Automating the Archives: A Case Study

The establishment of an archival automation program requires that the archivist address issues of both a technical and a managerial nature. These issues include needs assessment, selection of hardware and software to meet identified needs, redesigning archival tasks in light of the system selected, and ongoing maintenance of the system selected. The present article discusses the issues Washington University Archives staff members faced in developing an automation program and the solutions they adopted. It concludes with a brief discussion of possible future directions for the automation program.