Processing and Description: Resource Records
Overview
Special Collections at UB uses ArchivesSpace to create and publish finding aids as well as manage accessions. ArchivesSpace is a tool to encode finding aids using Encoded Archival Description (EAD), an XML standard for encoding archival finding aids, maintained by the Technical Subcommittee for Encoded Archival Standards of the Society of American Archivists, in partnership with the Library of Congress. Encoding finding aids allows us to store, publish, repurpose, and migrate the information in a finding aid.
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Title Required
Identifier Required Level of Description Required Resource Type Required Publish? Required when complete Restrictions? Required if applicable Repository Processing Note Not used Languages Required |
Title for the unit being described (i.e. collection, series, item) in two segments: Name unit + type of material Supply a name unit for the collection (creator, collector, or subject). The proper form of this name is derived from the preferred name used in the collection. Second part represents the types of materials being described. Note: The name unit of the title is always capitalized, i.e. Ted Berrigan notebooks, Mathematics Department records If the collection contains one or two types of items (e.g. correspondence and promotional materials), list those in the title. Consult the Art and Architecture Thesaurus for genre terms. If the collection contains three or more types of materials, use the term papers, records, or collection:
Note: The material type unit of the title is always written in lowercase. When the subject of the collection is a person, and if no name has been recorded because the repository is the collector, express the title of the collection in a way that indicates that the subject is not the collector. If one or two items dominate a collection, but are not the only types of materials present, try to reflect that in the title Name unit: Complete title: Artificial collection title: Collection with one type of material dominant:
The resource identifier is the collection call number. Each part of the identifier is entered in its own box, WITHOUT dashes or slashes. MS numbers and the final portion of institutional collection numbers should be four digits, with leading zeros as necessary. i.e. MS 0257. ASpace will render with punctuation. Format the number as usual in text-based fields in other parts of the finding aid, i.e. 44/3/854, PCMS-0175.
Select the appropriate Level from the pull-down list. When you are creating new resource records for an entire collection, select "collection." The majority of resource records will be collection level description.
Select the appropriate Level from the pull-down list:
Checking this box will publish the resource record but not the components. To publish the entire finding aid, click "Publish All." ArchivesSpace also allows you to Unpublish All. Individual components may be unpublished by unchecking the box within the component area.
Check this box if there any restricted or closed materials or if a collection is minimally processed. Describe the nature of the restriction in Conditions Governing Access and/or Conditions Governing Use Notes.
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General Usage Notes Label Required
Expression Required Type Required Begin & End Required Bulk Dates Optional Certainty Optional Era and Calendar Required |
General Usage Notes The dates given here should address coverage of the entire collection. Dates sections can be repeated, for example to give both ‘bulk’ and ‘inclusive’ dates, or to list other types of dates in addition to ‘Creation’ dates (e.g. ‘Publication’, ‘Copyright’, or ‘Broadcast’ dates). Do not use multiple collection-level dates to describe different portions of the collection; instead, add component-specific dates to individual components.
Represents the dates covered by the materials in free text form. Normalize dates using the format: yyyy month dd. DACS recommends month names be spelled out, not abbreviated or represented as a number to avoid confusion for users from outside the United States. For collection level description, look through the materials to determine the earliest and latest dates to construct a date range. Typically you will only provide the years of the materials. If the collection contains a single item, provide the day and month, as well as the year. For collections or units that contain materials that fall within a single year, provide the months within that year. If you cannot find specific dates for the collection, or you can only find one date for a large group of materials, you can use the "circa" qualifier. If one or two items fall outside of the primary date range, this can be represented in the “Date Expression” field. If the collection does not contain any dates and you feel that guessing and putting “circa” dates would be misleading, you may use “undated” in the free text field and enter your best guess for the inclusive date range, even if this guess is an entire century. Collection level date range of years: 1890-1977 Item level singe date: 2006 June 15 Collection-level or unit-level range within a year: 1977 March-April Approximating dates: circa 1952 circa 1955-1978 1912-circa 1947 Collection with materials from 1890-1904 and single item from 1977: Date Expression: 1890-1904, 1977 Inclusive Dates: Start: 1890, End: 1977 See Date Type, Begin & End and Bulk Dates below for more details.
Indicate if the date is for Single, Bulk, or Inclusive Date(s) from the controlled value dropdown list. While the Date Expression field represents the collection's date range in free-text form, the inclusive date field represents the collection's date range strictly in integer form. This enables a user to search for a record by collection date. *This field can only accept four-digit years; do not enter day or month information.
Inclusive Dates, contiguous: A single date range spanning the earliest and latest dates of the materials: Begin: 1962, End: 1978 Inclusive Dates, non-contiguous: Two or more time spans with significant gaps between them, such that a large gap exists and date ranges or bulk dates would be misleading: Date expression: 1850, 1934‐1949; Begin: 1934, End: 1949 Circa dates: Date expression: circa 1916; Begin: 1909, End: 1921 Single item: Begin: 1917, End: 1917
Bulk dates represent the date range for the majority of the materials in the collection. Bulk dates are provided only if
i.e. inclusive range spans 50 years but bulk range is 15, or there are a few materials from the 1920s but the majority of the collection is from 1950-. This field is used in addition to the Inclusive Dates and Date Expression fields. See DACS 2.4.10-2.4.11 for more. Date range: Begin: 1962, End: 1978 Single item: Begin: 1917, End: 1917 Circa dates: circa 1916 --> Begin: 1909, End: 1921 |
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General Usage Notes
Portion & Type Required Number Required Container Summary Required |
General Usage Notes "Portion," "Number," and "Type" are required by ArchivesSpace; "Container Summary" is required by our best practices.
If all the material in the collection has been assigned to Top Containers that have Container Profiles attached, then the Extents section's ‘Calculate Extent’ button can be used to create a draft extent.
Portion: "Whole" is set by default. Hybrid collections consisting of both born digital and analog/paper/etc. will have two entries for extent, each indicated as "Part." Number and Type: Represents the total size of the collection, usually in linear feet or bytes. Some collections should not be measured in linear feet, i.e. a collection with one item. For such a case, enter 1 in the box and choose "item(s)" from the pull-down menu.
This free-text description of the types of containers in the collection assists staff in locating the collection on the shelves. Common container types include manuscript box, carton, oversize box, map drawer, folder, item. For unboxed works of art, list the number and type, i.e. 2 linocuts, 1 drawing, 3 posters |
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General Usage Notes
EAD ID / Record ID Required Finding Aid Title & Filing Title Required Finding Aid Author Required Description Rules Required Language & Script Required Sponsor Optional Finding Aid Status Required |
General Usage Notes
A unique identifier for the EAD file:
*In EAD3, the element <recordid> supersedes <eadid>
This is the title of the finding aid, as opposed to the title of the collection, i.e. "Finding Aid for the [collection title]” The filing title can be used to generate a list of collections alphabetically arranged by creator. It is not displayed to the public in the finding aid. Example: Abbott (Charles D.) papers
Use “Finding aid prepared by [name].” Enter the name of the individual that wrote the finding aid (e.g. "Sarah Cogley," "Archives staff" (if unknown), etc.). This is distinct from the processor or encoder.
The set of rules or standards used to construct the resource record. "Describing Archives: A Content Standard" or DACS is selected by default.
Provides the name of an institution or individual who contributed significant support, monetary or otherwise, to the processing of the materials being described; required for collections processed as part of a grant. Example: "The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project."
Values for EAD2002 element <findaidstatus> include: Completed, In Process, Minimally Processed, Under Revision, Unprocessed, available in the drop down box in ArchivesSpace. Under Revision and Unprocessed are used rarely if ever in UB SPC. Select Completed or Minimally Processed before publishing the finding aid. *@value in <publicationstatus> limited to: inprocess, approved, published |
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Revision Statements Required if applicable
Related Accessions Required External Documents Optional Rights Statements Not used Deaccessions Not used; see Events Collection Management Not used |
Use to document changes to published resource records. This is for major revisions, not small fixes like typos. Administrative and technical revision statements (i.e. converting legacy data) need not be published. See also section on Reparative Description.
This section is used to link accession records to the resource record. Browse for the appropriate resource record and click "Link to Accessions." You may link as many accession records as is required. Spawning a resource from an accession record will automatically link the records. |
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Abstract Required
Accruals Required Arrangement Required Bibliography Optional Biographical / Historical Note Required Custodial History and/or Immediate Source of Acquisition Required Conditions Governing Access Required Conditions Governing Use Required Existence & Location of Copies Optional Other Finding Aids Optional Physical Location Required if off-site Preferred Citation Required Processing Information Required Related Archival Materials Optional Scope & Content Required Scope & Content: Collection Impact Statement Optional Separated Materials Optional |
General Instructions Click on ‘Add Note’ to bring up the Notes fields. Choose the appropriate note from the ‘Note Type’ drop down list. For most notes, the maintain the default label. Notes for which the label differs from the default are in bold.
A brief summary of the scope and content and biographical information may be combined in an abstract for presentation purposes to enhance resource discovery. Such an abstract does not serve as a substitute for the Scope and Content Element.
Information about expected additions to the materials: Standard language:
If transfer or donation schedule is set, note may be adapted, i.e.
Describes the organization or filing sequence of the records, i.e.
Citations to works that are based on, about, or of special value when using the collection. The works could be books, articles, television programs, unpublished reports, web sites, or other types of information. The bibliography may be a simple list of like works, or a denoted list (i.e., one list for articles, one for books, etc.).
Provides information about the creator of the material or provides a historical context for the collection. Sometimes it may be difficult to find information on an organization or person; in these instances, write as much as possible. If a subject is obscure or local, this note may be the only source for this information available to a researcher, so take the time to research and write. The Biographical/Historical note serves to orient the researcher; it should reflect the context of collection materials. Be aware of the subjective nature of any sources, i.e. an organization's publicity materials or a department's website. See Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia (A4BLiP) Anti-Racist Description Resources, a descriptive standard that offers metadata recommendations for archival professionals to address racist, particularly anti-Black, archival description. In particular, review the section on Voice and Style regarding "unlearn[ing] the 'neutral' voice of traditional archival description":
To mitigate confusion at the similarly named "Conditions Governing Access" and "Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use" notes, we use the labels "Terms of Access and Use" [and "Restrictions"] and "Copyright," respectively. Indicates whether and to what extent materials are available for use and whether there are restrictions on the material due to repository policy, donor specifications, legal requirements, physical condition, etc. If the collection is open, use "The [collection title, dates] is/are open to researchers.
Minimally processed collections may have restricted and/or other privacy protected information and are considered restricted (see below). Oral histories and similar recordings may be restricted (see below). If a collection is stored off-site, include this information in the note and add a Physical Location note. Example of standard language with no restrictions: The [collection title, dates] is/are open to researchers.
To mitigate confusion at the similarly named "Conditions Governing Access" and "Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use" notes, we use the labels "Terms of Access and Use" [and "Restrictions"] and "Copyright," respectively. Indicates whether and to what extent materials are available for reproduction or publication after access has been granted. Personal papers Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and [University Archives or Poetry Collection] before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified. University records Copyright is held by The State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
Custodial History explains the history of ownership and custody of the materials. While it does describe the provenance of the collection, it does not only explain who donated the materials to UB; that piece of information is entered in the Immediate Source of Acquisition field, i.e. "Prior to coming to University Archives, the collection was donated to the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) by Kathy Eye. In 2005, MAG donated the collection to University Archives." Immediate Source of Acquisition records information about the direct source from which the materials were required. If the source of acquisition is known, provide as much information as possible:
Used to note analog materials that have been microfilmed or digitized, A/V that has been transferred to alternate formats, etc. Example from the St. Philip's Episcopal Church records: In the late 1970s, the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier arranged to microfilm these records. The film was deposited at Buffalo State College. Copies of the microfilm are housed at the North Jefferson Branch Library, the Buffalo State College Archives, and the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center, Buffalo State College.
Use this field to provide information about related finding aids. Usually these are inventories or previously created finding aids. This is different from Related Materials.
Used when materials are stored off-site, in addition to the Conditions Governing Access note, i.e. "This collection is stored off-site. Access to collection requires 3 business days’ notice. Contact [contact information] to schedule an appointment."
[Description and date of item], Box/folder number, Collection number, [Collection name], [Collection dates], [Repository] University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Adam, Helen, and Pat, letter to Robert Duncan, 1985 May 11, box 77, PCMS-0110, the Robert Duncan Collection, circa 1900-1996, the Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Sotheby's sales of multiple properties, 1929-1931, box 96, RBMS-0141, the Thomas B. Lockwood Antiquarian Book Catalog collection. Rare and Special Books Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Leather folio belonging to Elsie Blanche Augustine, undated, HOM-006, the Elsie Blanche Augustine collection, Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. “Toxic Substance Control Bill Draw Debate” by Ling-Yee Gibney, from Chemical and Engineering News, March 1975, box 185, folder 14, MS-0065, Ecumenical Task Force of the Niagara Frontier records, University Archives, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
At minimum, “Processed by [name, month year],” “Finding aid encoded by [name, month year].” If a collection was minimally processed, include in the processing note:
This field provides a more detailed description of the materials that are in the collection and context for the material. It should not explain every item in the collection but rather give the researcher a general idea of what to expect from the collection, helping them to determine if it might be useful. In other words, why would a researcher use this collection? Begin the scope and content note by restating the title of the collection, followed by a brief summary of the types of materials contained in the collection, i.e. “The Barbara Jones collection contains correspondence, financial reports, and clippings related to Jones's time working at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).” This statement can be followed by a more detailed description of each material type, series, etc. Use this space to give the researcher an idea of the types of correspondence, reports, etc. that are in the collection, as well as any topical highlights. Example: Collection contains 1970 Middle States reports, including annual reports for each decanal unit. These annual reports commonly include detailed statistics on enrollment, programs, and faculty research/publication and offer a snapshot of schools and departments in the decade following UB's merger with SUNY.
Collection impact statements should be written at the time of accession. The statement should convey how the incoming accession relates to the greater collection development policy, how it addresses collection gaps or new collecting areas, etc. Consider adding the collection statement, in whole or in part, to the collection resource record as an additional Scope and Content Note.
Use to identify materials associated by provenance that have been physically separated or removed. Do not confuse with <relatedmaterial>, which is used for references to materials that are not physically or logically included in the material described in the finding aid. Example: “Paintings have been removed to the University Art Collection. See curator for more information.” |
Resource Record Fields
Basic Information
Identifier Required
Level of Description Required
Resource Type Required
Publish? Required when complete Restrictions? Required if applicable
Repository Processing Note Not used
Languages Required
Dates
Expression Required
Type Required
Begin & End Required
Bulk Dates Optional
Certainty Optional
Era and Calendar Required
Extents
Portion & Type Required
Number Required
Container Summary Required
Finding Aid Data
EAD ID / Record ID Required
Finding Aid Title & Filing Title Required
Finding Aid Author Required
Description Rules Required
Language & Script Required
Sponsor Optional
Finding Aid Status Required
Administrative
Related Accessions Required
External Documents Optional
Rights Statements Not used
Deaccessions Not used; see Events
Collection Management Not used
Notes
Accruals Required
Arrangement Required
Bibliography Optional
Biographical / Historical Note Required
Custodial History and/or Immediate Source of Acquisition Required
Conditions Governing Access Required
Conditions Governing Use Required
Existence & Location of Copies Optional
Other Finding Aids Optional
Physical Location Required if off-site
Preferred Citation Required
Processing Information Required
Related Archival Materials Optional
Scope & Content Required
Scope & Content: Collection Impact Statement Optional
Separated Materials Optional
Basic Information: Title
Basic Information
| ASpace field: Title | EAD element: <unittitle> | DACS 2.3 |
Title for the unit being described (i.e. collection, series, item) in two segments: Name unit + type of material
Supply a name unit for the collection (creator, collector, or subject). The proper form of this name is derived from the preferred name used in the collection. Second part represents the types of materials being described.
Note: The name unit of the title is always capitalized, i.e. Ted Berrigan notebooks, Mathematics Department records
If the collection contains one or two types of items (e.g. correspondence and promotional materials), list those in the title.
Consult the Art and Architecture Thesaurus for genre terms.
If the collection contains three or more types of materials, use the term papers, records, or collection:
- 'papers' describes collections from individuals;
- 'records' describes collections from corporate bodies or organizations;
- 'collections' describes collections that were “intentionally assembled” (sometimes called “artificial collections”).
Note: The material type unit of the title is always written in lowercase.
When the subject of the collection is a person, and if no name has been recorded because the repository is the collector, express the title of the collection in a way that indicates that the subject is not the collector. If one or two items dominate a collection, but are not the only types of materials present, try to reflect that in the title
Name unit:
Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy, Department of Athletics, School of Social Work: creators
Ross Runfola: collector
Oral histories: subject
Complete title:
Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy papers
School of Social Work records
Department of Athletics oral histories collection
Artificial collection title:
Russ Runfola collection on Charles Bukowski
Collection on Dylan Thomas
Collection with one type of material dominant:
Feinberg Oath and statement
Amherst campus site maps
| ASpace field: Identifier | EAD element: <unitid> | DACS 2.1.3 |
The resource identifier is the collection call number.
Each part of the identifier is entered in its own box, WITHOUT dashes or slashes.
MS numbers and the final portion of institutional collection numbers should be four digits, with leading zeros as necessary. i.e. MS 0257.
ASpace will render with punctuation. Format the number as usual in text-based fields in other parts of the finding aid, i.e. 44/3/854, PCMS-0175.
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13/10/1418 à MS 238 à PCMS-0175 à |
13 10 1418 MS 0238 PCMS 0175 |
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| ASpace field: Level of Description | EAD element: <archdesc level="[level]"> | DACS 1 |
Select the appropriate Level from the pull-down list. When you are creating new resource records for an entire collection, select "collection." The majority of resource records will be collection level description.
| ASpace field: Resource Type | EAD element: N/A | DACS 2.3.19 |
Select the appropriate Level from the pull-down list:
- Use papers used for personal materials / materials from individuals and families
- Use records used for organizational / institutional materials
- Use collection for topical aggregations.
- Special Collections rarely uses Publications; in the Archives, it is used for university publications.
| ASpace field: Publish ☑ | EAD element: <ead audience="external"> | DACS: N/A |
Checking this box will publish the resource record but not the components. To publish the entire finding aid, click "Publish All." ArchivesSpace also allows you to Unpublish All.
Individual components may be unpublished by unchecking the box within the component area.
| ASpace field: Restrictions ☑ | EAD element: <accessrestrict>, <userestrict> | DACS 4.1-4.4 |
Check this box if there any restricted or closed materials or if a collection is minimally processed. Describe the nature of the restriction in Conditions Governing Access and/or Conditions Governing Use Notes.
| ASpace field: Languages |
EAD element/attributes: <langmaterial>, @lang, @script |
Dates: General Usage Notes
Dates
General Usage Notes
The dates given here should address coverage of the entire collection. Dates sections can be repeated, for example to give both ‘bulk’ and ‘inclusive’ dates, or to list other types of dates in addition to ‘Creation’ dates (e.g. ‘Publication’, ‘Copyright’, or ‘Broadcast’ dates). Do not use multiple collection-level dates to describe different portions of the collection; instead, add component-specific dates to individual components.
| ASpace field: Dates Expression | EAD element: <unitdate> | DACS 2.4 |
Represents the dates covered by the materials in free text form.
Normalize dates using the format: yyyy month dd. DACS recommends month names be spelled out, not abbreviated or represented as a number to avoid confusion for users from outside the United States.
For collection level description, look through the materials to determine the earliest and latest dates to construct a date range. Typically you will only provide the years of the materials. If the collection contains a single item, provide the day and month, as well as the year. For collections or units that contain materials that fall within a single year, provide the months within that year.
If you cannot find specific dates for the collection, or you can only find one date for a large group of materials, you can use the "circa" qualifier.
If one or two items fall outside of the primary date range, this can be represented in the “Date Expression” field.
If the collection does not contain any dates and you feel that guessing and putting “circa” dates would be misleading, you may use “undated” in the free text field and enter your best guess for the inclusive date range, even if this guess is an entire century.
Collection level date range of years: 1890-1977
Item level singe date: 2006 June 15
Collection-level or unit-level range within a year: 1977 March-April
Approximating dates:
circa 1952
circa 1955-1978
1912-circa 1947
Collection with materials from 1890-1904 and single item from 1977:
Date Expression: 1890-1904, 1977
Inclusive Dates: Start: 1890, End: 1977
See Date Type, Begin & End and Bulk Dates below for more details.
| ASpace fields: Dates Type, Begin/End |
EAD element/attributes: <unitdate> @normal @unitdatetype |
DACS 2.4 |
Indicate if the date is for Single, Bulk, or Inclusive Date(s) from the controlled value dropdown list.
While the Date Expression field represents the collection's date range in free-text form, the inclusive date field represents the collection's date range strictly in integer form. This enables a user to search for a record by collection date. *This field can only accept four-digit years; do not enter day or month information.
- Enter the starting and ending years for the collection in the appropriate fields.
- If the collection consists of a single item, enter the same year into both fields.
- If circa dates were used in the date expression field, subtract/add five years from both sides of the circa date.
- If you used "Undated" in the Date Expression field, enter your best guess in the Inclusive Date field, even if your best guess is an entire century.
Inclusive Dates, contiguous: A single date range spanning the earliest and latest dates of the materials:
Begin: 1962, End: 1978
Begin: 1920 January, End: 1955 June 20
Inclusive Dates, non-contiguous: Two or more time spans with significant gaps between them, such that a large gap exists and date ranges or bulk dates would be misleading:
Date expression: 1850, 1934‐1949; Begin: 1934, End: 1949
Date expression: 1915-1930, 1984-2001; Begin: 1915, End: 2001
Circa dates:
Date expression: circa 1916; Begin: 1909, End: 1921
Date expression: circa 1952-1978; Begin: 1943, End: 1983
Date expression: 1912-circa 1947; Begin: 1912, End: 1952
Single item: Begin: 1917, End: 1917
| ASpace fields: Dates Type, Begin/End |
EAD element/attributes: <unitdate> @normal @unitdatetype |
DACS 2.4 |
Bulk dates represent the date range for the majority of the materials in the collection. Bulk dates are provided only if
- including only an inclusive date range would be misleading for the researcher,
- a large portion of the materials are from a certain date range, but there are also materials from outside of that date range, and/or
- the gap between the inclusive range and bulk range is significant,
i.e. inclusive range spans 50 years but bulk range is 15, or there are a few materials from the 1920s but the majority of the collection is from 1950-.
This field is used in addition to the Inclusive Dates and Date Expression fields.
See DACS 2.4.10-2.4.11 for more.
Date range: Begin: 1962, End: 1978
Single item: Begin: 1917, End: 1917
Circa dates:
circa 1916 --> Begin: 1909, End: 1921
circa 1952-1978 --> Begin: 1943, End: 1983
1912-circa 1947 --> Begin: 1912, End: 1952
Extents: General Usage Notes
Extents
General Usage Notes
"Portion," "Number," and "Type" are required by ArchivesSpace; "Container Summary" is required by our best practices.
If all the material in the collection has been assigned to Top Containers that have Container Profiles attached, then the Extents section's ‘Calculate Extent’ button can be used to create a draft extent.
| ASpace fields: Extents Portion, Type, Number |
EAD elements: <physdesc>, <physdescstructured> |
Portion: "Whole" is set by default.
Hybrid collections consisting of both born digital and analog/paper/etc. will have two entries for extent, each indicated as "Part."
Number and Type: Represents the total size of the collection, usually in linear feet or bytes.
Some collections should not be measured in linear feet, i.e. a collection with one item. For such a case, enter 1 in the box and choose "item(s)" from the pull-down menu.
For born digital materials, do not create extents for the storage media. See our guide to processing born digital records for more details.
| ASpace field: Extents Container summary |
EAD elements: <physdesc>, <physdescstructured> |
This free-text description of the types of containers in the collection assists staff in locating the collection on the shelves.
Common container types include manuscript box, carton, oversize box, map drawer, folder, item.
For unboxed works of art, list the number and type, i.e. 2 linocuts, 1 drawing, 3 posters
Finding Aid Data: General Usage Notes
Finding Aid Data
General Usage Notes
| ASpace field: Finding Aid Data EAD ID |
A unique identifier for the EAD file:
| UA Institutional collections: ubar_0188 | UA Vertical Files: ubar_vf5H |
| UA Manuscript collections: ubar_ms0076 | Poetry: ubpo_pcms0002 |
| UA Periodical collections: ubar_500001 | Rare and Special Books: ubpo_rbms0008 |
*In EAD3, the element <recordid> supersedes <eadid>
| ASpace field: Finding Aid Title and Filing Title |
EAD elements/attribute: <filedesc>, <titlestmt>, <titleproper>, @localtype ("filing") |
This is the title of the finding aid, as opposed to the title of the collection, i.e. "Finding Aid for the [collection title]”
The filing title can be used to generate a list of collections alphabetically arranged by creator. It is not displayed to the public in the finding aid.
Example: Abbott (Charles D.) papers
| ASpace field: Finding Aid Author |
Use “Finding aid prepared by [name].” Enter the name of the individual that wrote the finding aid (e.g. "Sarah Cogley," "Archives staff" (if unknown), etc.). This is distinct from the processor or encoder.
| ASpace field: Finding Aid Description Rules |
The set of rules or standards used to construct the resource record. "Describing Archives: A Content Standard" or DACS is selected by default.
| ASpace field: Finding Aid Data: Sponsor |
EAD elements: <sponsor> |
Provides the name of an institution or individual who contributed significant support, monetary or otherwise, to the processing of the materials being described; required for collections processed as part of a grant.
Example: "The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project."
| ASpace field: Finding Aid Status |
EAD2002 element <findaidstatus>, superseded by <publicationstatus> and @value in EAD3* |
Values for EAD2002 element <findaidstatus> include: Completed, In Process, Minimally Processed, Under Revision, Unprocessed, available in the drop down box in ArchivesSpace. Under Revision and Unprocessed are used rarely if ever in UB SPC.
Select Completed or Minimally Processed before publishing the finding aid.
*@value in <publicationstatus> limited to: inprocess, approved, published
Related Accessions
Administrative
| ASpace field: Revision Statements |
EAD elements/attribute: <maintenancehistory>, <maintenanceevent>, @audience |
Use to document changes to published resource records. This is for major revisions, not small fixes like typos.
Administrative and technical revision statements (i.e. converting legacy data) need not be published. See also section on Reparative Description.
| ASpace field: Related Accessions |
EAD element: N/A |
DACS: N/A |
This section is used to link accession records to the resource record. Browse for the appropriate resource record and click "Link to Accessions." You may link as many accession records as is required. Spawning a resource from an accession record will automatically link the records.
Notes: General Instructions
Notes
General Instructions
Click on ‘Add Note’ to bring up the Notes fields. Choose the appropriate note from the ‘Note Type’ drop down list.
For most notes, the maintain the default label. Notes for which the label differs from the default are in bold.
ASpace field:Abstract |
Label: Abstract | EAD element: <abstract> | DACS 8.1.5 |
A brief summary of the scope and content and biographical information may be combined in an abstract for presentation purposes to enhance resource discovery. Such an abstract does not serve as a substitute for the Scope and Content Element.
ASpace field:Accruals |
Label: Accruals and Additions | EAD element: <accruals> | DACS 5.4 |
Information about expected additions to the materials:
Standard language:
- No further accruals are expected to this collection.
- Additional accruals are expected.
If transfer or donation schedule is set, note may be adapted, i.e.
- Materials are added to this collection in five year intervals.
ASpace field:Arrangement |
Label: Arrangement | EAD element: <arrangement> | DACS 3.2 |
Describes the organization or filing sequence of the records, i.e.
- Collection is organized into three series: I. Collection Documentation, 1969-1994; II. Research and Writings, 1852-2001; III. Medals, 1243-2000.
- Collection is arranged first by material type, and then chronologically.
ASpace field:Bibliography |
Label: Bibliography | EAD element: <bibliography> | DACS 6.4 |
Citations to works that are based on, about, or of special value when using the collection. The works could be books, articles, television programs, unpublished reports, web sites, or other types of information. The bibliography may be a simple list of like works, or a denoted list (i.e., one list for articles, one for books, etc.).
ASpace field:Biographical/Historical |
Label: Biographical or Historical Note | EAD element: <bioghist> | DACS 11.2 |
Provides information about the creator of the material or provides a historical context for the collection. Sometimes it may be difficult to find information on an organization or person; in these instances, write as much as possible. If a subject is obscure or local, this note may be the only source for this information available to a researcher, so take the time to research and write.
The Biographical/Historical note serves to orient the researcher; it should reflect the context of collection materials. Be aware of the subjective nature of any sources, i.e. an organization's publicity materials or a department's website.
See Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia (A4BLiP) Anti-Racist Description Resources, a descriptive standard that offers metadata recommendations for archival professionals to address racist, particularly anti-Black, archival description. In particular, review the section on Voice and Style regarding "unlearn[ing] the 'neutral' voice of traditional archival description":
- "Avoid passive voice (or passive language in linked data predicates) when describing oppressive relationships. Use active voice in order to embed responsibility within description."
- "Refrain from writing flowery, valorizing biographical notes for collection creators."
- "[R]efrain from including evaluative terms like “preeminent,” “renowned,” “genius,” or “seminal” that serve to praise collection creators. Ask yourself: Does including this piece of information help users better understand the collection, or is it there only to justify the collection creator’s stature?"
- "Use accurate and strong language such as lynching, rape, murder, and hate mail when they are appropriate."
- "Describe relationships of power when they are important for understanding the context of records."
ASpace field:Conditions Governing Access |
Label(s): Terms of Access and Use, |
EAD element: <accessrestrict> | DACS 4.1 |
To mitigate confusion at the similarly named "Conditions Governing Access" and "Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use" notes, we use the labels "Terms of Access and Use" [and "Restrictions"] and "Copyright," respectively.
Indicates whether and to what extent materials are available for use and whether there are restrictions on the material due to repository policy, donor specifications, legal requirements, physical condition, etc.
If the collection is open, use "The [collection title, dates] is/are open to researchers.
- If any material in the collection has restrictions, use a separate Conditions Governing Access note using label Restrictions.
- Give any expiration dates for restrictions or closures due to intellectual content and/or give a brief statement explaining the nature of any restriction due to physical condition.
- In both cases, include a sentence directing researchers to the repository contact information for questions.
- If there are restrictions on the collection, check the “Restrictions Apply” checkbox in the “Basic Description” tab as well as at the component level for the restricted series, file, etc.
Minimally processed collections may have restricted and/or other privacy protected information and are considered restricted (see below).
Oral histories and similar recordings may be restricted (see below).
If a collection is stored off-site, include this information in the note and add a Physical Location note.
Example of standard language with no restrictions: The [collection title, dates] is/are open to researchers.
| Offsite: |
Please note: This collection is stored off-site. Access to collection requires 3 business days’ notice. Contact [contact information] to schedule an appointment. |
| Fragile: |
Cabinet card photograph albums and architectural plans are fragile; patrons are urged to use digital surrogates. |
| Legal, ethical, or donor-imposed restrictions: |
Pursuant to [University Archives / Poetry Collection] Restricted Records Policy, access to portions of this collection is RESTRICTED until MONTH, YEAR. For more information, contact [repository]. Example: Pursuant to University Archives Restricted Records Policy regarding legal records, access to portions of this collection is RESTRICTED until 2057 (folder 2.6), 2068 (folder 1.6), and 2070 (folders 1.3-1.4). For more information, contact University Archives at lib-archives@buffalo.edu. |
| Minimally processed: | This collection has been minimally processed. Privacy protected information (including but not limited to certain educational, medical, financial, criminal, attorney-client, and/or personnel records) may be revealed during use of archival collections, particularly in collections that are unprocessed or have been minimally processed. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within the archival collections, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information to any other party for any purpose if found within the archival collections. |
| For oral histories, lectures, speeches, and similar recordings, and digital records, use the following, adjusting as necessary: | Rights release forms for this [oral history, speech, etc.] were never completed, [nor was a transcript]. The [oral history, speech, etc.] recording [and/or transcript] may only be accessed onsite within the library at this time. |
| Campus building plans: | Building plans of university buildings may be accessed with approval of the University at Buffalo Facilities Plan Library. |
ASpace field:Conditions Governing Use |
Label(s): Copyright |
EAD element: <userestrict> | DACS 4.4 |
To mitigate confusion at the similarly named "Conditions Governing Access" and "Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use" notes, we use the labels "Terms of Access and Use" [and "Restrictions"] and "Copyright," respectively.
Indicates whether and to what extent materials are available for reproduction or publication after access has been granted.
Personal papers
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and [University Archives or Poetry Collection] before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
University records
Copyright is held by The State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
| Legal, ethical, or donor-imposed restrictions: |
Pursuant to [University Archives / Poetry Collection] Restricted Records Policy, access to portions of this collection is RESTRICTED until MONTH, YEAR. For more information, contact [repository]. Example: Pursuant to University Archives Restricted Records Policy regarding legal records, access to portions of this collection is RESTRICTED until 2057 (folder 2.6), 2068 (folder 1.6), and 2070 (folders 1.3-1.4). For more information, contact University Archives at lib-archives@buffalo.edu. |
| Minimally processed: | This collection has been minimally processed. Privacy protected information (including but not limited to certain educational, medical, financial, criminal, attorney-client, and/or personnel records) may be revealed during use of archival collections, particularly in collections that are unprocessed or have been minimally processed. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within the archival collections, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information to any other party for any purpose if found within the archival collections. |
| For oral histories, lectures, speeches, and similar recordings, and digital records, use the following, adjusting as necessary: | Rights release forms for this [oral history, speech, etc.] were never completed, [nor was a transcript]. The [oral history, speech, etc.] recording [and/or transcript] may only be accessed onsite within the library at this time. |
| Campus building plans: | Building plans of university buildings may be accessed with approval of the University at Buffalo Facilities Plan Library. |
|
ASpace field: Notes: Custodial History |
Label: Custodial History |
EAD elements: |
Custodial History explains the history of ownership and custody of the materials. While it does describe the provenance of the collection, it does not only explain who donated the materials to UB; that piece of information is entered in the Immediate Source of Acquisition field, i.e. "Prior to coming to University Archives, the collection was donated to the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) by Kathy Eye. In 2005, MAG donated the collection to University Archives."
Immediate Source of Acquisition records information about the direct source from which the materials were required. If the source of acquisition is known, provide as much information as possible:
- The [collection name] was gifted to University Archives by [who], in MONTH, YEAR as accession ##-####.
- The [collection name] was gifted to The Poetry Collection by [who], in MONTH, YEAR as accession ##-####.
ASpace field:Existence and Location of Copies |
Label: Existence and Location of Copies | EAD element: <altformavail> | DACS 6.2 |
Used to note analog materials that have been microfilmed or digitized, A/V that has been transferred to alternate formats, etc.
Example from the St. Philip's Episcopal Church records:
In the late 1970s, the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier arranged to microfilm these records. The film was deposited at Buffalo State College. Copies of the microfilm are housed at the North Jefferson Branch Library, the Buffalo State College Archives, and the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center, Buffalo State College.
ASpace field:Other Finding Aids |
Label: Other Finding Aids | EAD element: <otherfindaid> | DACS 4.6 |
Use this field to provide information about related finding aids. Usually these are inventories or previously created finding aids. This is different from Related Materials.
ASpace field:Physical Location |
Label: Physical Location | EAD element: <physloc> | DACS 4.2 |
Used when materials are stored off-site, in addition to the Conditions Governing Access note, i.e. "This collection is stored off-site. Access to collection requires 3 business days’ notice. Contact [contact information] to schedule an appointment."
ASpace field:Preferred Citation |
Label: Preferred Citation | EAD element: <prefercite> | DACS 7.1.5 |
[Description and date of item], Box/folder number, Collection number, [Collection name], [Collection dates], [Repository] University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
Adam, Helen, and Pat, letter to Robert Duncan, 1985 May 11, box 77, PCMS-0110, the Robert Duncan Collection, circa 1900-1996, the Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
Sotheby's sales of multiple properties, 1929-1931, box 96, RBMS-0141, the Thomas B. Lockwood Antiquarian Book Catalog collection. Rare and Special Books Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
Leather folio belonging to Elsie Blanche Augustine, undated, HOM-006, the Elsie Blanche Augustine collection, Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
“Toxic Substance Control Bill Draw Debate” by Ling-Yee Gibney, from Chemical and Engineering News, March 1975, box 185, folder 14, MS-0065, Ecumenical Task Force of the Niagara Frontier records, University Archives, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
ASpace field:Processing Information |
Label: Processing Information | EAD element: <processinfo> | DACS 8.1.5 |
At minimum, “Processed by [name, month year],” “Finding aid encoded by [name, month year].” If a collection was minimally processed, include in the processing note:
- Processed by Marie Elia, February 2018; finding aid encoded by Marie Elia, March 2018.
- Minimally processed by Amy Vilz, April 2018; finding aid encoded by Amy Vilz, April 2018.
ASpace field:Scope and Contents |
Label: Scope and Contents | EAD element: <scopecontent> | DACS 3.1 |
This field provides a more detailed description of the materials that are in the collection and context for the material. It should not explain every item in the collection but rather give the researcher a general idea of what to expect from the collection, helping them to determine if it might be useful. In other words, why would a researcher use this collection?
Begin the scope and content note by restating the title of the collection, followed by a brief summary of the types of materials contained in the collection, i.e. “The Barbara Jones collection contains correspondence, financial reports, and clippings related to Jones's time working at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).” This statement can be followed by a more detailed description of each material type, series, etc. Use this space to give the researcher an idea of the types of correspondence, reports, etc. that are in the collection, as well as any topical highlights.
Example:
Collection contains 1970 Middle States reports, including annual reports for each decanal unit. These annual reports commonly include detailed statistics on enrollment, programs, and faculty research/publication and offer a snapshot of schools and departments in the decade following UB's merger with SUNY.
ASpace field:Scope and Contents |
Label: Collection Impact Statement | EAD element: <scopecontent> | DACS 3.1 |
Collection impact statements should be written at the time of accession. The statement should convey how the incoming accession relates to the greater collection development policy, how it addresses collection gaps or new collecting areas, etc.
Consider adding the collection statement, in whole or in part, to the collection resource record as an additional Scope and Content Note.
ASpace field:Separated Materials |
Label: Separated Materials | EAD element: <separatedmaterial> | DACS 6.3 |
Use to identify materials associated by provenance that have been physically separated or removed. Do not confuse with <relatedmaterial>, which is used for references to materials that are not physically or logically included in the material described in the finding aid.
Example: “Paintings have been removed to the University Art Collection. See curator for more information.”