archival standards – isad(g) & isaar(cpf)
DESCRIPTION
Archival description and archival standards, an introduction to General International Standard Archival Description ISAD(G) and International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies ISAAR(CPF).TRANSCRIPT
Archival Standards – ISAD(G) & ISAAR (CPF)
Archival Standards
Archival Description
Archival Standards
Archival Description
• The nature of archival description• The purpose of archival description• The result: Finding aids• The basic principles
Archival Standards
Archival Description
• The nature of archival description•origin, context, provenance•filing structure•form and content•relationship with other records•ways to be found and used
Archival Standards
Archival Description
• The purpose of archival description•to provide access to archival materials•to promote the understanding of such materials
•to establish their authenticity
Archival Standards
Archival Description
• Finding aids•summary description of archival materials•statement of the context•other information to support
•management•discovery•use• interpretation
Archival Standards
Archival Description
•... the findings aids in the Nationaal Archief in The Hague ....
Archival Standards
Archival Description
• The basic principles
•the principle of respect des fonds
•the principle of provenance
Archival Standards
Archival Description
.... respect des fonds, original order ???
Archival Standards
Standards for Archival Description
• Standards, why ?•to ensure creation of consistent, appropriate and self explanatory descriptions
•to facilitate retrieval and exchange•to enable the sharing of authority data•to integrate descriptions from different locations
Archival Standards
Standards for Archival Description
• What standards?•national
•APPM in the US (now: DA:CS)•RAD in Canada•MAD in Great Britain•ACPM in Australia
•international•ISAD(G) EAD•ISAAR(CPF) EAC
Archival Standards
Standards for Archival Description
• History•1898: Dutch Manual (Muller, Feith and Fruin)•1980’s: need for standards – automation and exchange
•1988: ICA – Commission on Descriptive Standards
•1994: ISAD(G)•1996: ISAAR(CPF)•2000: ISAD(G) 2nd edition•2004: ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) and ISAAR (CPF)
• ISAD(G) : General International Standard Archival Description
• Encoded Archival Description (1998 / 2002)
• ISAAR (CPF) : International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families
• Encoded Archival Context (draft)
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• General rules:
• Archival arrangement is based on•a system of hierarchical levels
• Archival description is based on •the method of multilevel description
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) : the hierarchical levels
Archival Standards
Archival Description
•... the fonds, record group or collection ....
Archival Standards
Archival Description
•... the series or class....
Archival Standards
Archival Description
•... the file ....
Archival Standards
Archival Description
•... the item or piece ....
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• General rules:
• Archival arrangement is based on•a system of hierarchical levels
• Archival description is based on •the method of multilevel description
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• Multilevel description•descriptions are presented from the general to the specific
•information provided at each level of description must be appropriate to that level
•repetition of information at different levels must be avoided
•relationships between levels of description must be clearly indicated
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• Multilevel description (1)•descriptions are presented from the general to the specific
• present the hierarchical structure of the fonds in part-to-whole relationship
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• Multilevel description (2)•information provided at each level of description must be appropriate to that level
• example:•Department of Agriculture and Fisheries•history and mandates of the department
• Bureau for Agricultural Education• history and mandates of this bureau• Bureau for Scientific Research• history and mandates of this bureau
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• Multilevel description (3)•repetition of information at different levels must be avoided
do not:- Annual report, fiscal year 1950/51- Annual report, fiscal year 1951/52- Annual report, fiscal year 1952/53- Annual report, fiscal year 1953/54
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• Multilevel description (3)•repetition of information at different levels must be avoided
do:- Annual report, fiscal years 1950/51-1953/54
- 1950/51- 1951/52- 1952/53- 1953/54
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• Multilevel description (4)•relationships between levels of description must be clearly indicated
•in the designs of the database applicationand / or
•in the labels or headings of the elementsand/or
•in the lay out of the presented descriptions
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• seven areas of descriptive information
•identity statement area•context area•content and structure area•condition of access and use•allied materials area•note area•description control area
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• identity statement area
•reference code(s)•title•date(s)•level of description•extent and medium of the unit of description
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• context area
•name of creator(s)•administrative / biographical history•archival history•immediate source of acquisition
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• content and structure area
•scope and content•appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
•accruals•system of arrangement
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• conditions of access and use area
•conditions governing access•conditions governing reproduction•language / scripts of material•physical characteristics and technical requirements
•finding aids
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• allied materials area
•existence and location of originals•existence and location of copies•related units of description•publication note
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• notes area•note
• description control area•archivist’s note•rules or conventions•date(s) of description
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
• 6 out of 26 elements are required:
•reference code (e.g. NL-HaNA_1.10.35)• title•date(s)• level of description•extent of the unit of description•creator
• 3 (administrative/biographical history, scope and content, access conditions) are recommended
Archival Standards
ISAD(G)
The Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papersa small exercise
Analyze the text, describing the Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papers, and mark the ISAD(G)
elements
use brackets [ and ] for marking the beginning and the end of an element
use the codes 3.1.1 – 3.7.3 as the name of the markings
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• General rules:
• Creators of archival materials must be described
• For each creator at least one authorized form of the name must be determined
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• Archival authority records•similar to library authority records•with additional information on history, status, functions, structure and relations
• Rules for authorizing names can rely on international, national or local standards
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• four areas of descriptive information
•identity area•description area•relationships area•control area
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• identity area
•type of entity•authorized form(s) of name•parallel forms of name•standardized forms of name according to other rules
•other forms of name•identifiers for corporate bodies
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• description area
•dates of existence•history•places•legal status•functions, occupations and activities•mandates / sources of authority•internal structures / genealogy•general context
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• relationships area
•names / identifiers of related corporate bodies, persons or families
•category of relationship•description of relationship•dates of the relationship
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• control area•authority record identifier•institution identifier•rules and / or conventions•status•legal of detail•dates of creation, revision or deletion•languages and scripts•sources•maintenance notes
Archival Standards
ISAAR (CPF)
• 4 out of 27 elements are required:
•type of entity•authorized form(s) of name•dates of existence•authority record identifier
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) and ISAAR (CPF)
ISAAR (CPF) ISAD(G)
Archival authority record
Description of archival material
5.1 identity area5.2 description area5.3 relationships area
3.2.2 administrative / biographical history
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) and ISAAR (CPF)
ISAAR (CPF) ISAD(G)
Description of archival material
in The Hague (NL)
1816-1845
Archival authority record
Governor of Curaçao, 1816-1948
Description of archival material
in Willemstad (NA)
1846-1948
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) and ISAAR (CPF)
ISAAR (CPF) ISAD(G)
Archival authority record
Governor of Curaçao, 1816-1948
Description of archival material
Archives of the Governor of Curaçao,
Archival authority record
1846-1948in Willemstad (NA)
Colonial Council, 1862-1926
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) and ISAAR (CPF): the tools
• How to create finding aids and archival authority records ?
• with pen and paper• with old fashioned typewriteror• with word processor• with spreadsheet• with a database applicationor• with an open source markup language: XML
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) and ISAAR (CPF): the tools
• XML – Extensible Markup Language
• example:MessageMary: please call John Smith in London
• in XML: <message>
<heading>Message</heading><addressee>Mary: </addressee><text>please call John Smith in London</text>
</message>
Archival Standards
ISAD(G) and ISAAR (CPF): the tools
• Encoded Archival Description• ISAD(G) : General International Standard Archival
Description
• Encoded Archival Context• ISAAR (CPF) : International Standard Archival Authority
Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families
Archival Standards
Example: finding aid in XML format
Archival Standards
Example: basic description (minimal)
Archival Standards
Example: finding aid printed in PDF format
Archival Standards
Example: finding aid in HTML format
Archival Standards
Standards for Archival Description
• Standards --- are you ready ?
•The question is not IF you would implement these standards, but only WHEN and HOW.
Archival Standards
Standards for Archival Description
• More information ?
•ISAD(G) & ISAAR (CPF)http://www.ica.org
•EADhttp://www.loc.gov/eadhttp://www.archivists.org/saagroups/ead/
•EAChttp://xml.coverpages.org/eac.html
Archival Standards
Archival Standards – ISAD(G) & ISAAR (CPF)
... the Nationaal Archief in The Hague, the Netherlands ...thank you