Archival Management

During a mini-practicum at the Rutherford County Archives, I engaged in a hands-on project focused on the "Committee Files Collection," specifically the Rutherford County Committees for 2005-2006, and the "Purchasing Committee" collection for 1994-1995. This involved a detailed process of accessioning, arranging, appraising, and reappraising materials from various committees, including Budget, Health & Education, Property Management, Public Safety, Public Works, and the Steering Committee. My responsibilities included: taking an inventory check; removing staples using a spatula; chronologizing the processed documents; and housing the material in archival-quality, acid-free folders for continued preservation. I also wrote a finding aid in regard to the County Committee Collections.

This experience allowed me to develop and refine several key skills:

- Collections Appraisal: The process of appraising and reappraising the committee documents required me to evaluate their chronological, administrative, and informational value. This involved understanding the context of the records, their significance to Rutherford County's history, and their potential use for research. This honed my ability to assess the importance and relevance of archival materials.
- Archival Finding Aid: Creating the finding aid was a critical component of this project. It required me to synthesize information, organize it logically, and present it in a clear and concise manner. This skill is essential for making archival collections accessible to researchers and the public, therefore this is a very important skill for archival work.
- Community Outreach: I provided my archival services to a the Rutherford County Archives who needed extra help with managing their Committee Files and Purchasing Committee Collections, and the Board of County Commissioners, who do not otherwise have access to those services.