Provides an introduction to archives and manuscripts and explains to librarians how to conduct a survey, start an archives program, and handle selection and appraisal, acquisitions and accessioning, arrangement, description, preservation, security and disaster planning, electronic records, and access, reference, and outreach.

"Not just a gift. It's history in the making. Family history is important. Photos, videos, aged documents, and cherished papers--these are the memories that you want to save. And they need a better home than a cardboard box. Creating Family Archives is a book written by an archivist for you, your family, and friends, taking you step-by-step through the process of arranging and preserving your own family archives. It's the first book of its kind offered...

This volume introduces students and beginning practitioners to the fundamentals of working with and preserving archival records and manuscripts. Sample topics include the history of the archives profession, the organization of archival records, and the values that inform practice. A new chapter on contemporary challenges in the archival world has been added for the second edition, and the bibliographic essay has been updated.