Creating a Personal Archive

Every person exists in time, space, and history. Along our own historical journeys, we create mementos and artifacts that mark the many milestones of our lives. These artifacts can include artistic creations like art, poetry, stories, and movies; professional publications and projects; collections of historical mementos we've gathered throughout time; or even items more personal in nature, such as family photos and recordings of weddings or events.

These artifacts, whether they exist in physical space or within the digital realm, provide windows into the events of one’s life and the history and times in which a person finds themselves. But how do we preserve these artifacts and the wisdom these touchstones provide?

This guide offers core strategies for creating your own archive, how to do it, and considerations for building a personal archive.

Consider Your Archive

First and foremost, identify what you want your archive to be. All archives consist of collections of artifacts or materials, often organized around a particular topic, person, collection, or theme.

Are you looking to chronicle your family history?
Do you want to build a collection of comics or sports memorabilia?
Or maybe, you want to compile a library of academic or creative works?

The first step is to identify what you want to collect and the type of archive you wish to build. Draft a mission statement outlining your goals and what you hope to achieve with your archive. This will provide clarity and focus.

Begin Collecting

Once you have a purpose, gather the materials you have on hand. Consider the best ways to organize your collection:

For family history, should you arrange by eras, individuals, or branches of genealogy?
For academic or creative works, should you arrange chronologically or by themes?

The process of collecting materials often provides insights into these questions.

Storage and Redundancies

Once you have some idea of your collection, think about how to store it. Developing a storage strategy ensures your collection is not lost or doesn't degrade over time.

For Paper, Photographs, and Other Physical Items:

Research Proper Storage: Learn how to properly store your physical artifact.
Environment: Most paper/photograph items should be stored in cool, dark, and relatively dry environments.
Storage: For paper/photographs, store materials in something like a folder, bag, or album. For additional protection, consider two-tiered storage-- putting folders and bags in an outer box.
Acid-Free Materials: Ensure storage items are acid-free to prevent degradation.
Digitization: Scan or photograph items to protect against catastrophic events like floods or fires. The GCC Library has scanners and other equipment to help with this task.

For DVDs and CDs:

Digital Backups: Create digital backups of DVDs. Programs like Handbrake can convert video files to digital formats.
Degradation: Be aware that DVDs degrade over time. Digitizing them helps preserve their content.

For Digital Items (Photos and Other Digital Creations):

Redundancies: Create backups of any digitized items. My personal recommendation is to save a physical backup on a USB or hard drive and an online backup on a cloud-based service like Google Drive.
Multiple Locations: Save items in multiple locations if they are stored on work websites or social media accounts, as these can be lost during website updates or changes.

Organizing Your Collection

There are various ways to organize an archival collection. You can organize by themes, topics, provenance (preserving the original organization), or other methods. Consider what works best for you, how the collection will be used, and what you will find most useful.

It is also highly recommended to create a Finding Aid. This can be something as simple as a spreadsheet, database, or document that logs what you have and where this item is stored in your collection. This can help both you and others find the items you have on hand.

Enriching Your Collection with Descriptions and Metadata

Metadata or descriptive information adds significant value to your collection. This includes titles, descriptions, and information about who, where, and when the artifact was created. Even simple descriptions can provide important context.

For example, a photograph of a parent or loved one who passed away before your children were born could include a description like: "Photo of myself with Dad when I was 12 years old at the Arizona Fair." Adding stories and context can make the moment come alive for future generations.

Consider Proactive Archiving

Proactive archiving involves continuously collecting historical artifacts and testimonies to enrich your collection.

Collect Items Over Time: Continue gathering items to grow your collection, such as annual publications.
Interviews: Conduct interviews with significant people in your life, like family members or community figures, to gather firsthand testimonies and stories. This can strengthen your connection with them and preserve their histories.

Making Items Accessible

Consider ways to share your archive with the world. If you've digitized your archive, create a website or Google site around the collection. For physical archives, invite people to view your collection in person. Display your archive at home or work and find ways to promote it. Share your story with the world! The world will be richer for it!

Developed by Sean O’Brien with editing assistance from Microsoft Copilot.