S5. From Ballot Box to Document Box: Exploring Contemporary Challenges with Congressional Papers

Always at the forefront of archival challenges and in high demand by researchers, congressional papers are usually complex, large, and unwieldy collections that are found in archives of all sizes. Further complicating processing and reference, they often contain a variety of formats, subjects, and sensitive materials. Speakers in this session discussed their experiences working with the papers of members of Congress from New Jersey and South Carolina. They explored such topics as managing copyright, arranging and describing modern media, handling materials that evoke recent trauma, accessing restricted records, and managing a congressional collection at a smaller repository on a limited budget.