“Mr. Ryszard and his photos” – the difficult art of describing archival materials

The article presents the activities of the Chełmińskie Przedmieście Tu Mieszkam association, which includes the Chełmionka Community Archive (Archiwum Społeczne Chełmionki), which has been operating since December 2024. It describes the first donor of archive, Ryszard Kowalski, and the stages of creating and making his private archive available in digital form. It describes the difficulties and challenges encountered in developing individual archival units, which are organized in direct contact with the creator. The article offers solutions to problems and presents useful tools that community archivists can use in their ongoing work with donors.