The Journey of an Archival Record, Part II: Arrangement and Description

Connecting the Docs: True Stories from the Old North State

Those of you who have visited the State Archives may be familiar with the sight of boxes containing processed records in orderly rows of labelled, acid-free folders. But you may wonder: how do these records go from their unprocessed state upon transfer to the arranged and described collections that you encounter in the search room? How do archivists determine what records to process? Do all records get processed to the same level? And why does the State Archives reformat records and continue to use microfilm?

In today’s episode, State Agency Archivist Alex Dowrey and Digital Access Manager Ruth Cody will shed light on some of these questions and share illuminating details about what goes on behind –the scenes to preserve records and to promote access and discovery. You’ll also hear about fascinating records that Alex and Ruth have processed over the years, ranging from broiler chicken competition recipes found in Commissioner of Agriculture records to letters discussing Jim Crow culture in the south in the African American Social Work Collection.

Sources Mentioned:

Letters to Lt. Oxley, Stenographer/Typist Folder, African American Social Work Collection also known as Bureau of Work Among Negroes. SR.097.113.033

Recipes from the cooking competition are in the “March 1969” and “Articles, 1980” folders in the Commissioner's Office: Speeches File series, SR.7.33 (SCHEDS-37726).

The Division of Emergency Management scrapbooks that contain newspaper clippings and other records of civil defense activities are in the Intelligence Section, Public Information Officer: Scrapbooks series, SR.56.2. (Note: these records are currently being processed to address preservation concerns. Please contact the search room in advance for access).

The Rockingham County divorces are in the Divorce Records subgroup, CR.084.604.