Archives and Records Management
Annual Report 2003-2004
Submitted by Jody L. Thompson, Acting Head
Archives and Records Management
Achievements






Opened Neely Rare Book room
o Book Cases were installed in October and the majority of the rare books
(284 linear feet) were removed from the closed stacks in the Archives and
housed in the Neely Room in November and December. Neely Room
opened to the public in January 2004. Individuals may examine the rare
books by appointment in the Archives’ Reading Room.
Communicated with faculty, staff, patrons, and students about the archives and its
collections:
o The Archives staff offered a tour and implemented and archival
“experience” using primary resources for LCC 2112.
o Offered tours to HTS classes.
o Displayed Newton’s Principia to Professor Jim Sowell’s Physics students
Continued work toward expanding the records management program
o The department experienced a 220% increase in the number of retrieval
requests from campus departments. In April 2004, a Records Coordinator
II was transferred to the department from the Budget & Planning Office.
Plans are nearing completion for the transfer of all records materials to a
newly renovated records center space on Ethel Street near campus.
Identified and catalog selected 3D materials
o Student assistants partially cataloged the collection. Over 500 artifacts
have been accessioned and inventoried in a revised database.
Continued exhibit planning and implementation
o The library featured the travel American Library Association exhibit,
Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature from March through
April 2004. The Library and the School of Literature, Communication,
and Culture (LCC) sponsored the exhibit. LCC hosted the film and lecture
series.
Identified on campus collections of historical value
o Identified retiring faculty and solicited for manuscripts, papers, and
photographs.
Professional Accomplishments:
Jody L. Thompson, Acting Head


Named Acting Head of Archives and Records Management
Subscriptions Manager, Society of Georgia Archivists
1








Education Committee, Society of Georgia Archivists
Chair, Georgia Archives Week, 2003
Committee member, Georgia Archives Week, 2004
Special Collections committee member, GALILEO Interconnected Libraries
(GIL) User’s Group
Instructor, Lifelong Learning, Emory University, “Preserving Family Treasures”
with Anne Salter
“Hands on History: The Development of Archival Tools in an Academic Setting.”
Presented with Anne Salter at the Organization of American Historians (OAH)Southern Regional Conference: Practicing American History in the South.
Article: “Giving Back to the Archival Field” Info career Trends—Lisjobs.com’s
professional development newsletter
“Issues Managing Digital Projects,” presented to GALILEO Interconnected
Libraries (GIL) User’s Group annual meeting, 2004
Kirk Henderson, Records Coordinator II
Total retrievals:
464
The above total represents a 220% increase in the number of retrieval requests
from 39 client departments. In most cases, requests were fulfilled within one to
two business days.



Destructions
Total number of boxes:
Total sets destroyed:
2218
289
Accessioned material
Total number of boxes:
Total sets accession:
1498
241
As of October 2003, we initiated a revised process for the destruction of records,
employing Iron Mountain as a vendor to provide secure destruction services. The
relationship with Iron Mountain provides better security for the destruction of
material as well as greater flexibility and control in determining the pick-up
schedule for records material.
A number of revisions and upgrades to the records management database have
provided better record keeping for retrieval, accessioning, and destruction of
records as well as streamlining the reporting process.
Plans are nearing completion for the transfer of all records material to a newly
renovated records center space on Ethel St. near campus. The new facility will
offer greater storage capacity and better security for vital campus business records
and will facilitate the growth of the Archives’ records management program on
campus.
2
Sponsored Research reports
Reports received
508
Retrievals
79

Per discussion with Tyler Walters and Catherine Jannik, the program to scan
incoming sponsored research reports was discontinued. The Office of Sponsored
Programs failed to cooperate fully in the establishment of an electronic documents
program for the sponsored research material. The report material will be
transferred into the records management program until such time as the Office of
Sponsored Programs develops the appropriate electronic infrastructure to handle
the material electronically.
Archives Artifact collection
 With the help of student assistants, the collection of three-dimensional artifacts
has been inventoried and partially cataloged. Over 500 artifacts have been
numbered and inventoried in a newly revised database.
Exhibits
 The Georgia Tech Library was one of 80 libraries nationwide which participated
in the traveling exhibit, Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature. In this
endeavor, the Library collaborated with the School of Literature, Communication
and Culture to host three successful lecture events as well as a film series devoted
to cinematic representations of Mary Shelley’s creature.
 The exhibit, 50 Years of Women at Georgia Tech, previously on display in the
Neely Gallery, will be re-installed in the new home of the Women’s Resource
Center in the Student Services Building. The exhibit was designed and installed
primarily by Archives staff.
Susan Illis, part-time Archivist

Susan Illis continues to work her very limited part-time schedule. She completed
the Processing Manual for the department. The staffing changes in the Archives
over the past fiscal year have had a significant impact on Susan’s duties.
Although fewer finding aids are being produced, they have required far more
quality control work, sometimes to the extent of reprocessing collections. The
streamlined production of XML and HTML finding aids established last fiscal
year by Yen Tang continues to allow the quicker production of on-line finding
aids, and minor flaws in the system should be corrected with the hiring of Yen’s
replacement.
Serving as editor of conneXus, the library-wide newsletter, occupies
approximately 25% of Susan’s time.
3
Marilyn Williamson, Rare Book Librarian
 Retired in March 2004
 Reviewed all books in closed storage to ascertain preservation needs.
 Assisted in the planning for the Neely Rare Book Room
 Assisted in moving the rare books to the Neely Room
 Assisted in research and planning for the Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of
Nature
Yen Tang, Assistant Archivist
 Left Georgia Tech in September 2003 to pursue a career in the information
technology field.
Germaine Schanzmeyer, Library Assistant II
 Transferred from IPST in September 2003.
 Provided reference services, process gift books and archival collections.
 Assisted in maintaining vertical files.
Jeannette Landers, Records Coordinator II
 Transferred from the Budgets and Planning Office in April 2004.
 Assisted in record retrievals and destructions.
 Assisted in transfer of records to new record center building.
Goals:
 Hire new Department Head, Access Archivist, and Digital Collections Archivist.
 Move all records management operations to new record center building off
campus; redesign records management web site instructions; create online records
retrieval request form.
 Resume indexing Georgia Tech publications (TPUB).
 Continue archival outreach to faculty and students
 Create digital exhibits of archival collections in conjunction with Digital
Initiatives and Systems departments.
 Resume arranging and describing archival collections.
 Manage campus e-publications program (GT Institutional Repository); collect epublications and assist campus units in using repository to submit them.
Statistics
Catalogued Archival Material added
GTA Monographs
Titles: 214
Volumes: 250
4
Theses
Note: As of Spring 2004, the Archives stopped receiving bound theses. All are being
submitted electronically to the Library’s Digital Initiatives department.
Titles: 357
Volumes: 357
Other
Serials: 83
Video: 15
Total: 654 titles
627 volumes
Total linear feet of catalogued material added: 384.15
Materials and Visuals Cataloged
Photos
Orders processed: 2
Prints created: 2
Negatives created: 0
Scans produced: 274
Photographs catalogued: 200
Negatives catalogued: 0
Slides catalogued: 0
Total: 478
Manuscripts
Collections processed: 13 manuscripts (MS)
4 university archives (UA)
7 manuscript folders (MF)
Total linear feet added: 12.6
Uncataloged materials added
Accessioned collections: 84
Vertical files: 220
Total linear feet of uncataloged materials added: 140.15
Reference Service/Use Materials
Registered Researchers
Faculty/staff: 59
Students: 432
Other:50
Total Researchers: 541
5
Research Requests Answered by
Archives Staff:
Georgia Tech users: 84
Non-Tech: 66
Total Research Requests: 150
Types of Material Used:
In-house circulation
Cataloged Material used in reading room:
Archival: 87
Photographs: 21
Vertical files: 69
Books: 521
Objects: 0
Miscellaneous Statistics
Number of copies made: 2452
Number of scans produced: 291
Intellectual Access/Internet
Inventories (finding aids) on the Internet:
Pages updates: Unknown
New pages uploaded: 26
Records Management
Records Center Operations
Total retrievals: 464
Destruction:
Total # of boxes: 2218
Total sets destroyed: 289
Accessioned materials:
Total # of boxes: 1498
Total sets accessioned: 241
Number of Boxes Currently Stored: 4829
Sponsored Research Statistics
Note: Scanning Sponsored Research reports have been discontinued. The reports
will be transferred into the Records Management program.
Reports received: 508
Retrievals: 79
6
7