Description Survey (MRBC) - smith-special-collections/sc-documentation GitHub Wiki

Purpose

Compare electronic and paper description for all MRBC archival collections to ArchivesSpace resource records in order to determine any description missing from ArchivesSpace resource records.

Sources

Workflow

  1. Open spreadsheet
  2. Choose a collection from your Trello card (note: collections with nothing listing in column G are not part of this project).
  3. If column F is marked with an “X," open file(s) in S:\LIB\Special Collections\Rarebook\Finding Aids.
  4. If column E is marked with an "X," pull paper file(s) for the collection from the binders in the reading room.
  5. Check the first box in the collection for a paper finding aid.
  6. Find matching resource record in ArchivesSpace.
  7. Compare Word finding aids and paper guides to ArchivesSpace resource record to determine if description is missing (we're looking for significant differences, so spot-check inventories and notes, don't compare them line-by-line)
  8. On spreadsheet, note file names containing information not in ArchivesSpace (column I) and the nature of the difference (column K) and whether there is any description in the paper files not on ArchivesSpace or shared drive (column J) and the nature of the difference (column L).

What can be ignored

When comparing Word and paper guides to ArchivesSpace resource records, the following can be ignored:

  • Background material (photocopies of reference works, finding aids to related collections, etc.)
  • Printouts or copies of catalog records (including online catalog, card catalog, and National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections)
  • Formatting differences
  • Location information
  • Agent and subject differences (unless ArchivesSpace resource has no subjects listed)
  • Access and use restrictions
  • Extents