processing space, the boxes were

stored in the room during the project. Te

supervising archivist delivered the boxes

back to the stacks.


All volunteers undergo a ederal

background investigation (National

Agency Check o Inquiries). In addition,

or this project, the sign-out sheet and

the database kept a record o which

volunteer worked on which box and when

the box was completed. Other volunteers

and sta work in close proximity, which

supports good security and records-

handling practices.


We make a practice o expressing

gratitude and words o encouragement

to each volunteer on a daily basis. We

celebrate volunteers at a luncheon,

a thank-you party during National

Volunteer Week, occasional milestones

celebrations, as well as smaller socials.

Volunteers also receive a 20 percent

discount at the archives store.


is a success?

Tis project comprising 119 boxes,

or example, was completed to the

satisaction o NARA sta as well as

Fold3.com sta, and researchers have

been using the data online. Te work

exceeded expectations because o the

keen attention to detail o the team

and the lead volunteers dedication and

patience.

obert Gaugler, lead volunteer or the Online Indexing o

ietnam Unit Awards or Fold3.com Digitization Project.ourtesy of the National Archives at College Park, MD. 2012.


17/90


naial Archiv a Cllg Park(National Archives and Records Administration)

http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/

College Park, Maryland

Project itle

Rarrag ad R-labl Rcrd Grup 407, WWII oprai Rpr Fil Ui,ery 427F Cury Fil, 19411948

Contact

Becky Collier, Supervisory Archivist

[email protected]

(301) 837-1601


Te National Archives at College Park is

the largest modern archives in the world.We have approximately six hundred

employees, two hundred contractors,

as well as seventy-ve volunteers. Te

building houses textual and microlm

records rom most ederal government

civilian agencies, army records dating

rom World War I, naval records dating

rom World War II, still pictures, motionpictures, sound and video records,

cartographic and architectural holdings,

as well as electronic records.

Te National Archives and Records

Administration (NARA) comprises

orty-seven acilities nationwide that

include our records centers, regionalarchives, presidential libraries, and the

Oce o the Federal Register. Nationwide

at NARA, we have approximately 3,000

employees and 1,600 volunteers.

Project Details


your organizational structure,and who (e.g., archivist, curator,



Tis project was completed in 2011. Te

reerence supervisory archivist provided

training and supervised the project.


project?

One volunteer worked on this project.








N/A


Volunteers nd us through our website,www.archives.gov, www.volunteermatch

.org, and via word o mouth. We also list

our volunteer opportunities on websites

o adjacent cities in Maryland.

Te volunteer coordinator discussed

this project with the volunteer because

it matched the persons skill level and

interest. Te volunteer who was already

on board and working on other projects

was delighted to undertake this project.




or other)?

Te volunteer had to have a background

in archival practices and experience with

arrangement projects. NARA volunteers

must be at least sixteen years o age. Tey

also must be U.S. citizens, legal resident

aliens, or holders o a type A-1 or A-2

diplomatic visa.


volunteer contribute to the project?Tis volunteer contributed about eight to

twelve hours per week to this project.



schedule exible?

Te schedule was fexible.


Te volunteer worked in the volunteer

oce, which is a secure processing space,and in the stacks where this record group

is stored.


project require?

A computer with appropriate sotware

and access to shared drives, as well as

labels or boxes, were required.
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/mailto:[email protected]://www.archives.gov/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.archives.gov/mailto:[email protected]://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/


18/90



volunteers do?

Volunteers completed the ollowing

tasks:

Identiy contents o olders;-Update older titles to refect-contents and include country

name rst;

Provide new older list with-proposed title changes to archivist;

Based on agreement, rearrange-records alphabetically by name

o country and thereunder,

alphabetically by type o record;

Re-label boxes to refect new-arrangement; and

Provide archivist with electronic-version o older listing and box

listing refecting new arrangement.What kind o initial training did the

volunteers receive?

All volunteers participate in sixteen

hours o orientation to the National

Archives and receive training in holdings

maintenance and records handling as well

as holdings protection.



For this project, the archivist explained

the project within its larger context,

instructed the volunteer on the location

o the records, and was available to

answer any questions.


day-to-day work?

Te volunteer coordinator supervised the

day-to-day work and served as liaisonbetween the volunteer and archivist. Te

volunteer also provided regular updates

to the archivist.





Regular conversations with the volunteer

enabled the volunteer coordinator to

provide advice and keep track o the

projects progress. Regular project

updates allowed the archivist to ensure

that the project was being done correctly.



archival material?

Te volunteer had access to the stacks in

which the records were stored.


All volunteers undergo a backgroundinvestigation (National Agency Check

o Inquiries). Stack access is only

provided to a volunteer or the time

that the individual works on a project

that requires access to the records. Te

supervisory archivist requests stack

access or volunteers. Original records are

stored in the volunteer oce, which is a

secure processing space. Other volunteers

and sta work in close proximity, whichsupports good security and records

handling practices. When exiting the

building, volunteers, like sta, go through

a bag search.


We make a practice o expressing

gratitude and words o encouragement

to each volunteer on a daily basis. We

celebrate volunteers at a luncheon,

a thank-you party during National

Volunteer Week, occasional milestonescelebrations, as well as smaller socials.

Volunteers also receive a 20-percent

discount at the archives store.


is a success?

Tis project was completed to the

satisaction o the supervising archivist,

and the records are accessible to

researchers and sta.

assie Ghee, docent and leadolunteer or the ongoingolume Preservation Project,

th records o oreignrvice posts. Courtesy of the

ational Archives at College

rk, MD. 2008.

Howard Waterworth is part o alarge team o volunteers processingand conducting holdings

maintenance on the records o theAmerican Expeditionary Forces World War I. Courtesy of the National

Archives at College Park, MD. 2012.

Lisa Covi, docent and sta aide, hasvolunteered on several projects,including an item-level fnding

aid o Panama Canal applicationsor photo-metal checks and a boxlisting o World War II operations

reports. Courtesy of the NationalArchives at College Park, MD. 2012.

Robin Brown is part o a team ovolunteers developing an item-level fnding aid o the 101st

Airborne Division Awards casefles during the Vietnam War.Courtesy of the National Archives

at College Park, MD. 2012.

Sarah Barton, docent and staide, has volunteered on searchival projects, including

researching and writing lettresponse to reerence requShe has served on the boar

the National Archives VolunAssociation. Courtesy of theNational Archives at College

MD. 2011.


19/90


naial Archiv a Fr Wrh(National Archives and Records Administration)

http://www.archives.gov/southwest/

Fort Worth, exas

Project itle

Aiig ParContact

Jenny Sweeney, Education Specialist

[email protected]

(817) 831-5917


Te National Archives at Fort Worth

is made up o two acilities: the John

Burgess acility, where we hold ouroriginal records, and the Montgomery

Plaza acility, where we have a research

room with public access computers and

microlm readers. Te Montgomery

Plaza acility is mainly used by genealogyresearchers. Altogether, we have nine

ull-time employees and two part-time

student employees. We have more

than 115 cubic eet o ederal records

rom exas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, andArkansas.

Project Details






Te education specialist oversees thisproject at our Montgomery Plaza

location.


project?

Seventeen volunteers work on this

project.




you have a lead volunteer; do youorganize work according to day;



Te work is organized according to day

the volunteers each do the same kinds o

work and just pick up where the others

let o.


Our recent opening o Montgomery

Plaza required us to recruit volunteers.

Tere was an article about the opening

o the space in our local paper, and

the writer made note that we wouldneed volunteers. Tis is how we got the

majority o our volunteers, and most o

them help patrons with amily history

research. Te special projects volunteers

all started out helping patrons and either

asked or urther responsibility, or we

thought they would be good on the

specic project and asked them i they

would be interested.

We gain volunteers when individuals

inquire about volunteering. Otherwise,we have not done any active recruiting

lately.




or other)?

Volunteers must be at least sixteen years

old and must be either citizens o the

United States, permanent residents, or


Also, we ask that each volunteer works at

least a our-hour shit per week.



Generally the volunteers work our hours

a week.



schedule exible?

Te schedule is fexible.


Volunteers who work with patrons help at

our Montgomery Plaza acility.


project require?

N/A


volunteers do?

Most o our volunteers assist patrons

with amily history research. Tey also

greet patrons, answer the phones when
http://www.archives.gov/southwest/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.archives.gov/southwest/


20/90


necessary, and help with any other minor

tasks that arise.

wo volunteers also work on creating an

index or naturalizations in several o the

exas courts. Te education specialist

oversees this project.

We have one volunteer who works mostlyon research and creating text or an

upcoming online exhibit and blog. Te

archives director and education specialist

jointly oversee this project.


volunteers receive?

Te initial training relates to what the

National Archives is and what type o

work we do. We also provide them with

training on the holdings in our region

that are most used, such as the Dawes

records.



We periodically provide training related to

specic records, such as the recent release

o the 1940 Census, etc. We provide them

with nding aids.

Some upcoming training on Dawes

records will include exercises or them to

practice using Native American records.


day-to-day work?

We check in on them to see i they need

anything. I there is something that they

need, they are welcome to come to us at

any time.





We periodically check in on the volunteers

and look at the work they are doing. Wespot-check or quality control on the

projects.



archival material?

N/A


Volunteers at our Montgomery Plaza

work with microlm and public access

computers, so there are no records

security issues.


We recently held a Volunteer Appreciation

Extravaganza where we had a potluck

luncheon and gave the volunteers

certicates o appreciation and NARA

volunteer pins. Troughout the year, we

provide them with little treats and notes

o thanks.

How do you decide i the project is a

success?

Success is reached when the project is

complete.

olunteer Bunnye Porter assists a patron in the

enealogical Research Room. Courtesy of theational Archives at Fort Worth.

The Montgomery Plaza acility o the National

Archives at Fort Worth. Courtesy of the NationalArchives at Fort Worth.

Volunteer Lonny Porter gives a helping hand to a v

at the Genealogical Research Room. Courtesy of thNational Archives at Fort Worth.


21/90


naial Archiv a Fr Wrh(National Archives and Records Administration)

http://www.archives.gov/southwest/

Fort Worth, exas

Project itle

Prcig Cfdra Cur RcrdContact

Jenny Sweeney

[email protected]

(817) 831-5917


Te National Archives at Fort Worth

is made up o two acilities: the John

Burgess acility, where we hold ouroriginal records, and the Montgomery

Plaza acility, where we have a research

room with public access computers and

microlm readers. Te Montgomery

Plaza acility is mainly used by genealogyresearchers. Altogether, we have nine

ull-time employees and two part-time

student employees. We have more

than 115 cubic eet o ederal records

rom exas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, andArkansas.

Project Details






Te archives director oversees this projectat the John Burgess acility.


project?

wo volunteers help process Conederate

court records.





organize work according to day;does each volunteer work on an


Te work is organized according to day

the volunteers each do the same kinds o

work and just pick up where the others

let o.


We gain volunteers when individuals

inquire about volunteering. We have

not otherwise done any active recruiting

lately.




or other)?

Volunteers must be at least sixteen years

old and must be either citizens o the

United States, permanent residents, or


Also, we ask that each volunteer works at

least a our-hour shit per week.



Generally the volunteers work our hours

a week.



schedule exible?

Te schedule is fexible.


Te extual Research Room at our John

Burgess acility.


project require?

Tey are currently taking notes on

inormation rom court cases and key

that inormation into a database on a

National Archives computer. Te workalso requires olders, boxes, etc.


volunteers do?

Tese volunteers physically process

records and then record rom them the

inormation we need to create an index o

the records.

What kind o initial training do

volunteers receive?

Te initial training relates to what the

National Archives is and what type o

work we do.



N/A
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22/90



day-to-day work?

We check in on them to see i they need

anything. I there is something that they

need, they are welcome to come to us at

any time.

How do you manage the project? Forexample, how do you track and report



We periodically check in on the volunteers

and look at the work they are doing. We

spot-check or quality control on the

projects.



archival material?

Archivists or archives technicians pull the

records or them. Tey use this material

in the extual Research Room just as any

researcher would.


Luckily, we have not had any security

issues with volunteers. Since they are

using the archival materials in the

research room, they are monitored just

like regular researchers.


We recently held a Volunteer Appreciation

Extravaganza where we had a potluck

luncheon and gave the volunteers

certicates o appreciation and NARA

volunteer pins. Troughout the year, we

provide them with little treats and notes

o thanks.


success?

Completion o the project indicates that it

is a success.


23/90


naial Archiv Buildighttp://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/

(National Archives and Records Administration)

Washington, D.C.

Project itle

Idxig Buy Lad RcrdContact

Rebecca Martin

[email protected]

(202) 357-5272


Te National Archives Building is located

in downtown Washington, D.C. One o

more than three dozen acilities operatedby the National Archives and Records

Administration, the National Archives

Building is the agencys rst home.

Constructed in the 1930s, the structure

is located near the National Mall and

houses the Declaration o Independence,

the Constitution, and the Bill o Rights.More than one million people visit the

sites exhibits each year. Te National

Archives Building holds Executive Branch

records related to the Civil War, Japanese-

American internment during World

War II, immigration, and much more. It

also holds the records o Congress andthe Supreme Court. Approximately 300

ederal employees, 260 volunteers, and

30 interns work in the building, as well as

several dozen contractors.

Project Details






Te project is under the supervision

o the processing sta. Te volunteer

coordinator recruits volunteers or the

project, and one o the archival processing

sta members oversees the day-to-day

work.


project?

Fiteen volunteers work on the project.








All the volunteers share one computer.

Each volunteer is assigned a two-hour

shit, and three shits are scheduled each

day. Te supervising sta member pulls

boxes o records rom the stacks. At the

beginning o each shit, the volunteer

nds the marker let in the active box by

the last volunteer. Ten the volunteer

pulls the le behind the marker, enters

the relevant data, and replaces the older

in the box. When the older goes back in

the box, it is in ront o the marker. In

this way, each subsequent volunteer picks

the work up where the previous person

ended. o keep track o which volunteer

entered which data, each person working

on the project completes a log at the

beginning and end o each shit. Te

log lists the number o the rst le theperson entered that day, the number

o the last le he or she entered, the

volunteers name, and the date.


We recruit volunteers through our

website, by word o mouth, through

postings on www.volunteermatch.org, in

local libraries, and in local newspapers.




or other)?

Yes, each volunteer must be at leastsixteen years old and must be either

a United States citizen, a permanent

resident, or a holder o an A-1 or A-2

diplomatic visa.



Each volunteer commits to one two-

hour shit. Occasionally, i a slot is open

because o another volunteers vacation

or illness, someone picks up an additional

shit.



schedule exible?

Because all the volunteers who

contribute to this project share one

computer, each persons time is strictly

scheduled. Each volunteer is assigned a

specic day o the week and, within that

day, a two-hour slot.
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24/90



Te work is done in one o our processing

rooms.


project require?

Te project requires a desk with enough

surace space or saely examining a

case le, a computer, a pencil, a sheet

or marking where each volunteer starts

and ends within a shit, and an acid-ree

piece o card-stock or marking where the

volunteer is within a box.


volunteers do?

Te volunteer removes one le at a time

rom a box. Te volunteer then types

inormation that is written on the outsideo the le (the name o the applicant,

the name o the persons commanding

ocer, etc.) into an Access database. I

there seems to be a problem with the

inormation recorded on the outside o

the le, then the volunteer opens the le

and examines the original nineteenth-

century records. When nished with the

le, the volunteer returns it to the box

and removes the next le.

What kind o initial training do thevolunteers receive?

Each volunteer participates in a sixteen-

hour orientation course. Ten the

volunteer works with a veteran o the

project. Each volunteer or the project

also receives document handling training

via the Preservation Program Division.



Each volunteer receives an instructionsheet, and a copy o the sheet is located at

the work station. I additional training is

needed, the lead volunteers identiy the

need and provide the training.


day-to-day work?

wo volunteers serve as leads; they

regularly check the work o new

volunteers. Ten, ater the volunteers

have settled into the project, they

periodically check the work.





Te lead volunteers perorm quality

checks. Te les are in alphabetical order

by the name o the applicant. Progress

is noted as the volunteers move through

the alphabet. Because o the scale o

the project, progress can eel slow. Forinstance, it took more than one year to

enter the les rom the letter H.



archival material?

A sta member pulls the boxes rom the

stacks, keeps them in a secure processing

space when they are in use, and reles

them in the stacks.


All volunteers undergo a ederal

background check; the work is done in a

secure processing area to which access is

limited, no volunteer is ever alone in the

work space, and all volunteers participate

in exit screening when leaving the

building.


We hold two big events during the yearand lots o small ones. We also verbally

say thank you every time we see the

volunteers, and we oer benets, such

as a 20 percent discount in our museum

shop.


success?

Te project is successul i use o these

records increases.


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org Jwih Muumhttp://www.ojm.org/

Portland, Oregon

Project itle

Cgrgai Bh Iral Prjc

Contact

Pete Asch

[email protected]

(503) 226-3600


Te Oregon Jewish Museum (OJM), the

Pacic Northwests only Jewish museum,

was ounded in 1989 to examine and

preserve the rich cultural heritage o oneo Oregons earliest immigrant groups,

to bring innovative traveling exhibitions

and Jewish programs to the region, and

to build a dynamic institution embracing

Jewish identity and community. OJMs

mission is dedicated to the preservation,

research, and exhibition o art, archivalmaterials, and artiacts o the Jewish

people. It is the repository or archival

documents, artiacts, and photographs

concerning the history o the Jews in

Oregon, and endeavors to discover and

collect all materials that may help to

illuminate this history.

We currently have a sta o our ull-time

employees and a part-time archivist.

Project Details






Te project is overseen by the archivist

and the curator o the collections.


project?

Fiteen volunteers work on this project.





organize work according to day;does each volunteer work on an


Te volunteers are divided into teams o

two or three. Te materials are prepared

by the archivist into rudimentary series,

and each team is assigned a series or

subseries to work on. Tey are given

one box at a time and receive training in

archival processing.


N/A


who may participate (minimum ormaximum age, education, experience,

or other)?

We do not have restrictions, but due

to the high number o community

volunteers, we have begun to limit

participants to those with either archival

experience or signicant knowledge o

the congregation or community.



Each volunteer spends about our hours




schedule exible?

We ask that the volunteers work while

the archivist is present.


Te work takes place at a group

processing table in the archives room.

What kinds o equipment does theproject require?

Te volunteers are responsible or

processing only materials that have been

accessed by the archivist and treated

or any signicant preservation and

conservation problems. Volunteers

organize materials and put them into

olders and boxes.


volunteers do?

Volunteers process materials, identiy

photographs, and provide valuable

insight into the history o the collection

(since many have been members o the

congregation or ty or more years).
http://www.ojm.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.ojm.org/


26/90



volunteers receive?

Each new volunteer receives one day o

training in archival processing practices

and is always paired with a volunteer who

has several years o experience.

What kinds o ongoing training orwritten instructions do you provide?

Each mini project (one box) is introduced

one at a time and quickly reviewed at the

start and completion. I remain accessible

or any questions that arise, and when

several questions crop up, I hold meetings

with the entire crew or individual teams

to address them.


day-to-day work?

My oce is adjacent to where they

work, and I regularly check their work

throughout the day. In addition, I meet

with the volunteers at the start and end

o their shits.



the projects progress and how do you

ensure quality control?

I use Excel reports to track what everyone

is working on and how much they have

processed over time. In addition, I go

through each box upon completion to

ensure quality control.



archival material?

Tey are given materials one box at a time

to work with.


Materials must remain in the processing

area, and volunteers are not assigned

to work with any collections having

restrictions or sensitive inormation.


Tere is no ocial compensation policy,

but we give holiday gits and other small

examples o our gratitude.


success?

We consider the project a success once

the collection has been entirely processed

and turned over to the archivist or nal

arrangement and description.

Members o the National Council o Jewish Women

volunteer programs in archives

Documents