FAQs - HeardLibrary/exhibitions GitHub Wiki

#Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs address process-oriented and local metadata decisions for the Vanderbilt exhibitions program. List is subject to change (& growth!).

• FAQ's about VRA Core 4.0 at large can be found on the Visual Resources Association website.

1. Question: If I don't know the agent who created a given item, is there an authorized heading for "unknown" or "anonymous" that I should be using?

• Answer: No, nothing unknown should ever be authorized. Just leave the field blank if an agent(s) cannot be determined. The agent element, like many VRA fields, is required only if applicable.

2. Question: Is there a preferred hierarchy for controlled vocabularies? Should I check LCSH before VIAF, for instance?

• Answer: The exhibitions program prefers Library of Congress vocabularies as a first choice (i.e. LCNAF, LCSH). So check these first and stop there if what you are looking for is found. It is okay to use other vocabularies though, as long as you name the vocabulary and refID of the heading you opt to use.

3. Question: Do special characters or spaces count toward the 500 character limit on descriptions?

• Answer: Yes, these count toward the limit.

4. Question: If I have multiple agents listed on a given item, how do I enter those into the CSS form in oXygen? Only one agent field displays when I open it.

• Answer: Switch from the "author" view in oXygen to the "text" view, which will display the XML. Within a given element (i.e. "AgentSet"), copy the sub-element you need more instances of, and paste it any number of times beneath its first occurrence.
• Example: You recorded the date your item was created, but there's also a publication date listed. To add it, copy the <date> element within <dateSet> and paste a second instance directly beneath it. Then edit it to match the publication information on your item:
  • <dateSet>
    • <date type="creation"> (creation date)
      • <earliestDate>1905</earliestDate>
      • <latestDate>1907</latestDate>
    • </date>
    • <date type="publication"> (publication date)
      • <earliestDate>1907</earliestDate>
      • <latestDate>1907</latestDate>
    • </date>
  • </dateSet>

5. Question: What is the difference between "work" and "image"?

• Answer: VRA Core has had several iterations, but 4.0 is built around three record types: Work, Image, and Collection. A Work is a unique event or object of cultural production (a building, a vase, a song, a postcard). An Image is the visual representation of that work, in part or in whole (in our case, a digital image). Works and Images each have their own records. The third record type, Collection, allows for collection-level cataloging of groups of materials such as groups of works (uncommon in the exhibits program, but it could happen).

6. Question: What do I put in the "Image filename" field of the Image record if I have more than one scan (e.g. a recto and a verso of a photograph; multiple pages from a newspaper) for the same object? Do I list each file name in the textbox and separate them with a semicolon?

• Answer: If you have more than one image, repeat the image portion of the record the same number of times as there are images. Do this by copying/pasting the image portion of the record beneath itself in the XML ("text") view in oXygen.
  • The standing rule that your XML filename should match the scanned image filename is somewhat broken/ugly in situations where multiple images correspond; in these cases, use as much of the root name as possible in XML file naming without getting into the image numbering (i.e. A, B, C). See here for an an example. For further q's, email Sara.

7. Question: Has Special Collections has made a decision regarding usage permissions for its scans made for the exhibition program? What do I record in the rights statement for the image portion of the record for each item?

• Answer: Yes, Special Collections has decided to retain copyright to all of its scans for the time being. Please select "copyrighted" as your attribute for the rights field of the image portion of each record, enter: "Copyright maintained by Vanderbilt University Special Collections"

8. Question: What about the repository or database that special collections scans go into?

• Answer: All digitized images representing items or artifacts owned by Vanderbilt will go into the Vanderbilt University Photographic Archives. Please include this as the repository name under the <location> element in the image portion of the record. It is not an authorized heading, and thus will not need a refID/controlled vocabulary.
  • Items loaned from external repositories/donors will be handled differently - email someone on the exhibits team directly about loaned items.

9. Question: I have an item made by a pretty well known individual or company, but am unable to find them in a controlled vocabulary. What do I do next?

• Answer: If you are pretty sure they have written or contributed to other published materials, email Sara to get help trying to find an authorized name. Note that it is possible that no authorized name yet exists for a given person/family/corporate body. If we have multiple items by this entity, we may opt to create an authority record for them while editing your metadata. Sometimes though, names are of local significance only, and it may be the better choice to use them locally only, without establishing a nationally authorized heading (if we go this route, there will be no vocab/refID needed).

10. Question: I can't find refIDs for genre/format terms from the Rare Book and Manuscript Section Genre Thesaurus (RBGENR).

• Answer: Correct. There are no refIDs established for terms from RBGENR. Do not worry about including a refID in your XML for these terms.

11. Question: I'm planning to use an item from another library than special collections in my exhibit, but can't find their authority record to use in the <location> element. What name should I use?

• Answer: Please see here for the correct form of names. If you have an item from another entity not listed in the table, contact Sara to have it added.

12. Question: What do I use as the title in image records?

• Answer: Use: [Digital reproduction of -insert work title-]." Of course, because this is a devised title, please put it in square brackets. If you have multiple images corresponding to a single work (e.g. front and back), added description will need to be tacked on, because no two images can have the same title. Please follow these examples as a guide:
  • [Digital reproduction of work title--view of recto]
  • [Digital reproduction of work title--view of verso]
  • [Digital reproduction of work title--Page 34]
  • [Digital reproduction of work title--detail of signature]

13. Question: I see the option to use a "local" vocabulary - can I see this somewhere, or is this a vocabulary we have at Vanderbilt that I can consult? Where is it?

• Answer: Until we have a fully fledged content management system (CMS) at Vanderbilt, there is no way to locally authorize terms that we elect to establish in-house. So, no, there is no vocabulary that you can consult for local terms (though that would be great). The intention of the "local" option is to offer a workaround for unauthorized terms to be used and semi-controlled in your records, even though they don't have an authorized heading in a national vocabulary. Use "local" if you searched for a given entity/term, could not find it, but still need to use it in a metadata record in any given field. "Local" could be used for several VRA elements: location, subject, agent, worktype, and probably others too.

14. Question: What do I put as the <latestDate> element for a given agent if they are still alive?

• Answer: Use the value present in the subelement <latestDate> for agents still living, according to the VRA Core 4.0 Schema (see page 3).

1. Question: The oXygen form isn't working for me - I get an error when I open the "template.xml" document in oXygen and switch to the Author view. What's wrong?

• Answer: You probably aren't using the most updated version of the "template.xml" document. Make sure to sync your Github desktop client so that it is up to date with what's on the web (always sync, sync, sync!). Then make sure you navigate to your desktop Github folder and open the document from there every time. As soon as the document opens in oXygen, click "save as," rename it, and move it to your working directory so that you don't override the template for other curators. If the Author view still doesn't work, let Sara know. Thanks!

2. Question: How do I access the digital exhibits drive on my computer?

• Answer: On your desktop there should be a "MapNetDrive" icon. Double click this and it should bring up a new window. Scroll down in the window to find "Digital Exhibits" (it should be the 4th from the bottom). Then:
  • Copy the drive path beginning with "//"
  • Scroll back up to the top. Select an alphabetical letter to map this drive to on your desktop (DO NOT choose a letter that you already have a drive for, e.g. the "G" drive).
  • Click "map drive"
  • Paste the drive path into the pop-up that appears and click "Ok"
  • Check your computer to make sure the Digital Exhibits drive now appears

3. Question: Can I have some digital images merged together digitally to form a single image?

• Answer: It depends. If the images originate from the same work, then yes, it's okay for them to be merged. However, if they originate from separate works, then no - it is murky for users (and for us!) to try and fit all the metadata and descriptions for two non-alike items into our interactive touchscreens, online exhibits, and to express in general in a database for our patrons. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

4. Question: Can I check out the items that will be in my case to a Patron ID, so that the item will display in the catalog that it is on exhibit?

• Answer: Yes! There is a specific patron ID for exhibits. Please email Sara to get the ID, or search for it within Acorn.