Week 11: Finishing the Finding Aid

In order to complete the finding aid, I had to label each individual folder with a folder and box number. For instance, the first folder of box one would be labelled 1-1. This would allow me to keep track of which folder was contained in each box. Once I did this, I had to add these numbers to the finding aid and give the title of the folders and what they contain. This is so that it is organized and easier to find when searching for a file. After completing this step, I went back and gave my collection a quick run-through to make sure that everything was recorded and that my collection was in order. With everything set, I finished creating my finding aid and finished my collection. Next week, I will put my collection in storage.

Week 10: Creating a Finding Aid

Since I completed organizing my collection last week, this week my task was to create a finding aid. A finding aid is a written guide that provides information about the collection, such as a description about the collection, a description about the institution, how the collection is organized, what subjects are found in the collection and provides a location for the items within the collection. All this information provides researchers and archivists with the necessary information to easily locate a particular piece of the collection. This is a very important step in the archives process.

Link to a list of finding guides for current Loyola University Archives material can be found here.

Week 9: Boxing my Collection

This week, I finished up organizing my files from the Extension Society. After putting each file in order and grouping them into folders, I labelled the folders with the appropriate description and date. Once this was completed, I was provided with three hollinger/archives boxes which were used to store the files. These boxes are designed for archive material and provide safe storage for an extended period of time. These boxes are acid-free which helps prevent paper from breaking down and have a metal-edge on their corners that provide protection. They also contain a loop which allows easy access to pulling the boxes off the shelves. For my collection, I labelled the boxes as the Catholic Church Extension Society and provided it with a number in the set. This will be helpful when creating a finding guide.

Week 8: Organizing My Collection

This week I continued to work on sorting through and organizing the Catholic Church Extension Society files. As I mentioned in the previous week, I organized the letters first alphabetically and then when possible, chronologically. After I organized the letters, I placed them into folders and labelled them with a brief, general description of what type of files they were and to what dates they pertain. This allows for others to have easier access to the files and provides important information that can help a researcher save time.