Subjects map to MARC 65X fields.  Remember, names as subjects are added agents with role set to subject.

Subjects should be derived from the Library of Congress Authority Files (lcnaf): Search for the appropriate term.  Check the authority record to confirm that the term is describing what you are looking for. 

Be as specific as possible when adding subject terms.  Use '+' to connect multiple terms to build a subject heading. 

Other ways to find appropriate subject headings:

Check the UB Library catalog for items related to the collection.

Search WorldCat to see what subject terms other institutions are using for similar collections.

EAD elements: <controlaccess>, <subject>

Topical subjects are the most commonly used subject terms in our finding aids. These map to MARC 650 fields.

To add subjects in the AS record:

1. Click "Add Subject" under the "Subjects" section. 
2. Begin typing your subject heading in the box to see if the heading already exists.  If it appears in the list, highlight the desired heading and click "Link." 
3. If it does not appear in the list, you will need to create one. Click "Create Subject." 
4. Type the term in the "Subject Term" box of the window that appears (e.g. Organized Crime). 
5. From the "Type" pull-down menu, select "Topical Term."  If the term has a subdivision, click “Add Term/Subdivision” or “+” (e.g. New York (State), and in this example, the type is Geographic. 
6. Choose "Library of Congress Subject Headings" as the source.  Because the subject heading was pulled from an authorized list, you may leave the "Scope Note" field blank. 
7. Click "OK"; the subject heading will be automatically linked to your record.

EAD elements: <controlaccess>, <subject>

Subject analysis is a complex skill: Some topical LC subject headings can be subdivided by geographical term, chronological term, genre form, or another topical term; some cannot. The entry for that heading will indicate as such, but ArchivesSpace cannot control for correct formation of a subject string.

Further, some LC subject strings are preexisting; that is, the string has its own control number separate from the control number for the base heading.

For instance: Musicians--Argentina is a preexisting string with control number sh2010102942. The elements are "Musicians" as a 650 topical subject and "Argentina" as a geographical subject (subfield z): 150 __ |a Musicians |z Argentina. Note that this string has a different control number than the number for the base heading "Musicians," which is sh 85089027.

Some concepts and qualifiers are encompassed in the term and some are expressed using subdivisions:

Women teachers expresses the concept in a single term (rather than Teachers--Women), whereas materials pertaining to women's roles in World War II are classified under World War, 1939-1945--Women: 150 __ |a World War, 1939-1945 |x Women.

All to say, look carefully at the records for subject headings before adding them to ArchivesSpace.

Common subordinate components that you might add to topical subject terms for our collections include the following:

<term> -- New York (State) -- Buffalo

<term> -- Administration

<term> -- United States

<term> -- Photographs

<term> -- Pictorial Works

These may also be added to personal, corporate, and family names; however, in these instances the subject is created under the "Names" section (see above).  An example might be "State University of New York at Buffalo -- History."

EAD elements: <controlaccess>, <geogname>

To add geographical subjects in the AS record, follow the directions above (Topical Terms); however, instead of selecting "Topical term" from the "Type" pull-down list, select "Geographic Name."  If you are unsure whether a term is a geographic name or a topical term, check the authority record.  Geographic names should be listed under the 151 field, while topical terms are listed under the 150 field.

Geographic names can also be used as subordinates of topical terms (see above).  When you find a geographic name, check the authority record.  The proper form for the subordinate is listed under the 781 field.  For instance, "Buffalo (N.Y.)" can serve as a primary subject heading, but you should use "New York (State) -- Buffalo" for a subordinate subject heading.

Common subordinate components that you might add to geographical names for our collections include the following:

<place> -- Pictorial works

<place> -- History

<place> -- Description and travel

EAD elements: <controlaccess>, <genreform>

Genre terms describe the types of materials in the collection.  Because archival collections can contain a multitude of materials and formats, a list of genre terms could become quite extensive.  Every genre need not be listed.

Find Genre terms from the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus.

Once you find the term, you can click the hierarchy symbol ( ) next to the term to see a list of narrower terms (e.g. Bankbooks, Budgets).  If you cannot find an appropriate term in AAT, try searching the Library of Congress Authority Files.

University Archives uses classifications to indicate university record groups and sub-groups. These represent offices, divisions, departments, institutes, and other official units of the campus, and correspond to the first two parts of the collection number for institutional records.

Add links to both the group and sub-group: