Understanding Archives Archives

Nutrias

Women standing on stacks of records to look at other records.

What is…Control

Physical control refers to knowing where documents are stored and intellectual control is understanding how records are connected.

December 13, 2023

Board showing books in different states of binding.

What is…Preservation

Preservation is maintaining an item in its current condition and protecting it from future harm.

December 6, 2023

What is…Metadata

Metadata is information about other information.

November 22, 2023

Finding Aid for Boards and Commissions featuring Scope and Contents, Dates, Conditions Governing Access, Requesting Materials, Conditions Governing Use, Historical Note, Extent, and Language of Materials.

What are…Finding Aids

Finding aids are tools to help researchers locate records of probable interest to their research.

November 15, 2023

Archivist scanning an oversized document on the overhead scanner.

What is…Digitization

Digitization is the process of converting a physical or analog object to an electronic format.

November 8, 2023

Nutrias.org

In 1995, archivists Wayne Everard and Irene Wainwright created the New Orleans Public Library’s first website, the beloved www.nutrias.org. In an effort to pay homage to our original web presence, we present to you the City Archives & Special Collections’ blog: Nutrias.