TRENDS IN ARCHIVES PRACTICE, a new, open-ended series of modules by the Society of American Archivists, features authoritative treatments written and edited by top-level professionals that fill significant gaps in archival literature.

Module 3 in the series, DESIGNING DESCRIPTIVE AND ACCESS SYSTEMS, provides implementation advice regarding the wide range of tools and software that support specific needs in arranging, describing,and providing access to analog and digital archival materials.

TRENDS IN ARCHIVES PRACTICE includes two other modules: STANDARDS FOR ARCHIVAL DESCRIPTION and PROCESSING DIGITAL RECORDS AND MANUSCRIPTS. Each module can be purchased separately, or you can purchase the bundle, ARCHIVAL ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION, which features all three modules.

Daniel A. Santamaria is assistant university archivist for technical services at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University, where he oversees all technical services operations, including accessioning, processing, and descriptive practices.

Preface to Trends in Archives Practice
Archival Arrangement and Description
by Chrisopher J. Prom and Thomas J. Frusciano

Module 3: Designing Descriptive and Access Systems
Introduction
Pre-custodial and Pre-accessioning Work
Accessioning Archival Materials
Describing Archival Materials
Creating New Data
Catalog Records
Finding Aids
Encoded Archival Description
Archival Collection Management Systems
Locally Developed Databases and Tools
Webforms
Text and XML Editors
Other Descriptive Data and Outputs
Encoded Archival Context—Corporate Bodies,
Persons, and Families (EAC-CPF)
Digital Object Metadata
Managing Legacy Data
Reducing Backlogs and Managing Collections
Delivering Descriptive Data and Providing Patron Access
EAD Delivery Mechanisms
Discovery Layers
Non-EAD Finding Aid Delivery
Catablogs and Content Management Systems
Digital Objects/Digitization
User Contributions : Patron-initiated Digitization, Description, and Crowdsourcing