Organizing Archival Records: A Guide for Both Physical and Digital Collections

Much of our nation’s documentary heritage resides in small historical societies, libraries, cultural organizations, houses of worship, and museums. The preservation of this heritage often depends on the dedicated efforts of people who, in their workaday world, practice some profession other than archivist. For thirty years, Organizing Archival Records has equipped non-professional archivists to tackle the challenging task of arranging and describing archival materials.
The latest edition preserves the practical, easy-to-follow, step-by-step approach of earlier editions while updating its content to reflect current archival practices and growing concerns over social justice, while offering solutions for common collection problems.

David W. Carmicheal formerly directed the Pennsylvania State Archives and the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Early in his career he established the Westchester County (New York) Archives and was director of the Records and Archives Center for many years. He earned his B.A. in History and English from Asbury University and his M.A. in History and Archives from Western Michigan University. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and a past president of the Council of State Archivists. Carmicheal began developing workshops for small archives and avocational archivists in 1986. This publication grew out of those efforts.

Adam T. Bentz is Director of Library & Archives at the York County History Center in Pennsylvania, starting there in 2019 as Assistant Director. He began working in archives in 2015 at the Lebanon County Historical Society (PA). Bentz earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in History at Lehigh University and a B.A. in Historical Communications at Lebanon Valley College. He is Vice President of the Pennsylvania Historical Association and previously served on PHA Council and the editorial board of the Pennsylvania History journal. Bentz also serves on the Pennsylvania State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB). In addition to his public history work, Bentz has taught as an adjunct instructor since 2008.