Resources
DHPSNY staff has compiled an extensive list of online resources to support learning and program growth for New York’s collecting institutions. These include links to academic articles, sample policies and guidelines, digital records, and other resources on a range of important topics.
Contents
Administration
Archives
Born Digital and Digitized Records
Disaster Preparedness
Education and Outreach
Exhibition
Grants
Podcasts
Preservation
Regional Resources
DHPSNY Blog
DHPSNY News
DHPSNY Podcast
DHPSNY Webinar Recordings
Other Resource Aggregates
Administration
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
- New York State Archives Retention and Disposition Guide – A comprehensive list of resources on retention and disposition of government and non-government records.
- Catlin-Legutko, Cinnamon. “DIY Strategic Planning for Small Museums.” AASLH Technical Leaflet #242. From History News, volume 63, number 2, spring, 2008.
- New York State Museum. "Incorporating an Education Corporation."
- New York State Education Department. "Regents Charters and Regents Certificates of Incorporation for Education Corporations."
- Society of American Archivists. “A Guide to Deeds of Gift.”
TEMPLATES & EXAMPLES:
- Society of Georgia Archivists. Forms Forum: The Society of Georgia Archivists Forms Resource. – The forms on this page have been compiled as a resource for archivists and librarians, or anyone else needing to make sense of the organization, administration, and work-flow of an archives or special collections library.
- Museum Association of New York (MANY) – A variety of plans from several museums in New York State. Collection Sample Plans And Policies.
- Berry College Memorial Library. “Collection Development Policy.” 1996.
- Delaware Historical Society. “Collections Policy.”
- Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Collections Development Policy.” 2009.
- Penfield Library, State University of New York at Oswego. “Special Collections.” 1992.
Archives
- New York State Archives. Archival Needs Assessment Guidelines and Template.
- Fahy, A. (1995). Collections Management. Routledge. – The chapter Collection Management Policies by Marie Malaro is very helpful.
- Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories Processing Workshop. Holly Mengel
- SAA. Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research. – Describes how to effectively research archival materials. There is also an annotated finding aid in back. This can be helpful as a guide for writing descriptive finding aids.
- San Diego State University. Using Finding Aids.
- What Are Historical Records? – Guidelines and examples compiled by DHPSNY staff to help institutions identify and categorize historical records and research materials.
TEMPLATES & EXAMPLES:
- Minnesota Historical Society Collections Processing Checklist.
- University of Texas Arlington Special Collections Library. “Archives and Manuscripts Processing Manual.” 2011.
Born Digital and Digitized Records
- Digital Public Library of America – Database connecting digital resources from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions across the country. Metro's Empire State Digital Network is the DPLA hub for New York State.
- Engineering the Future of the Past – A blog that shares information on what the MIT Institute Archives is doing about acquiring and managing born-digital and digitized collections. Kari R. Smith, Digital Archivist is the primary blog author. For small archives, a search for “Personal Archives” will focus the information to issues relevant to managing small digital collections.
- Stanford University Libraries. “File Naming Standards.”
- New York State Archives. “Digitization Standards and Guides.” – Includes useful handouts.
- Paradigm. “Workbook on Digital Private Papers.” – Gives in-depth guidelines and examples of how to develop and care for a born digital collection.
- BCRs CDP Digital Imaging Best Practices Version 2.
- Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative (FADGI). “Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural Heritage Materials.” September 2015.
- Lavoie, Brian. “Meeting the Challenges of Digital Preservation: The OAIS Reference Model.” The OCLC Newsletter, 2000.
- Library of Congress. “Technical Standards for Digital Conversion of Text and Graphic Materials.”
- Library of Congress. “Sustainability of Digital Formats.”
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). “Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Archival Materials for Electronic Access.” 2004.
- Culture in Transit – Gives detailed list and description of kits and equipment used in various digitization projects.
- New York Heritage Project – An Empire State Library Network site providing free access to over 275,000 scanned items from over 350 contributing organizations. The site also features online exhibits and resources to help with digitization projects.
- New York State Historic Newspapers – An Empire State Library Network project to digitize and make freely available for research significant runs of historic newspapers for every county in the state.
Disaster Preparedness
- New York State Archives. Preparing for the Worst: Managing Records Disasters.
- New York State Archives. Services and Funding Available for Flood Damaged Records.
- CCAHA Emergency Resource Guide – Technical bulletins addressing disaster recovery needs integral to operating any collection-holding institution. Each technical bulletin will take you step-by-step from response through recovery and includes information such as disaster preparedness, recovery procedures, and hazardous situations.
Education and Outreach
- New York State Archives. Archives Month. – Tips and examples on how to promote your collections during Archives Month.
- New York State Archives. Preliminary Guidance on Social Media.
Exhibition
- American Alliance of Museums. “Standards for Museum Exhibitions and Indicators of Excellence.” 2012.
- American Institute for Conservation of Art and Historic Works. “Standards, Guidelines, and Recommendations for Light Levels During Exhibition.” AIC Wiki. 2004.
Grants
- Foundation Center – Provides information on grants and grant makers, searches 990s, and has information on many small grants and grant makers who do not have an online presence. The online database requires a subscription but the resources at several brick and mortar locations in New York State are free.
- New York State Archives – Grant funding for categories such as emergency funding, archival record management, and research.
- New York State Library – The New York State Discretionary Grant Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials.
- Regional Bibliographic Databases (RBDB) – Funding administered by New York State Library to benefit regional resource sharing and information technology. Some of New York's Library Resources Councils (see Regional Resources) use a portion of their RBDB funds for grants to member libraries in areas such as digitization, metadata, and retrospective conversion, etc.
Podcasts
- More Podcast, Less Process – “Podcast featuring interviews with archivists, librarians, preservationists, technologists, and information professionals about interesting work and projects within and involving archives, special collections, and cultural heritage. Topics include appraisal and acquisition, arrangement and description, reference, outreach and education, collection management, physical and digital preservation, and infrastructure and technology.”
- Dewey Decibel Podcast – “A podcast series from American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association. Each month, you host and American Libraries Associate Editor Phil Morehart will be your guide to conversations with librarians, authors, thinkers, and scholars about topics from the library world and beyond.”
- HiFi History – A podcast that “explores how saving places, memories and objects from the past (aka "historic preservation") improves your life and your community.”
Policies & Procedures
- New York State Archives Retention and Disposition Guide – A comprehensive list of resources on retention and disposition of government and non-government records.
- Catlin-Legutko, Cinnamon. “DIY Strategic Planning for Small Museums.” AASLH Technical Leaflet #242. From History News, volume 63, number 2, spring, 2008.
- Society of American Archivists. “A Guide to Deeds of Gift.”
TEMPLATES & EXAMPLES:
- Society of Georgia Archivists. Forms Forum: The Society of Georgia Archivists Forms Resource. – The forms on this page have been compiled as a resource for archivists and librarians, or anyone else needing to make sense of the organization, administration, and work-flow of an archives or special collections library.
- Museum Association of New York (MANY) – A variety of plans from several museums in New York State. Collection Sample Plans And Policies.
- Berry College Memorial Library. “Collection Development Policy.” 1996.
- Delaware Historical Society. “Collections Policy.”
- Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Collections Development Policy.” 2009.
- Penfield Library, State University of New York at Oswego. “Special Collections.” 1992.
Preservation
- Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) – Preservation leaflets on a variety of topics such as exhibition standards, emergency preparedness, collection management, storage standards, photographs and digital preservation.
- American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) – This website provides a wide variety of resources from emergency preparedness, finding a conservator, publications, and information on how to store and care for collections.
- Library of Congress (LOC). Preservation Home.
- Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA). “Preservation Planning.” 2011.
- Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA). “A Preventive Conservation Primer.” 2011.
- Watts, Jack. Fire Safety in Historic Buildings. National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2008.
- Nadal, Jacob. “Developing a Preservation Program for the UCLA Library.” Archival Products News v. 16, no. 1 (2009): 1-4.
- Ogden, Sherelyn, drafted. “Long-Range Preservation Plan.” Minnesota Historical Society, 2010.
Regional Resources
The following organizations provide support to collecting institutions in specific regions throughout New York State. Empire State Library Network is comprised of nine regional library resource councils, each providing a range of support services that include continuing education, digitization services, access to electronic resources, services to the health care community, consulting, information technologies, and advocacy. ESLN provides similar services to the entire state, such as continuing education and discounted electronic resources.
- Capital District Library Council
- Central New York Library Resources Council
- Long Island Library Resources Council
- Metropolitan New York Library Resources Council
- Northern New York Library Network
- Rochester Regional Library Council
- South Central Regional Library Council
- Southeastern New York Library Resources Council
- Western New York Library Resources Council
The following are additional regional organizations providing support to New York collecting institutions.
- Archivists Roundtable of Metropolitan New York
- Alliance for Response NYC
- Capital Area Archivists of New York (CAA)
- Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN)
- Museum Association of New York (MANY)
- New York Archives Conference (NYAC)
- New York Library Association (NYLA)
DHPSNY Blog
DHPSNY Blog
DHPSNY News
DHPSNY News
DHPSNY News is an annual print publication chronicling our adventures delivering free programs and services in The Empire State. Our latest issue features a recap of our Planning & Assessment site visits, education programs, and conferences, as well as interviews, and more.
- DHPSNY News: Fall 2023
- DHPSNY News: Fall 2022
- DHPSNY News: Fall 2021
- DHPSNY News: Fall 2020
- DHPSNY News: Fall 2019
- DHPSNY News: Fall 2018
- DHPSNY News: Fall 2017
DHPSNY Podcast
The DHPSNY podcast highlights some of the fascinating institutions we work with and gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how we deliver our programs and services. Our first season focuses on visits from our 2016-17 Planning & Assessment Services rounds, telling the stories of various institutions while showcasing how our Archives and Preservation Specialists conduct site assessments. Stream episodes below or on the Apple Podcasts app and the DHPSNY Mixcloud page.
- Episode 1: The Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier
Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) provides free programs and services to archives, libraries, and other nonprofit organizations safeguarding the State's historical documents. In the first episode of this series, we learn what happens during a Preservation Survey and visit the Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier, which operates the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, NY.
- Episode 2: Marion H. Skidmore Library at Lily Dale Assembly
On this episode, we travel with Dyani Feige of the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts to the Marion H. Skidmore Library at Lily Dale Assembly in Chautauqua County. There, Dyani met paranormal librarian Mandi Shepp and discovered a unique community that formed during a period of widespread spiritual awakening in late-nineteenth-century Southwestern New York.
- Episode 3: South Street Seaport Museum
Join DHPSNY staff as we visit the South Street Seaport Museum in lower Manhattan, where Archives Specialist Amelia Parks conducts an Archival Needs Assessment and Collections Manager Martina Caruso gives us a tour of the Museum's extensive collections of maritime business documents, tattoo flash sheets, and more.
- Episode 4: Anthology Film Archives
In this episode, we travel to lower Manhattan to visit Anthology Film Archives, where DHPSNY staff conducted an Archival Needs Assessment in early 2017. We learn about the organization's founder, godfather of American avant-garde cinema, Jonas Mekas, and meet the current staff who manage Anthology's extensive collections of avant-garde films and videos and the world’s largest collection of paper materials relating to independent and experimental film. This episode includes audio excerpts from Walden (Jonas Mekas, 1969); Salvador Dali, Happenings 1963-64 (Jonas Mekas, 1964); Twice a Man (Gregory Markopoulos, 1963); "Coo Coo Bird," Clarence Ashley (Anthology of American Folk Music, 1952); No. 11: Mirror Animations (Harry Smith, 1956-57).
- Episode 5: Explorers Club
Learn more about New York City's Explorers Club, an international society formed in 1904 that is dedicated to the advancement of field research and the exploration of land, sea, air, and space. The Club hosted a DHPSNY workshop in early 2017, and we returned later that year to conduct a Preservation Survey. Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services at CCAHA sat down with Lacey Flint, Archivist and Curator of Research Collections. They discussed items in the organization's archives, some famous past Club members, and the important distinction between "adventurer" and "explorer."
- Episode 6: Poughkeepsie Day School
When's the right time to apply for DHPSNY's free Planning & Assessment Services? Spoiler alert: the time is always right. It's been a while since our last episode, but we had one more story from last year that we've been waiting to share. We visited the Poughkeepsie Day School, a progressive K-12 school founded by Vassar faculty in 1934, which is just getting its archive off the ground. Poughkeepsie Day School is a great example of an institution with a rich history using an Archival Needs Assessment as an early step in establishing its archival program.
DHPSNY Webinar Recordings
DHPSNY's webinars address emerging issues and best practices for collecting institutions, with content scaled to apply to small- and medium-sized organizations with limited resources. To view recordings of past webinars, visit our Webinars page. You can also subscribe to the DHPSNY YouTube channel and never miss the release of a new recording. All of DHPSNY's education programs are presented free of charge for New York institutions. Webinar recordings are made available within one week of the original webcast.
Other Resource Aggregates
- The Sustainable Heritage Network (SHN) – “An answer to the pressing need for comprehensive workshops, online tutorials, and web resources dedicated to the lifecycle of digital stewardship… The SHN is part of a network of individuals, communities, and institutions who work together to provide each other with digital tools and preservation assistance. We call this: Collaborative Stewardship.”
- Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) – Resources on a variety of topics including preservation of various collection material, disaster and emergency preparedness, collection handling, and finding specialists.
- American Alliance of Museums (AAM) – The Collections Stewardship section provides standards and guidelines applicable to any institution holding historic or archival material. Guidelines include topics on collection care, collection assessment, ethics, loans, and more.
- New York State Archives (NYSA) – Provides a variety of guidelines and resources on records management, preservation, education, and grants.
- Society of American Archivists (SAA) – This website provides a wealth of information on archival topics, standards, education, and other archival, international, and regional associations. Other useful pages include the glossary of archival terms, grant information, and guides to writing policies.