As an institutional repository, DePaul University Archives faces a constant influx of small transfers of records in addition to larger, periodic donations. This constant “trickle” of records ranging from routine mailings and ephemera to vital records had created an environment where some materials were meticulously “over-accessioned” and processed while others languished in backlog. This poster will address the very simple steps implemented to reduce (and prevent) accessioning and processing backlog for physical and digital records, while improving use of staff time and knowledge about how staff time is begin used. A combination of three accessioning “streams” that immediately queues records as they come in the door, coupled with a “Last-In-First-Out” processing plan, has standardized when and how records are managed.
About the Author:
Andrea Bainbridge has served as University Archivist in DePaul University’s Special Collections and Archives Department since 2010. She earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, and previously served as Senior Archivist at the American Medical Association. She is a proud member of the Chicago Area Archivists and Midwest Archives Conference.
