Phases of work

Phase 1 (2020-2022)

Between 2020-2022 we focused on phase one of the archives inventory, creating box lists for all uncatalogued archive accessions without any sort of finding aid (i.e. no box list or detailed collection survey). All outstanding boxes that were in the Deepstore inventory without any accompanying collection reference data were also included to help identify any unaccounted for boxes.

Phase one comprised approximately 1,250 boxes. After the pilot sprint in February/March 2020, further progress was delayed as a result of the Covid pandemic. Work resumed in February 2022 and completed in September 2022.

Click here for documentation relating to phase one.

Phase 2 (2023- )

From the 2022-2023 delivery year, the focus shifts to phase two; bringing all box lists and/or finding aids to meet an agreed minimum standard. As with phase one this includes identifying, extracting, and processing all born-digital, audio-visual, and oversize material. The estimated size of phase two is approximately 6,500 boxes of archive material.

Before work can begin on amending individual box lists, we need to undertake a detailed scoping exercise to establish the standard of the existing box lists and understand what actions are required to bring them up to our agreed minimum standard. This also includes ensuring both the accession record and the collection level description in CALM are updated.

The format in which material has been historically box listed has varied, ranging from hardcopy print outs and handwritten lists in the physical collections’ files, to Word, Excel, PDF, and JPG images in the digital collections’ files in Sharepoint; how much information is recorded, and the style has also differed over time. They also do not necessarily record any reboxing that has occurred.

Storing uncatalogued material offsite didn't become standard procedure until 2017. Therefore, box lists don't often include the corresponding Deepstore barcodes required to locate and recall the boxes.

Scoping for phase two work began in October 2022. Practical sprints began in June 2023. The aim is to deliver one sprint per quarter from October 2023.

Click here for documentation relating to phase two.

What are the minimum box list requirements?

• Contains box number, which correctly relates to the Deepstore online inventory

• Contains a title and/or description

• Contains dates, even if rough or inferred

• Contains extent, even if rough

• Born digital and audio-visual material is identified, itemised, and extracted

Phase 3

As of July 2023, full details for phase three are still to be finalised until phase two is more established. The focus for phase three is getting box lists imported into CALM and made discoverable for research via the online catalogue. This will involve collaborating with LE&E to consider the impact on LE&E and CI if we receive an increase in requests for access to uncatalogued material.

Phases two and three are likely to run alongside each other and involve an element of prioritisation.

Phase 4

This will be the final phase of the archives inventory. Phase four aims to check and resolve any outstanding discrepancies. This predominantly relates to material that is marked as ‘out’ on the Deepstore inventory, suggesting it is currently onsite at 215. We suspect it is likely to be boxes recalled prior to having a dedicated transit area in the sub-basement and not yet returned, or where boxes have been catalogued and the barcodes have not been 'permed out' (i.e. removed) from the Deepstore system.