Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives: A How-To-Do-It Manual

by Gregory S. Hunter

"Providing in-depth coverage of both theory and practice, this manual is essential for archivists at all levels of experience and of all backgrounds"--

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science, Reference, School, Textbooks, Professional Development, Academic

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay, this is obviously one of my textbooks, but i kind of love it. it's probably written at about 5th grade reading level-- very matter of fact, simple, practical. a nice escape from academic journal articles on theories about metadata and other such dense subjects.

[Jonathan Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite comprehensive - at times, maybe almost too much so (from my perspective as a 'lone arranger' without formal training). Many of the discussions of technology are somewhat dated by this point; but then again, that's why there exists a later edition of this book, so that can't be held against it. Hunter has done an exceptional job producing a thorough manual exhaustively (and at times, I admit, exhaustingly) covering the tasks of the archival profession - and at times, not without a sense of humor, which one might not expect.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best text books I've ever read! It is clear, well articulated, and FUNNY. Hunter is a fantastic, down to earth writer. Also love the archives-related news articles generously sprinkled throughout the book. Just fantastic...all textbook writers should be forced to look at this book as a model. Downside: it's nearly $90. Yup, $90.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly accessible textbook. It also has a sense of humor, not to dry, and easy to follow.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, cheers to finishing a textbook before the semester even starts. But I'll agree with everyone that say this is an engaging, funny, straightforward and exhaustive text. If you needed an intro, there couldn't be a better one; if you need a quick reference text, there probably isn't one more succinct.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was assigned for LIS 581, "Archives and Records Management". This had great information; however, it was written in the early 2000's and I believe it is slightly outdated. In the end, I learned great information and it was an easy read.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a textbook

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I read (most) of this for a class, it was a good introduction to archives. I purchased it for my class, and even though I don't plan on a career in archives, I believe I'll draw on the very practical applications from this book, as the title suggests. There's great real-life quips about archives--even when they're not called archives in the news!--as well as checklists of highly applied processes, such as performing a survey or an inventory. I hope this book will updated in a newer edition as well! It would be fascinating to see how much has changed in the 13 years since this edition was published.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually one of the most well-written textbooks I have encountered. It is written in a conversational tone and includes a healthy dose of humor. I especially like the inclusion of excerpts from news articles related to archives and records. The only minus is the use of low-resolution scans of figures.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed to learn more about archives and archival sciences. This proved to be an excellent source of knowledge. I found it very helpful and easy to follow, as well as to appreciate the need for each of the key archival functions.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good practical book for the person interested in Archiving.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good for a textbook. About every third page contains a snippet of a news article related to archives, which made the reading a lot more fun.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical, yes. Exciting, no. But it served its purpose.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and pretty comprehensive. It took me almost a year to read it, though, so it's definitely not a book you can't put down.

[Probibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbook like, but very useful. Like a lot of old-style, pre digital archive knowledge, it's all stuff that seems obvious after you read it.

[Rosanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great introductory to how archives work.

[MK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't really something to "read," better reference than a book.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, and has helpful examples. I am waiting for the new edition which comes out soon, and I hope it is as good as this one

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This can be a little repetitive at times, but it is a very thorough resource for managing archives. I particularly appreciate the information on a/v and digital formats.

[ACRL]

Read by ACRL Member of the Week Stewart J. Van Cleve. Learn more about Stewart on the ACRL Insider Blog.