Documenting
Documenting decisions helps to keep track of them. In a fast-moving situation you may make decisions by email, SMS, WhatsApp or other channels as well as verbally. It is helpful to record key decisions, date (and channel) in a single running log, referring to the more detailed background and rationale held in other channels or documents if needed. This information will also inform the provenance, administrative history and processing of any future collection. It will help everyone involved understand decisions.
A decision log can also be useful for communications, and provides evidence and information to enable collecting to be ethical and transparent. Depending on the situation, a list of actions recording what is planned to be done, when and who by might be kept separately from the decision log (what has already been done).
Consider documenting the following kinds of information:
- Aims of collecting (see ‘Is collecting suitable?‘)
- Contacts made with emergency response co-ordinators, family liaisons and others (see ‘Who is involved?’, under ‘Initial evaluation‘)
- Communications such as call-outs for submissions of material (see ‘Developing a plan‘)
- Welfare of people working, such as the outcome of risk assessments, managing breaks, rest and comfort facilities (see ‘Managing wellbeing‘)
- Priorities for collecting (see ‘Initial evaluation‘
- Activating colleagues or volunteers (see ‘Potential help and resources‘)
- Procedures/changes to procedures, for example, managing permissions, accepting submissions (see ‘Is collecting suitable?‘)
- Use of financial resources (see ‘Potential help and resources‘)
- Temporary or additional storage locations (see ‘Potential help and resources‘)
- Selection criteria (see ‘Selecting or appraising material’ below)
- Appraisal activities (see ‘Selecting or appraising material’ below)
- Disposal activities (see ‘Disposing of material‘)
This is not an exhaustive list and not all of these will apply in every situation.
You should also consider how you will document items collected as part of your rapid response activities. Your existing collections documentation processes are likely to be suitable here. You will need to keep track of items removed from physical sites, or temporarily transferred (for example, for freeze drying or washing).
Selecting or appraising material
This may depend on factors such as the event itself, the scale and format of the response including physical and digital responses, the nature of relevant material, and resources available in the short, medium and longer term.
Document your selection principles and criteria, or any requests for specific material you receive (more about this is available in ‘Engaging with people who have been affected’, under ‘Longer-term management‘).
You may find it helpful to consider the following either for all material together, or for categories:
Context
When and where were materials created and collected? Who by? Why? How did they intend the materials to be used, and by whom? How do items document the event, response or wider social context? What evidential, informational, aesthetic, affective or symbolic value do they provide? How might they support collective or personal memory? Who is being included and who is not included?
Content
How could material be used in the future to provide insight into events, social developments, changes? What evidence of people’s responses and activities does it provide? Does material contain personal information? Does material provide a range of perspectives? Are these available elsewhere?
Uniqueness
How complete is the picture of the event the material represents? How likely is the material to be available elsewhere?
Condition
How might the organisation, format or condition of the material affect your ability to preserve or provide access to it? Could any material be hazardous or dangerous to people? Could other collections you hold be put at risk by mould or pests? Has material deteriorated so it would be inaccessible to users? Can the same information, emotion or other purpose be made accessible from other formats or materials in better condition or with more contextual information?
Sustainability
Does the material meet collecting policies and goals and warrant the resources required to maintain it? Could you justify potential conservation and digital preservation measures? Do you have adequate physical and/or server space to store physical and digital material?
Specific categories of material
You should photograph or video record perishable and organic items such as food and flowers (keep cards and other written items accompanying these).
You should photograph and dispose of balloons and highly flammable items such as candles and lamps. More information about high-risk items is available in ‘Protection and collection‘).
You should transfer memorial items which are addressed to specific individuals if they want them – see ‘Engaging with people who have been affected’, under ‘Longer-term management‘.
Depending on scale, you could consider sampling and develop criteria for this. This may be through public engagement or in conjunction with community representatives. Record your sampling criteria and their rationale, as well as the numbers of items or volume of material disposed of and retained. For example, Virginia Tech developed 15 criteria for selecting representative items from the over 100,000 items received, ultimately retaining around 7,000 physical items and 7,000 digital representations in its memorial archive.
Featured case study: University of Leeds
Consider whether you will keep materials which some people may find controversial, offensive or objectionable. What might they contribute to the context, content and uniqueness of the collection? How might they be used by future generations?
Cash donations and gift cards should be accounted for, held securely and distributed appropriately – for example, to specific and relevant causes, or to emergency responders. Do not give cash or gift cards to individuals (unless specifically addressed to them), nor to organisations which are not registered charities nor to unauthorised fundraisers. You should include information in your communications about what has happened to monetary donations. You may need to examine and retain envelopes and covering letters accompanying donations so that donors could be thanked later. Check your organisation’s financial and other regulations and seek advice if necessary.
Remember that this work may have an impact on those who carry it out – see ‘Managing wellbeing‘.