Language can be a weapon. Throughout history, societies have created and used vocabulary specifically designed to dehumanize, disenfranchise, and alienate marginalized groups. Archivists, librarians, and museum professionals who work with historical materials have a unique responsibility. We can describe materials in ways that preserve access to painful histories without reinforcing the violence of their original context. This blog explores potential biases in archival description and suggests ways to approach the work with more empathy, care, and justice.

A controlled vocabulary is a foundational tool in metadata creation and information organization. According to the Society of American Archivists, a controlled vocabulary is an enumerated list of terms preselected from natural language and chiefly used to aid discovery in information retrieval systems. These vocabularies may be locally managed or widely shared, depending on the needs and authority of the institution.

Libraries, Archives, and Museums—often abbreviated as LAMs or GLAMs when Galleries are included—are spaces that preserve, share, and make meaning of the world's knowledge, culture, and history. These institutions support study, contemplation, education, and accountability, each approaching their missions through slightly different lenses. The materials they hold, how they describe those materials, and how the public interacts with their collections can vary widely, but they are united in their stewardship of our collective record.

Student workers bring fresh energy, diverse perspectives, and invaluable assistance to archives and museums. But managing student work arrangements requires flexibility, communication, and a thoughtful approach to project design and supervision. Here’s how to make the most of student contributions while setting them up for success.

Encoded Archival Description, or EAD, is one of the key tools that archivists use to represent the contents and structure of a finding aid in a digital environment. While a traditional finding aid might be a PDF or printed document, EAD allows this same information to be machine-readable, structured, and ready for integration into databases and discovery tools.

If you work in a museum or archives, you've likely come across a mystery object tucked into a cabinet or folder with no documentation. It may have been there for years—or decades—with no provenance, accession record, or paperwork of any kind. In the field, we call this kind of material "Found in Collection" (FIC). Here's what that means, why it matters, and what you can do about it.

When archivists use the term "finding aid," they are referring to a detailed guide that provides both structural and contextual information about archival materials. According to the Society of American Archivists, a finding aid serves as a surrogate for the materials themselves, offering a way to navigate what can often be complex, expansive collections.

Dublin Core is a flexible, widely used standard for creating metadata—data about an information resource. It is designed to be easy to implement while also being powerful enough to describe a broad range of resource types. Whether you are cataloging a book, a photograph, an object, a film, or something else entirely, Dublin Core provides a structured approach to metadata that promotes consistency and discoverability.

Reading historical documents requires more than just sharp eyes. It often requires learning how to recognize and interpret writing styles that have changed significantly over time. This post offers a broad overview of western paleography and handwriting from the post-Roman Empire to the mid-20th century, covering writing styles in Europe and the Americas written in Romance and Germanic languages using Latin script.

When archivists talk about provenance and original order, they are talking about more than just where something came from or how it is organized. These two principles are at the core of archival work, guiding how we preserve, describe, and provide access to historical records. In this blog post, we explore what these concepts mean, how they developed over time, and why they remain essential today.

Archival hierarchy is one of the foundational principles of the archival profession, shaping how we describe and relate archival materials. In this blog post, we explore what archival hierarchy is, where it comes from, how it works in practice, and why it matters. Whether you are new to archives or looking to deepen your understanding, this guide offers a comprehensive introduction to the layered nature of archival description.

If you've ever wondered what your block looked like 100 years ago, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are the perfect place to start. Originally created for assessing fire insurance liability in urban areas, these maps have become invaluable tools for historians, genealogists, preservationists, and anyone interested in the built environment of the past.

So the worst has happened. The spine of your book has broken. A page has been torn out. But you’re not quite ready to call a conservator. What can you do?

Well, duh. But what does that mean, “handle gently”?

How do you organize your books? By color? By title? Author? Believe it or not, there is a correct answer!

When you’re unfamiliar with historical preservation, the precautions we take seem like a lot of work (and money) for *potential* risks. You might even find yourself asking wondering, do you really need to be *that* careful? So today we’re going to take a look at one of the worst case scenarios caused by not monitoring your storage environment: red rot.

Do archivists really wear white gloves all day?
Not quite! While gloves are usually not recommended for handling paper or books, there’s one big exception: photographs. The emulsion layer on photos is sensitive to body oils, which can leave lasting damage.

Want to know when (and how) to use gloves properly? We've got you covered—literally.

Temperature fluctuations can do more than just encourage mold growth—they can also physically damage your collection. As temperatures rise, materials expand; as they drop, they contract. Over time, this constant shift weakens the molecular structure of objects, making them brittle or warped. If your collection is stored in a space with frequent extreme temperature changes, like an uninsulated attic, it may be at risk of irreversible damage.

Archival Enemies: Office Supplies to Avoid

Staples rust, paper clips warp, rubber bands crumble, tape leaves residue, and ink is forever. But the worst? Lamination—irreversible and destructive. Protect your documents with pencils and proper archival storage!

Genealogy research often lacks birth certificates, but midwives' diaries can fill the gap. Martha Ballard’s diary, from 1785 to 1812, provides a rare look into the lives of families otherwise undocumented.