Evaluating MPLP
The 2005 article “More Product, Less Process” suggest that archives can have a faster processing time even when they are taking in more and more records. The focus is on allowing public access as soon as possible, rather than worrying about item level preservation techniques. Processing in this case is far less in depth than normal and takes far less time. This idea was put forth by Mark A. Greene and Dennis Meissner in their article “More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing.” Greene and Meissner encourage archivists to rethink the way they process and collect archival records. “We began with the working hypothesis that processing projects squander scarce resources because archivists spend too much time on tasks that do not need doing, or at least don’t need doing all the time” (209).
There is a large processing backlog in the majority of archives in the United States (210–211). This is a problem as most archives do not have the staff or the money to catch up on the backlog. This adds to the problem of accessibility. Most archives in the United States only allow public access to the records once they have been processed. But with such a large backlog it may be months, or even years, before the collection is even summarily looked at. This can cause both the public and the donor to grow frustrated with the archive. Greene and Meissner seek to address this problem. They lay out a four step solution:
“We need to articulate a new set of arrangement, preservation, and description guidelines that 1) expedites getting collection materials into the hands of users; 2) assures arrangement of materials adequate to user needs; 3) takes the minimal steps necessary to physically preserve collection materials; and 4) describes materials sufficient to promote use. In other words, it is time to focus on what we absolutely need to do, instead of on all the things that we might do in a world of unbound resources” (212–213).
Instead of focusing on item level preservation techniques that are so important to most American archives, Greene and Meissner suggest doing minimal preservation work to speed up the processing time. Many Australian and British archives have already embraced this practice (217–219). This item level preservation work is time consuming and costly, both in terms of man hours and supplies used.
One counter argument to the “More Product, Less Process” approach is that not processing the collections on an item level basis would be a detriment to the records. By not taking out every staple or putting every picture in mylar, this puts the collections in danger from rust or other natural damage that may occur over time. Pictures stick together and staples and paper clips rust. The normal procedure in processing these collections is to prevent these types of things from happening which helps to preserve the collections longer. By focusing on more product and less on the process, this puts the collections at risk and makes it easier for the collections to more quickly deteriorate over time. Also, by not fully processing the collection before allowing public access, this puts the records at risk to damage from the users. Greene and Meissner address this argument by saying that good climate control in the record storage area will easily address the problem of rust, mold, or any other natural process that may ruin the records (231, 235).
This “More Product, Less Process” approach is best for very large collections, especially those donated from large corporations. These large collections can add tremendously to any backlog that already exists in the archive. Processing such large collections can take hundreds of man hours and cost a lot of money in the process. By changing the processing techniques this can cut down on the man hours and the cost required to process the collection fully. The “More Product, Less Process” approach works well to address the growing problem of backlog in American archives. By focusing more on making the records accessible and less on item level preservation, archives can severely cut down both their costs and their backlog.
Read Meissner and Greene’s 2005 article in the American Archivist, “More Product Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing” athttp://archivists.metapress.com/content/c741823776k65863/.
