How donated items are archived in the KCHA Project

Unlike the general archival projects that only preserve rare books and manuscripts, the KCHA Project collects and preserves virtually any Korean Canadian resources regardless of their formats, thus the general archival process is not applicable for the KCHA Project.  The modified archival process specifically designed for the KCHA Project is summarized and presented here.

1. Once the donation package arrives, sort all items into format and sequence them in the chronological order as much as possible.  If no creation dates are denoted, cluster them after the last item of the chronological order.
2. Extract key information of each item and complete the preservation metadata: title, creator, creation date, language, and additional note.
3. Assign the KCHA accession code to each item and preserve accordingly.
   1. Artifacts (3D Objects): Attach the KCHA accession code printed on the name tag on the back of the item.  A multiple images are taken from the item and submitted to the KCHA database as reference images, named in the KCHA accession code format.
   2. Books: Catalogue and shelve in the stacks.  Assign both of the call number (for general library use, only identified on the spine of a book) and the KCHA accession code (for the KCHA project use, only retrievable on the KCHA database and not found on the cover of books).
   3. Multimedia: Assign the KCHA accession code directly on the physical item and record it in the KCHA database.
   4. Others: Write the KCHA accession code directly on the item with the archival pencil, preferably on the top right corner (utilize the border or any marginal space if it is occupied or imperceptible, or attach the KCHA accession code printed on the name tag on the back of the item if it is one-sided and no other spaces are available).  Preserve each item in the acid free archival folder and organize them in the acid free archival box.
4. Summarize the list of items from the donor and arrange the finding aid if the donated items are highly related to the donor’s own achievements that extensively contribute to the KCHA Project
5. Prepare and send the list of donated items and the corresponding legal documents to the donor.
6. Digitize the physical item by electronically storing the contents in the KCHA database, if authorized by the copyright holder.
7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 for another donation package.