A numerical analysis of the processing of manuscript and archival materials was undertaken to develop baseline figures for planning and comparison. The time required for different segments of the processing activity was averaged and analyzed for all accessions within a given time period, with size and type introduced as variables. The analysis proved useful in planning staff responsibilities, processor assignments, budgets, and other management data. The feasibility and efficacy of word processing applied to the creation of finding aids was also tested. This survey serves as a starting point for archives searching for a methodology to measure the work of processing within their institutions, as a step towards the standardization needed for self-evaluation, and, perhaps, as a means of furthering cooperation among institutions.

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