Sometimes a box of records that is somewhat disorganized can still reveal important information regarding how the records were created and used. For example, the boxes may have unaligned folders, incomplete labeling, and a combination of different record formats. It is tempting to quickly create some categories and put each item in a better location within those new categories, but doing so at this stage in an archival process can result in information loss. A good way to avoid losing potentially helpful information is to do a short survey of the collection to understand its structure before making difficult-to-reverse decisions.
Take an overview of the collection as you find it, documenting how many boxes of records there are, how many folders of records there are, how many directories and sub-folders there are, or if there are any unorganized groups of records. Note any dates that are visible, any names of creators, file types or formats that are present, any existing labels that the records have on them, or any indication that the records had an existing order at one time or in another location. For instance, a set of records titled “Meeting Papers” for the same project could be part of a series of records, even if the title seems vague. Or a set of digital records with similar prefixes in the filenames may indicate that the creator used a particular file-naming system at some point in time. A photo of the order of records in a box as you found them, or a sketch of the order of records in a folder as you found them, can serve as a valuable reference should it become necessary later.
Do not feel like you need to do a full inventory at this point. While it is necessary to understand how many items are in the collection and the extent to which the records are being described, getting bogged down in details at this stage can be overwhelming, even with a small set of records. A good rule of thumb is to only describe the records at as high a level as is useful to you. Describe what the records look like as record groups, potential series, the extent of the collection, condition, or access issues. If a box of records contains records from 2018 to 2021 as well as a set of project reports and photos, that is all the information you need to know right now.
Provenance and original order are two important principles that will inform how you approach the organization of records and can help you decide where to start with your description. Provenance refers to who created, received, or maintained the records. The second principle, original order, refers to how the records were originally arranged while in active use. Both principles of archival practice mean that it is not always necessary to keep folders and boxes with records that appear disorganized, but that they are important to consider when thinking about relationships between records. If a set of records containing an organization’s invoices, contracts, and correspondence were once organized by project, the collection might be harder to use if you were to then organize the records according to their format type. A good survey will help you determine which parts of a disorganized record group are the result of meaningful organization and which are just a result of the records getting mixed up over time.
An example of doing a survey for a small collection is to describe one box or folder of digital records, without changing the titles, order, or removing any files. Do a table with the fields for “current location, current title, creator, date range, record type, condition, and observations” and record everything that seems appropriate. Keep track of what you do not know, instead of recording your assumptions in the places where there is uncertainty. After you have done the initial description, think of two ways to describe the records. Maybe one way would keep the collection organized by project, as you found them, and the second would organize the records into a more standard function or series. Compare the two descriptions to see what is better for the records and more accessible to users.
While doing this process, make note of any additional issues that will take a specific type of treatment or require outside assistance. This includes records that require a specific treatment because of their condition, such as wet paper records, moldy paper records, or fragile photographs or records, as well as unknown or hard-to-access record types like audiovisual media, and personal records that should be protected for confidentiality reasons or retention issues you have not fully reviewed. If you encounter any such issues, do not try to treat the records yourself, but record your observations so that the information is available if it should be brought up again for further discussion. Digitizing records should also be done as needed, instead of doing it just for the sake of digitizing records that have a copy that can be digitized or a digitization machine is at hand. When working with records that are or are to be digitized, you must also understand their sequence, how reference codes are generated for the records, how records should be named, and how records will still be linked back to their original format once digitized.
If you can explain what types of records the set contains, how major components of the collection are related, and what records may still be missing from the set, you have successfully completed a survey. You do not necessarily need to produce a finding aid or similar reference product, you just need to have notes that help you understand what records you are working with so you can choose a description level, assign a temporary location code, and decide how best to organize the records without losing any information in the process. Before you touch any records to move them into new folders or boxes, you should be able to explain how the records were arranged, based on the survey you have done. If you are not able to do so, take a little more time to see what else is going on in the collection.