Archives

Finding, evaluating and reusing archival and primary sources in museum work.

All entries

Researcher annotating a printed finding aid beside archive boxes in a reading room.

ARArchives21/09/2026

Reading a finding aid before visiting an archive

Learn how to read a finding aid for collection scope, arrangement, and access limits before you travel to a reading room.

A curator verifies a handwritten letter against its typed transcript during exhibition evaluation.

ARArchives21/09/2026

Evaluating a primary source for exhibition use

Curators must judge reliability and display suitability of primary sources. This guide offers key questions and a decision checklist.

Consent formalized before recording: interviewer and narrator align on terms of use.

ARArchives21/09/2026

Consent and context in oral history use

Before publishing oral history excerpts, settle consent, context, and editing questions. Practical guidance for museum and archive professionals.

An editor verifies rights clearance and caption details against a scanned archival document.

ARArchives21/09/2026

Clearing rights and citing archival material

A practical guide for museum professionals on recording rights status and citing archival material in publications, using standardized statements from RightsStatements.org.