How to Organize and Manage Association Materials

The following is a tool that cultural associationscan use to begin to organize their materials.   This is based on the inventory model project run by Gabriella Colussi-Arthur for the Famee Furlan Toronto (FFT) in 2022. You can learn more about this project here

Figure 1: FamèeFurlane Toronto logo

Step 1 – Connect with ICAP

If you are part of a cultural association and an ICAP associational member you have the advantage of the ICAP network and potential funding opportunities. For example, for a potential YCW grant, interested groups should attend the yearly Young Canada Works (YCW) information session. ICAP’s evaluation committee and grant writer can advise you on whether your project can proceed or how to proceed with a fully funded independent project with a qualified intern for up to 16 weeks.

Step 2 – Secure Funding

If a YCW grant cannot be secured, then the work may proceed on a smaller scale. The minimum funding required is approx. $3,000 to hire one student expert for a 5-week term.

Step 3: Identify the Scope of the Project

Identify the quantity and the type of materials to be secured vis-à-vis the amount of resource time required for an intern to be hired. 

If the project is either collaborative or fully funded by the association itself, these elements are required:

• Research Assistant. In the case of FFT, the research assistant needed to have at least introductory museum/archival skills and relevant language requirements (French and Italian).

• Print materials (agendas, minutes, reports, memberships lists and event programs etc.) are the simplest to organize because they can be more easily identified and scanned.  The ultimate goal is to create a digital record.  Physical materials (photos albums, posters, donations, artifacts, plaques, building plans etc.) are more difficult to support; they can be complicated and costly, so they are typically processed in phase 2.

Step 4 – Identify the Materials to be Secured

FFT had 25 boxes and filing cabinets with folders that were not archival standard, dating from 1940s to the present.  Start with oldest materials and decide where to stop. FFT chose to stop at 2015, which means the last several years of inventorying still have to be done.

Figure 2: The complete FFT collection of records

Step 5 – Set up Technical Support

1. Make available an archival-standard scanner and laptop for the hired research assistant; purchase archival standard boxes, folders, paper clips and similar materials. All physical material will be secured in non-degradable materials. All originals are kept by the association.
2. Decide on inventorying software to use – FFT chose Excel since it was simple to use and versatile. Other options include Omeka and Preservica.
3. Decide on the digital repository.  FFT chose Google Drive since it would give the FFT community simple access.

Step 6 – Complete Inventorying, Create a Digital Record, and Create a Finding Aid

The Finding Aid must be set up according to archiving standards/fonds so that the digital contents are described appropriately for users to find.  Note:  a finding aid is a document that gives the title of the documents (fonds), a range of dates of documents, and describes the archival collection. The description includes the history of the collection, outlines the contents of the collection, and explains how it has been arranged. Each file (document/fond) is numbered and named to help users identify content and navigate the collection.  See for example, Yale Library website: https://guides.library.yale.edu/c.php?g=934566&p=7109687.

Note: Steps 1 – 6 constitute the project itself. The association needs to determine whether or not the collection remains internal only (as a repository) or be made available to the public (as an archive, see Step 7). 

Figure 18: One of the new, archival-standard storage boxes containing a series of FFT textual records

Step 7 – Connect with your Local Archive/Museum

Given that appropriate standards have been used and the above steps are completed, local institutions may be interested in the materials and setting up a veritable archive.  Through national networking, ICAP may be able to facilitate between the archive/museum/library and the cultural association.