I wrote to the list about this topic some time ago, asking if it was possible to set up standardized benchmarks for processing speed. Of course the answer is, as it is for so many things, "it depends"! We have devised a formula of 8-20 hours per linear foot from start to absolute finish, including the processing proposal, processing, encoding and posting a full finding aid, and taking care of all preservation; 8 hours is our rough estimate for folder-level work of the simplest kind, while 20 hours is for item-level work (i.e., correspondence put into date order). Most of our processing work falls into the 10-hour per linear foot range, but every collection is a unique case. Some factors that we take into consideration: series that will be processed at different levels; preservation issues that might appear (e.g., copying audio tapes, photocopying clippings), and along these lines, how much audiovisual and photographic material there is; probable vacations and sick time; and even the time it takes to move the collection around and in and out of your processing space multiple times. We especially are on the lookout for large groups of items that may require item-level work (clippings, audiovisual originals, photographs, correspondence, chaotic folders or series, etc.). It's amazing how they will slow a project down! As far as how many folders it takes, we usually try to do it by series or groups of original boxes, estimating, as Laurie does, about 20 folders per box for "average" situations, but as many as 40, for example if the donor created file groups with very thin folders of materials. We can always put the remainders into the stock we use for accessioning and other projects. It's possible to reliably estimate the scope and trajectory of a project once you've processed a lot of (and a variety of) collections, but it's difficult sometimes for those outside of Technical Services to imagine why processing large collections can take such a long time. We spend a lot of time on the processing proposal in order to help us plan projects more accurately and to document the work and resources needed, not just for our department, but for other staff. If anyone would like a copy of our proposal template, I can send it in an email. Paula -------------------------------------------------- Paula Jeannet Mangiafico Associate Librarian Head, Collections Processing and Visual Materials Section Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library Duke University Durham, NC (919) 660-5915 [log in to unmask] A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>