How are primary source collections like Jon Snow?

As an archivist I was taught that there are living and dead primary source collections. Dead collections  never grow or have anything added to them after you initially processed and described them. They are finite. Usually the donor (a person or organization) dies or otherwise ceases to exist and their collections are donated by family, friends, or members, or even someone who purchases the collection at a yard sale.  Living collections are donated while an organization or person is alive and functional. As the creator continues to exist and create materials they are routinely donated as additions to their collection in the archives. In the Clarke we have living and dead primary source collections.

During my career I have been pleasantly surprised that some collections which were dead for decades, have suddenly revived, similar to although not as excitingly as Jon Snow's gasping, amazing revival. I think much of the revival of dead collections is due to primary source description and/or content being increasingly available online and therefore available to a wider audience than whoever physically visits an archives. Collections usually revive in one of a few ways. Someone may say, I have more material created by by the donor in a box in the basement, would you like it? I process and describe this as an addition to the existing collection.  Or, someone may offer, I have researched this collection or donor and collected additional, related materials, which is very helpful to understand the significance and impact of the creator and collection and I need to get it out of my spare bedroom, would you like it? In this case I process and describe the donation as a separate collection because the original creator did not create the new collection. More recently an archivist said, I have material created by your creator in a collection in my archives, would you like the link to my online finding aid so your researchers know about this? Sure! And that archives linked to the finding aid in my archives. In these ways archival collections revive and create new context and connections to other people, places, events, collections and archives. 

Above is an addition to a collection. The collection has grown over time. The boxes in the back and on the left side were  processed and described over the summer. I'm just waiting to merge that information into the existing finding aid and label the boxes, Then, last week I got four boxes on the right, which I just processed and described. You just never know today when a collection will revive or how much it will grow or when. When I start seeing dragons I will get worried, but for now this is all good.