What's the Process?

The RAP Site Visit process

1. Apply for a Site Visit - In the application, the institution will provide a brief description of the support required as well as contact and location information. 

2. Initial Phone Discussion - This is a brief meeting where the roving archivist contacts the institution to further discuss the plan, goals, and focus of the site visit. In this meeting, the roving archivist and institution will set a date that works for both parties to conduct an online or in-person site visit.

3. Site Visit - A physical site visit allows the roving archivist to explore and assess:

• Physical Spaces for optimal productivity and to ensure environmental control

• Condition of collections and potential risks

• Safeguarding measures for security, fire protection, and pest control.

• Policies, digitization, workflows, and any problems you face, creating an open and supportive environment.

• Discuss with administrators about support structures and future planning to strengthen collections development.

• Review any past assessment reports and how much progress has been made on previous recommendations, showing a continuous path for improvement.

4. After the Visit - After the site visit, the roving archivist will write a report analyzing the current state of the collection and recommend a course of action as well as provide potential resources customized to the institution. This report should be returned to the institution within 60 days for any potential revisions. A finalized draft should be given to the institution no more than 90 days after the visit. 

5. Follow Ups - After the final report has been given to the institution, and some time has passed to implement any recommendations, the roving archivist will reach out to check in on the institution. There will also be a survey on the advice, recommendations, and effectiveness of the site visit for the institution to complete.