Relicura LLC

Rachael Cristine Woody is the owner of Relicura LLC, a firm that provides services to archives, museums, and cultural heritage organizations. She specializes in establishing collection programs, assessment and planning for historical collections, and vetting and implementing Collection Management Systems (CMS). Previously she revived the archives at the Freer|Sackler Museum of the Smithsonian Institution and launched the Oregon Wine History Archive at Linfield College. During her career she's successfully launched multiple digital projects that included advanced digitization technology, collaborative portals, and the migration of collection information into collections management systems. She received her Master of Science in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management from Simmons University, and has 15 years of experience in the museum and archives field. Woody is active in Northwest Archivists and the Society of American Archivists’ Committee on Public Awareness, the Ad-Hoc Salary Transparency Working Group, and the Independent Archivists group; and is an alumna of the Archives Leadership Institute. Additionally, she led the creation of the Archivist-in-Residence pilot program at Northwest Archivists and is a staunch advocate for the value of archivists.

Collection Planning and Management: Establishing and managing a collection program poses significant challenges for archives, museums, and cultural heritage organizations. Whether you're just starting, relaunching, or working with an existing program, you need a system that’s sustainable and designed to power your goals. If the prospect of  collection assessment or collection program development feels overwhelming, I  offer simplified, step-by-step solutions with my signature Collection Planning and Management services.

Digital Collections Management: A robust digital collection management strategy is essential for carrying your organization’s mission into the future. However, navigating the digital landscape is daunting and intricately nuanced depending on the needs of your archive, museum, heritage group, historical society, or government agency. How and where to begin can feel overwhelming as you grapple with the complexities of digital usership, regulatory compliance, best practices, and successful project management. I'm committed to easing this burden by simplifying the learning curve and delivering a cohesive system tailored to your goals.

Collection Development: Collection development is designed to support archives, museums, and cultural organizations in their efforts to grow and refine an existing collection program. I ensure continuity between your collection and organizational mission and across policies and procedures. Collection development can also function as an audit of company practices and institutional biases when the end goal is to establish a more inclusive program. My service is geared toward leaders who are motivated to reconsider existing frameworks, modernize their approach, and evolve their strategies.

Historical Research and Geneaology: Trying to reconcile the gaps in your historical narrative is a time-consuming undertaking, and without diligent record-keeping from the outset, your history can fade into obscurity, become corrupted, or worse - irretrievably lost. As an expert researcher, credentialed historian, and seasoned genealogist, I specialize in unearthing the truths of your past, so you can discover your story.

Here are some of the places I’ve worked and the projects I’ve done:

• Astoria Public Library (2018-2023): I conducted a collection assessment, wrote a collection report and plan, advised on program creation, drafted policy and procedure documents, and trained staff and volunteers. More recently, thanks to a grant I secured from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, I created a digitization program for APL that includes acquisition of digitization equipment and the vetting, selection, and implementation of a CMS. Workflows, catalog samples, and training documentation were included. 

• Western Carolina University and University of North Carolina Asheville (2019-2020): I worked with WCU and UNCA to conduct a digital collections assessment, worked with stakeholders to create CMS specifications, researched and vetted CMS vendors, work with vendors to provide use case demonstrations, and led the stakeholders through CMS selection. I then provided a presentation and report to the institutions to use for requesting the necessary funds for implementation; and they were successful.

Education
MS in Library and Information Science, Simmons University
BA in History, minor in Anthropology, Pacific University

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