Archival Processing

Archival materials are "deaccessioned" if they are removed from a collection after it has been formally accessioned. Deaccessions can be destroyed, returned to the Donor, or transferred to another institution. Deaccessions are documented in ArchivesSpace in these ways:

In the Accession Record: Materials removed from a collection during processing can be deaccessioned using the Deaccessions field in the Accession Record. An Event Record is also completed from within the Accession Record.

In the Resource Record: Archival materials that are removed from an established, already-processed collection with a published finding aid are also Deaccessions. They are documented in the Resource Record's Deaccessions field (instead of the Accession Record). An Event Record is also completed from within the Resource Record.  

Why Deaccession? In consultation with the curator, materials may be deaccessioned if they:

• are out-of-scope for the archival collection in question
• do not fit the repository's collection development policy
• are in poor or damaged condition
• violate privacy laws such as FERPA, HIPAA, etc.

Deaccession decisions are made in alignment with collection development policies. For questions, check with the Processing Coordinator, your curator, or supervisor, before proceeding.

For further reading see the Society of American Archivists' Guidelines for Reappraisal and Deaccessioning.

Within the Accession Record or the Resource Record in ArchivesSpace:

Click the Add Deaccession button

• Portion: "Part" indicates only part of the Accession is being removed; “Whole” indicates the entire accession is being removed
• Description: Describe the materials being removed, including material type, subject, creator, and dates if known
• Reason: State why the materials are being deaccessioned. Example: Student records have personally identifiable information protected by FERPA
• Disposition: State the action taken to remove the items. Examples: Placed in OU Confidential Recycle bin; Returned to Donor; Transferred to [another library or institution]
• Notification Given: Check this box if the Donor was notified of the deaccession
• Deaccession Date: Provide the date of deaccession
• Extents
  • Portion: "Part" indicates only part of the Accession is being removed; “Whole” indicates the entire accession is being removed
  • Number: approximate number of units measured, such as Cubic Feet
  • Type: Cubic Feet is the standard unit of measurement for physical archives; Digital files are measured in Gigabytes or Megabytes
  • Container Summary: State the number and type of containers deaccessioned. Example: 3 record storage cartons, 2 file folders, or 15 jpeg digital files.

Create an Event Record for each Deaccession

When deaccessioning in the Accession Record, click the "Add Event" button and choose Deaccessions.

When deaccessioning in the Resource Record, click the "Add Event" button and choose Deaccessions.

For both types, complete these fields in the Event Record:

• Type: Deaccession
• Outcome: Pass (if completed)
• Outcome Note: (optional)
• Date/Time: Date Subrecord
• Label: Deaccession
• Expression: add date or date range
• Type: Range or Single
• Agent Links Role: Choose Implementer if you are doing the deaccession. You can create another Agent Links Role field for Authorizer to state the name of the curator or supervisor who authorized the deaccession
• Agent Links Agent: Choose name from list or create it if necessary
• :Record Links: this is auto-populated if "Add Event" button is clicked while in the relevant Accession Record or Resource Record
• External Documents: (optional for pointing to any supporting documentation)
• Save the record