Workbook on Digital Private Papers > Arranging and cataloguing digital and hybrid archives > Arranging and cataloguing emails

Arranging and cataloguing emails

Templates for arrangement

How does an email directory relate to component levels in EAD?

Some possible models may look as follows:

Example 1:

Structure ISAD(G) level EAD encoding
Politician Fonds collection level
*Politician's assistant sub-fonds <c01 level="subgroup">
Email archive directory & diary series <c02 level="series">
Email folder subseries <c03 level= "subseries">
Email item <c04 level="item">
Email Attachment piece <co5 level="piece">

*This information might be recorded when the archivist describes the provenance of a collection, rather than recorded as a subgroup

Example 2:

Structure ISAD(G) level EAD encoding
Politician Fonds Collection level
Westminster office Sub-fonds <c01 level="subgroup">
Email directory Series <c02 level="series">
Mail/contacts/diary Subseries <c03 level= "subseries">
Email folder Subsubseries <c04 level="sub-subseries">
Individual email Item <co5 level="item">
Message & attachment Separate pieces <co6 level="piece">

Example 3:

Structure ISAD(G) level EAD encoding
Politician Fonds Collection level
Constituency office Sub-fonds <c01 level="subgroup">
Correspondence Series <c02 level="series">
Email/paper correspondence Separate subseries <c03 level= "subseries">
Email folder/paper file Subsubseries <c04 level="sub-subseries">
Individual email Item <co5 level="item">
Message & attachment Separate pieces <co6 level="piece">

Paradigm exemplars

The creation of a full catalogue for the personal archive and the need to cite individual items makes it necessary that the repository choose an order for structuring the catalogue by which shelfmarks may be assigned to individual items. These decisions are not always clear-cut and can vary from case to case.

Example A

An email directory with a large number of emails, held in over 80 folders. There is also one large, unstructured, sent mail folder.

The directory should be left in its original arrangement of 80 folders and sent mail folder. Within folders, the archivist should retain a chronological order to facilitate the connection between incoming and outgoing emails. The archivist might consider picking out individual emails from particularly significant individuals to catalogue at item level.

Example B

An email directory with over 200,000 emails divided between three folders: inbox, archive and sentmail.

In this example, a version of the directory in its archival form (i.e. unstructured, reflecting the creator’s practice) might be retained; using different METS structural maps of the directory the repository could provide alternative views of the data - sorted by correspondent, date or subject. Alternatively, a version of the directory could be provided for the researcher to do their own sorting and retrieval if software to facilitate this is available. Another approach may be to abstract major correspondents and arrange the remaining correspondence by date.

The archivist may encounter some emails which have obviously been filed in the wrong folder. These could be moved to the correct folder if the size of the directory makes this reasonable to attempt. This would, however, necessitate a close analysis of content and context: an individual may have had their reasons for filing a message in a particular folder, even if this is not instantly obvious.

The majority of emails accessioned by Paradigm have been stored in an email account of some kind. There are, however, some messages which have been saved as email files (usually in html, plain text or .eml formats) into a general office subject folder. For example, some offices routinely delete all messages, with messages of special significance being saved with related records outside of the email directory. In these instances, it is recommended that the messages be retained with the related grouping of records outside of the e-mail directory and catalogued as part of that record series.