For many, old photo albums, letters, yearbooks, and diaries aren’t merely memorabilia that can be stashed in an attic. Rather, these items are to be savored—they provide clues to the past and connect us to people, even those we’ll never have the chance to meet. These collectibles deserve to be preserved and made accessible to a wider audience because they have historical value. Same goes for business correspondence, meeting minutes, and annual reports. If you are a “lone arranger”—the only one responsible for such activity at your organization—then you need to know how best to manage your archives.

In The Lone Arranger: Succeeding in a Small Repository, Christina Zamon gives newcomers and seasoned archivists alike guidance on how to manage historical collections with limited human resources. Zamon, who is the head of Archives and Special Collections at Emerson College in Boston, offers practical tips to address a range of topics, from effectively utilizing the new advances in technology to manage your collections to donor relations and fundraising , disaster preparedness, records management, and managing volunteers.

In addition, a dozen archivists representing diverse backgrounds, institutional settings, and geographic locations offer case studies that discuss the challenges they faced when they found themselves responsible for the full spectrum of archives work with limited or no paid staff to assist.

Whether you’re the archivist in a one-person shop or manage a collection at home, you’ll find yourself in good company with Zamon’s sound advice on preserving priceless collectibles and historical materials for generations to come.