Translations:Het archief van iMAL in kaart brengen/61/en

• When you request a volunteer’s help, it’s important that they know how your organisation works and are familiar with your operations and workflows before they start. So make sure you take the time needed to show this person the ropes. When they get started, make sure someone from the organisation is available to help them with the archiving actions. As an employee, you have a better idea of what’s important and what isn’t, what the ordering principles are, and whether a document is an archive item, documentation or work of art. Creating an overview is a relatively simple task in itself, which can be carried out by a volunteer with the right supervision. A volunteer from among your supporters knows how the organisation works and can place archive items in the right context by themselves.
• Creating an overview of the digital archive is also time-consuming and difficult if you’re not familiar with how the organisation operates. The digital archive contains little contextual information and the naming of the folders and files was unclear, which meant it wasn't easy to identify the files and folders or make a link with the iMAL’s operations. Good PC hygiene can help you maintain a good overview of your archive.
• Mapping out the archive is just a first – but essential – step. Certainly when it comes to the digital archive, it’s important to set up subsequent actions quickly, and in particular at least to centralise the digital files and introduce (automated) back-up strategies. A digital archive is more vulnerable than a physical archive. If subsequent steps are not undertaken quickly, there’s a real risk that part of the digital archive will be lost in the short term.