Finding Aid Metadata Requirements - smith-special-collections/sc-documentation GitHub Wiki

Below is pretty old and in need of revision (March 2023)

At the time of publishing, resource and component records must have the following metadata requirements.

Note: When accessions are added to an existing resource record, several of the following data elements must be updated to include description of new collection materials.

For top level Resource records, the minimum elements required are

• Basic Information
  • Title
  • Identifier
  • Level of Description
  • Language
  • Publish?
• Date of materials
• Extent of materials
• Finding Aid Data
  • Finding aid title
  • Date
  • Author
  • Language (should always be English)
  • Sponsor if applicable
• Revision Statement (mandatory for significant changes)
• Agent links for: creator, source (if known), subject of materials
• Subjects
  • At least one pre-existing controlled access term (subject heading). Not required for College Archives, which use classifications.
  • Appropriate genre/form terms if AV materials or electronic records are present
• Notes
  • Scope and content note
  • Biographical/historical note
  • Abstract
  • Conditions governing access note
  • Conditions governing use note
  • Immediate source of acquisition note
  • Processing note
  • Physical characteristics and technical requirements note using boilerplate language, if AV materials or electronic records are present
  • Preferred citation note
  • Appraisal note if applicable
• Classifications for College Archives only

At the series level, the minimum elements required are:

• Title (Exclude Series number in the title)
• Component unique identifier (Often used for "processed" series and non permanent College Archives records. Not often used for newly accessioned materials.)
• Date of materials
• Scope and Content note
• Biographical/historical note (if needed to provide context particular to the series)
• Immediate source of acquisition note (if the series represents a different source than the rest of the collection)
• Appraisal note if applicable

For small accruals of one or a few items that will be accessioned and then added to a collection, the following steps should be taken to describe these items as archival objects (usually at the file or item level). Note: small accruals may have obscured or lost provenance (example: Class records). Add:

• Title
• Date of materials
• Immediate source of acquisition note with the name of the donor and the date of receipt (if known). If source is unknown, add "Source unknown".
• Conditions governing access note if the access restrictions for the new accrual are different from the rest of the collection (usually occurs for CA transfers). The collection Resource record access note will need to be updated to reflect the new accrual's restriction.
• Conditions governing use note if the use restrictions for the new accrual are different from the rest of the collection. The collection Resource record use note will need to be updated to reflect the new accrual's restriction.
• Add agents for the creator (if known) and source of the item at the Archival Object level if they are different from the creator/source for the entire collection. Do not add agents for the creator and source of a single item to the collection-level Resource record. Do not add agents for creator and source to an Archival Object if they are the same as the creator/source for the entire collection. For example, don't add the department name to an item being added to the department's records.