Arranging at the item level entails arranging loose items into or within files. The purpose of item-level arrangement is to enhance access to and security of material that warrants more detailed attention. The archivist must determine if any material in a given collection warrants item-level arrangement, as well as the amount of work required, taking into consideration:
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research value of the material
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anticipated research use
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risk for theft
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current state and level of access
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restrictions on access or use
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potential presence of sensitive information
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time required to carry out item-level arrangement
In most cases, item-level arrangement may be carried out for select parts of a collection (e.g. for correspondence and writings within a literary collection), but is not applied to an entire collection. Intentionally-assembled and small collections may be exceptions, since their research value or extent may warrant or allow item-level work throughout. Item-level arrangement is not routinely considered during baseline processing.