Description Section Documentation Portal

Welcome to the Description Section Documentation Portal

This site hosts documentation related to archival description as a resource for archivists. Documentation includes traditional archival processing manuals, workflow checklists and templates, descriptive style guides, and guidelines for describing specific formats. The site also features resources related to inclusive description.

We accept documentation in all formats, including but not limited to PDFs, Microsoft Word documents, LibGuides, websites, blogs, and GitHub repositories. Please ensure that links are active and not restricted to users at your institution. The Description Section will review the portal annually to identify and remove broken links. The section’s Web Liaison can also be notified with changes to submitted documentation.

To submit documentation please email Scott Kirycki (skirycki@nd.edu) with a link or attachment of your documentation and the following information:

Institution (and Repository, if appropriate):

Summary of Documentation:

Thank you for sharing your resources with colleagues across the profession!

Note: The resources listed herein are crowd-sourced and, with some exceptions, are not formally endorsed by SAA or the Description Section. Please carefully consider the context of each of the following resources when deciding whether or not to implement ideas from them. While the Description Section Steering Committee will not include resources it determines to be harmful, we are not able to review all submitted resources in their entirety. We also recognize that we may overlook some problems due to our own implicit biases. Resources provided herein are shared with the intention of promoting respect for all people. Any content or information about resources provided herein that is perceived to malign any group, individual, or community, or that conflicts with the SAA Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics, should be brought to the attention of the Description Section Committee Chair for review and potential removal from the list. We welcome and appreciate your feedback.

Available Documentation:

• Inclusive Description 

• Archival Processing Manuals and Policies

• Checklists and Templates

• Guidelines for Specific Formats

• Comprehensive Documentation Sites

Complementary Resources:

• Describing Archives: A Content Standard

• SAA Collection Management Documentation Portal

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