SAA’s New Book Grounds Appraisal in Practical Approaches

CHICAGO—SAA is excited to share the release of Selecting and Appraising Archives and Manuscripts, edited by Audra Eagle Yun and Chela Scott Weber. This book, volume 6 in the Archival Fundamentals Series III, provides a succinct and straightforward overview of the theory and practice of archival selection an appraisal, offering readers a way to feel confident and empowered in their collection-building choices.

Today, the world creates far more documentation than can reasonably be kept. Now more than ever, archivists and records managers need a thoughtful approach to selection and appraisal. Selecting and Appraising Archives and Manuscripts does just that, offering practical tools for principled work.

While much of the existing literature on appraisal is theoretical in its approach, this book focuses on practical ideas grounded in best practices, informed by the past, and moving the profession forward. Divided into six chapters, topics include policy development, ethics and strategies for collecting repositories, tools and methods for analyzing records, appraisal and acquisition in institutional settings, and more. Guidance is centered on intentional collecting, adherence to professional values, and responsible stewardship, and covers a variety of formats. As the editors write, “Archivists are inherently embedded in the work of making decisions about what we revere and remember, the activity of safeguarding and mediating the material of memory, and the ways in which we contextualize and make meaning of these records.”

This volume can be read cover-to-cover or used as a quick reference in real-life scenarios. It is available for purchase in print, PDF, and e-book format today. Learn more about Selecting and Appraising Archives and Manuscripts in the SAA bookstore.