HARC Archives Transition Toolkit

Guide for Congregations Transitioning Their Archives

Table of Contents

The Value of Women Religious Archives

Women religious archives serve as essential, primary sources for exploring American women’s and church history. They provide valuable insights into areas such as education, healthcare, social justice, and the daily experiences and challenges faced by religious women. These archives are crucial for preserving the legacy of Catholic sisters, documenting their societal contributions, and emphasizing their work in social justice movements.

These collections preserve stories of:

Archives in Transition

These irreplaceable collections need long-term stewardship plans to ensure their preservation and accessibility for future generations.

Congregational Responsibility: Religious organizations hold a duty to safeguard their cultural heritage, encompassing legal, ethical, and spiritual responsibilities. Archives function as a continuation of their mission, providing service to vulnerable populations and amplifying the voices represented within these collections.

The HARC Solution

The Heritage and Research Center at Saint Mary’s (HARC) provides a permanent, professional home for women religious archives.

Purpose-built by and for women religious, HARC offers:

This toolkit guides congregations through preparing their archives, planning the transition to HARC, and executing the move.

About HARC

Mission

HARC at Saint Mary’s preserves and shares history through documents, artifacts, and materials. It supports research and educates the public on Catholic sisters’ contributions to society. Partnering with Saint Mary’s College, HARC inspires future generations by showcasing the impact of sisters in education, health care, and social justice via exhibits and programs.

Services

For Donor Congregations

For Researchers

Commitment to Your Legacy

HARC operates according to professional archival standards and is supported by skilled archival specialists. Collections are accessible to congregations and also serve wider scholarly and public interests — ensuring your story and service legacy are preserved and shared with future generations.

How to Use This Toolkit

Collaborative Approach

This toolkit requires partnership between congregation leadership and the archivist. Regular dialogue, shared decision-making, and mutual trust are essential.

Three-Part Structure

Part I: Assessing Your Archive — Constructively evaluate your current archival situation, what materials you have, their condition, and your congregation’s story.

Part II: Planning Your Transition — Guide decision-making about transferring archives to HARC, creating a timeline, and agreeing terms.

Part III: Executing the Transition — Practical guidance on preparing collections, documenting, and physically relocating archives to HARC.

Who Should Use This Toolkit

Every congregation is unique. Adapt this toolkit to your situation, timeline, and resources. Not every section applies to every congregation.

The Transition Timeline Framework

Understanding the Timeline

Establish priorities, allocate resources, and develop a plan.

Timeline Prioritization

Critical Focus: Essential tasks only. Eliminate non-critical projects.

  1. Finalize transition agreement with HARC
  2. Collect existing inventories (guides, finding aids)
  3. Collect essential policies and documentation
  4. Identify and address preservation emergencies
  5. Pack and move collection

Part I: Assessing Your Archive

Goals

By completing Part I, you will:

For Leadership

For Archivists

Step 1: Leadership Reflections

Purpose and Values

Future Concerns

Step 2: Archivist Reflections

Congregation Identity

  1. What is your congregation’s charism?
  2. What were the primary historical missions/ministries?
  3. List well-known sisters and their ministries. Will their records be in the archive?
  4. Does a summary narrative of your congregation’s history exist?
  5. What collections are most requested by congregation members and external researchers?
  6. What concerns do you have about public access?
  7. What records should be confidential?

Step 3: Archives Evaluation

Use an Archives Evaluation Worksheet to document:

Step 4: Object Evaluation

Use an Object Evaluation Worksheet to assess three-dimensional items. Evaluation criteria (1-5): connection to story, historical significance, condition, provenance, research/display value, uniqueness.

  1. Evaluate each object using the criteria.
  2. Objects with the highest scores have the most substantial ties to your story.
  3. Prioritize these for transfer to HARC.
  4. Lower-scoring objects may be deaccessioned or donated elsewhere.

Note: HARC has limited capacity for three-dimensional objects. Focus on items integral to your congregational narrative.

Step 5: Discussion and Synthesis

After completing reflections and evaluations, schedule a meeting to discuss:

  1. Do leadership and archivists agree on the congregation’s core identity and most important stories?
  2. Does the archive adequately document these stories? What gaps exist?
  3. What materials have been identified as most significant? Does leadership concur?
  4. Are there disagreements about access restrictions? How will these be resolved?
  5. What preservation concerns require immediate attention?
  6. Based on this assessment, what is a realistic timeline for transition?
  7. What resources (staffing, funding, expertise) are needed to prepare for transition?

Document these discussions. They inform your transition planning in Part II.

Part II: Planning Your Transition to HARC

Goals

By completing Part II, you will:

For Leadership:

For Archivists:

Step 1: Understanding HARC Partnership

What HARC Provides

Facilities:

Services:

Access:

What Congregations Provide

Essential Documentation:

Recommended Documentation:

Step 2: Developing Your Transition Plan

Critical Steps

Step 3: Agreement Terms with HARC

Typical agreement items:

Sample Agreement Language & Examples

HARC will provide template agreements. Example: “Personnel files of congregation members shall remain closed for 25 years following the date of death of the individual. Medical records shall be restricted in accordance with HIPAA regulations. All other materials shall be open for research unless otherwise specified.”

Step 4: Communication

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can we realistically prepare our collection within our timeline?
  2. Do we have the resources (financial, staff) needed for transition preparation?
  3. Have we addressed all concerns about confidentiality, access, and control?
  4. Are there any remaining questions or reservations?

If you answer “yes” to these questions, proceed to Part III to execute your transition. If concerns remain, contact HARC to discuss.

Contact: [email protected] (replace with HARC contact)

Part III: Executing the Transition

Goals

By completing Part III, you will:

For Leadership

For Archivists

Step 1: Building Contextual History

Preserve institutional knowledge that will travel with the archives: language/terminology, customs, organizational structure, historical context, charism and spirituality. Prepare a congregational narrative to accompany the collection.

What to Include in a Congregational Narrative

I. Foundation and Early History

II. Organizational Structure

III–VI: Ministries, Congregational Life, Key Events & Figures, Archives & Records — include ministries, notable members, documentation gaps, digitization projects, and unique collections.

Length & Format: Aim for 5–15 pages. Include TOC, photos (with captions/permissions), org charts, timeline, and glossary.

Step 2: Preparing Research-Ready Collections

Collections arriving at HARC should be: inventoried (box-level), organized (logical arrangement), described (finding aids or guides), accessible (physically sound), and documented (restrictions and context).

Basic Processing Standards

Enhanced (if time allows): folder-level inventories, detailed finding aids, scope/content notes, subject access points.

Processing Workflow

  1. Survey the collection: estimate extent, formats, condition, existing organization.
  2. Establish intellectual control: define record groups and series, respect or impose order.
  3. Physical processing: rehouse in archival boxes, remove damaging fasteners, separate oversized materials, label boxes.
  4. Description: create box-level inventories, write series descriptions, document arrangement, note restrictions and high-value materials.
  5. Special materials: photographs, audiovisual, digital materials, and objects each require specific handling as described below.

Special Materials Guidance

Photographs: organize by event/individual, identify when possible, note dates/locations, consider archival sleeves, create photo inventory.

Audiovisual: keep in original cases, store upright, inventory by format, flag for digitization if deteriorating.

Digital Materials: consolidate onto external drives, organize in folders, document file structure and metadata, note passwords/restrictions.

Objects: photograph before packing, document provenance, wrap carefully; HARC has limited capacity — prioritize.

Step 3: Essential Documentation for HARC

Transfer Documentation Checklist

Required:

Strongly Recommended:

Access and Restrictions Documentation

Be specific when describing restrictions (e.g., personnel files remain closed 25 years after date of death; medical records follow HIPAA). Specify review triggers and who can authorize changes.

Step 4: Physical Move Planning

Timeline and Coordination

Three (3) Months Before:

One (1) Month Before:

Move Week / After Move: final walkthrough, load, transit, unload, verify receipt, review documentation, schedule follow-up, plan commemoration.

Packing Standards

Box labels should include: congregation name, box number/total, contents description, date range, special handling notes.

Insurance Considerations

Determine who carries insurance during transit, verify coverage amounts and exclusions, document collection value and photograph collections. Once at HARC, review HARC coverage.

Step 5: Disposition of Objects and Non-Archival Materials

Prioritize objects integral to congregational story and in good condition for HARC. Discard items damaged beyond use, duplicates, unsafe materials. Consecrated objects require special respectful disposal (consult diocese).

Records Retention vs. Archives

Not everything is archival. Retain permanently governance records, constitutions, member files, deeds, audits, ministry founding documents, significant correspondence, and photographs documenting community life. Temporarily retain routine correspondence, duplicates, supply catalogs, junk mail, drafts, and routine financial records per retention schedule. Use weeding guidelines: keep final versions, remove duplicates and non-archival items.

Step 6: Commemoration and Ongoing Relationship

Commemorating the Transition

Organize a blessing or prayer service, photograph and document the packing/moving process, record oral histories, and create reflections documenting the transition. Inform and involve the congregation and plan public recognition and celebration.

Establishing Ongoing Connection with HARC

Designate a liaison, provide updated contact information, establish a communication schedule, clarify decision-making authority, and expect annual reports and updates on processing progress from HARC. Continue engagement through visits, programs, oral history projects, exhibits, and future deposits.

Part IV: Resources and Templates

Assessment Tools

Archives Evaluation Worksheet (sample fields)

Basic Information:

Storage Space:

Collection Status:

Material Formats (check all present and note prevalence):

FormatPresentPrevalenceCondition Notes
Documents (standard boxes)☐
Documents (oversized)☐
Photographs (prints)☐
Photographs (negatives)☐
Audio recordings☐
Video recordings☐
Digital files☐
Artifacts/objects☐
Artwork / Religious items☐

Preservation Concerns:

Existing Documentation:

Object Evaluation Worksheet (sample)

For each significant object, assign points (1-5) for criteria: connection to story, significance, condition, provenance, research/display value, uniqueness.

Planning Tools

Transition Planning Worksheet (sample)

Timeline: ___________________________

Critical Tasks (by date):

TaskResponsibleDeadlineStatus
Complete assessment
Finalize HARC agreement
Create congregational narrative
Process priority collections

Processing Priority Matrix (sample)

Rate collections by importance (1-5) and condition (1-5).

Agreement Templates & Sample Language

Sample restriction language: personnel files closed 25 years after death; medical records governed by HIPAA; legal records restricted for specified periods; HARC reviews restrictions periodically in consultation with the congregation.

Sample congregation access language: Members may schedule research appointments with 48 hours’ notice; HARC provides research space and basic copying at no charge to congregation members; restricted materials require designated authority approval for access.

Part V: Packing and Moving Resources

Box Label Template


[CONGREGATION NAME] ARCHIVES
Box _______ of _______
☐ Standard  ☐ Oversized  ☐ Fragile
Dates: _________________
☐ Inventory Included  ☐ Born-Digital Media
Contents: _________________________________________________
Special Instructions: _____________________________________

Moving Day Checklist

One Week Before:

Moving Day

At HARC

After Move

Conclusion

Your Archives Matter

The records you preserve tell essential stories of:

HARC’s Commitment

By partnering with HARC, you ensure your congregation’s legacy will:

Next Steps

Contact HARC

Schedule an initial visit. Share your Part I assessment with HARC and develop a timeline and transition plan in collaboration with HARC staff.

Email (examples): barbara.gordon [at] harc.example | lead.archivist [at] harc.example — replace with real HARC addresses

Phone: (574) 678-6155

Questions?

HARC staff are available to answer questions, guide assessment and planning, review draft agreements, offer technical assistance, and visit your archives to assist with evaluation.

We are here to help you preserve your precious legacy.

Acknowledgments

This toolkit was developed by the Heritage and Research Center at Saint Mary’s (HARC) with gratitude to:

Special thanks to the sisters who dedicated their lives to prayer and service. Your history deserves to be saved.