Find links to helpful resources for museum archives practitioners from professional organizations.
Museum Archives Virtual Workshops
Three 90-minute webinars presented by Arizona Museum Archives Network (AzMAN) in November 2022: Defining and Identifying Archival Material, Processing Archival Materials, & Maintenance, Access, and Outreach.
Funded by the Society of American Archivist Foundation and coordinated by the Museums Association of Arizona, the Arizona Archives Alliance and the University of Arizona School of Information, Knowledge River program.
Museum Archives Programs
Series of five webinars and roundtable discussions offered by AzMAN for 2023-2024: Collections Appraisal, Archives Within the Museum Structure, Metadata A-Z, Digitization Projects, & Online Access to Collections.
Arizona Archives Alliance
Arizona Archives Alliance provides assistance to Arizona archives and archivists, and promotes the use of Arizona’s archives through funding opportunities, event sponsorship, and training. In addition, AzAA serves as a communication hub for the Arizona archival community through its website, newsletter, and blog. AzAA hosts the annual Arizona Archives Summit, oversees Arizona Archives Online, and has coordinated a Symposium Series.
Society of American Archivists Dictionary of Archives Terminology
The foremost reference on the archival lexicon. Entries draw primarily from the professional literature in the United States and Canada.
Society of American Archivists Museum Archives Section
The Museum Archives Section represent museums, both large repositories and smaller institutions, who are responsible for the organization and care of archival materials held and/or created by museum institutions. This section maintains a Standards & Best Practices Resource Guide (which includes links to many example documents from museum archives across the U.S.), the Museum Archives Guidelines, and publishes the Museum Archivist newsletter.
Protocols for Native American Archival Materials
Originally developed here in Arizona on the campus of Northern Arizona University, the Protocols or PNAAM are a recognized standard of the Society of American Archivists for ethical management of archives of and about Native American communities in archival repositories.
Museum Archives: Practice, Issues, Advocacy
An edited volume by Rachel Chatalbash, Susan Hernandez, and Megan Schwenke published by the Society of American Archivists. This publication articulates what museum archivists do, the impact of their work, and how they can position the archives as an indispensable hub of knowledge and activity within the museum. Twenty-seven museum archivists provide practical guidance on the day-to-day management of archives and explore strategies for effectively carrying out the museum archives’ work.
Caring for Private and Family Collections
A two-page overview from the Northeast Document Conservation Center.
How to Preserve Family Archives
Tips and FAQs from the National Archives and Records Administration.
Personal Archiving: Preserving Your Digital Memories
Series of resources from the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress also offers a printable set of preservation themed bookmarks.
Caring for… Guides
Guides about caring for various archival materials, as well as type of objects, from the American Institute for Conservation.
Archives Collections Development Policies
Samples of policies from a variety of institutions, each responding to different collection focuses, institutional constraints, and user communities.
Az Museum Archives 