he process of drawing up an inventory is a type of description in which an inventory provides an overview of an archive with a pre-existent specific order. This ‘table of contents’ reflects the creator’s structure and work processes.
A detailed inventory is the first important step for anyone seeking to make their archive accessible via an exhibition, a publication or an online database. You can request the specialised heritage sector to draw up such an inventory, but archivists and artists should also start making an inventory of works on their own, for example by using a simple template in an Excel file.
TRACKS has grouped several expertise centres together that are all excellent places to start when you’re ready to initiate a large-scale inventory. An archive that hasn’t been filed yet should first be given a posting list before taking inventory. A posting list is an overview of the material in the order you find it, by location.
The portal of private archives, Archiefbank Vlaanderen, also provides more information about how to draw up an inventory.