Session 102: Herding your Cats: Implementing Sustainable Museum

Records Management

Susan K. AndersonMartha Hamilton Morris Archivist

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Archives

Some useful resources:

• “Records Management and the Walking Archivist,” Patricia Bartkowski, A Modern Archives Reader (NARA: 1984)

• “Records Management,” Paula Stewart, Museum Archives, An Introduction (SAA: 2004)

• Records and Information Management, William Saffady (ARMA: 2004)

• Recordkeeping Requirements, Donald Skupsky (Information Requirements Clearinghouse: 1994)

• Records Management: Making the Transition From Paper to Electronic, David Stephens (ARMA: 2007)

Class, 2009

Philadelphia Museum of Art Museum Studies Intern Class, 2009

Interns attending a lecture given by Associate Curator Lloyd Dewitt

Portrait of the Archives team by intern Caroline New, 2008

Intern Allison Kim (2009) showing off some beautifully organized Board of Trustee Minutes with an inventory

Obvious reenactment of file-side chat with Modern and Contemporary Art staff

American Decorative Arts Curator David Barquist, Curatorial Assistant Jen Zwilling, and Intern Susan Eberhard (2009)

Katy Friedland and Carolyn Macuga, Intern Coordinators Extraordinaire

Checklist for a successful records

management internship:• Discuss the project beforehand with staff• Provide input with the selection of an intern• Train the intern upon arrival• Have the intern survey the records first• Discuss surveys before any work begins• Check in with the intern regularly (at least once a

week)• Consider supplemental programming to enhance

intern experience• Get copies of everything the intern produces

(surveys, inventories, etc.) before they leave!

Intern Katelyn Wolfrom (2009) helping us tackle records at off-site storage

Intern Alex Kaufman (2009) conducting research in the Archives.

2009 archives interns with archivists at the Barnes Foundation, Merion, PA

2008 archives interns at farewell luncheon

Interns and records management:

Is the cup half-empty or half full?

Intern Molly Nelson (second from right) with the Modern and

Contemporary Art staff –who have an excellent track record

with interns AND records management.

Working on retention schedules with Project Archivist Megan Finn

Contact information:

Susan K. AndersonMartha Hamilton Morris Archivist Philadelphia Museum of ArtBox 7646Philadelphia, PA  19101-7646Telephone: (215) 684-7659Email: skanderson@philamuseum.org Website: http://www.philamuseum.org/archives/

If you have questions about the PMA Museum Studies internship program, please see: http://www.philamuseum.org/education/273-358-50.html

Or contact: internships@philamuseum.org.