Museum Archives Ch 6

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DESCRI PTION I)eborah Wythe

Archivists describe; librarians and curators catalog. Archival description differs in several important ways from its two close relatives-the bibliographic records that libraries create and the obiect records found in

significance of the collection and essentially providing a head start in their research.

Description in Museums

museum catalogs:

. . .

Archival materials are described in groups. Archival materiais are placed in context by means of historical and biographical notes

written by the archivist. Archival description is multilevel and hierarchical, ranging from a simple collection description, to series and subseries information, to folder lists and descriptions, and even to item-level description when needed.

Both the beauty and the challenge of archival description lie in its flexibility. No one rnethod will be appropriate to every collection or item in the archivcs. Archivists must constantly study and evaluate the materials, the research audience's access needs, and the repository's capabilities. Archival materials are acquired and accessioned in groups, remain in groups during arrangement, and are described in groups to maintain their history and context. ,t\ single document in an archival collection rarel;r lslls a full story-it is part of a continuum of

documents, activities, personalities, and outcomes. Our job as archivists is to protect the integrity of the group, which may be a collection, a series, a subseries, or a foider, and to describe the group in a way thal expresses both the content and the interconncctions among its part.s.

Archival clcscription is a "r,aluc-added" process. While arranging and processing a collectitlr, yor-r will gather information on the people and historical contcxt r:f the rccords; you lnay et'cn do research in other sourccs to gain a better unclerstancling of thc pcople and activities reflected in the collection. This knoivlcdge is passed on to potential r:esearchel's, aletting thenr lcl tl'rcr

Archivists are not the only staff members in a museum who describe things. An important part of your job in establishing a descriptive program for the archives will be explaining archival description to librarians, registrars, and curators; quantifying your needs; and justifying setting up specific tools for the archives, rather

than (or in addition to) piggybacking on other departments' systems. The very understandable desire for institutionwide information resources must be balanced against the greater utility of tools that suit a specific task perfectly. One of the greatest adrninistrative challenges a museum archivist faces is the pressure toward iten-r description. Museurns thrive on item-level description. A ceremonial pot containing seventeen pebbles will be described as such, and the pebbles may even receive accession numbers so that they can be tracked, Even within the context of other, relatcd vessels, it is rrost important as a single, unique itern. You may be encouraged to "catalog" archivai collectior-rs in this way, a method that does not exploit the fuli po\,ver of archival description. A cubic foot of correspondence files is not equivalent to one pot, or severai hundred pots, and an important part of your job will be to explain and justifi describing archival collectior"rs as groups, not items.l A related chalienge in nruseum archives is creating

and/or retaining links bctwcen accessioned objects, manuscript materials associated ivith particular objects, and docurnentation creatccl by rnuseutr personnel about thc objects. Devising wlys to ,rcconrplish this, whilc stili crcating broader archival descriptivc tools, rtill |

\\1hich is nol to sav that irrclrivists rtcr.cr clo itcrr-lcvel dcscriptiort. Sec Michellc J'iJJigott's sjclebar irt tlre at'rangcrtrcnt cltaptcr arrd tttc cliscrrssior ol itcnr lcvcl clcscriplion in tltc yrhotoplraphs cJrapter.

I)escription 43

rrlloir'tl're uruscultr archives to provicle effcctive acccss to both nruselrlll stafl who are most lil
Liblarians and archivists share an important tool-uanc format (MAchine Readable Cataloging)-but again the focus differs. Library catdescriptrve

aiogers create a bibliographic record for each book in

the collection, often copying cataloging data from records created by other libraries. Archivists may use the same on-line system and ue.nc format for one part of their descriptive program, but the records are

uniquc and contain much more descriptive tcxt

needs. You

will probably contribute information ro

more than one of your ir-rstitution's databaSesi N,IARC records in the library system; accession records for archival collections in the collections management system; notes pointing to archival materials in the object records of the collections management system. You will also create repository guides, finding aids, and a wide variety of archival tools. This chapter provides an introduction to these tools, some thoughts on

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Fi ndi ng :,nid ::,an access too t

th

at

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scri

bes an.archiV-a

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group,, pv*iding.information on the contents qndr.qion.

text of the records and a physicat description of the materials.ii Some common elements fotlow: BiographicaI and historical note: narrative section of a finding aid that provides contextual

"

information about the peopte and/or institu.' , tions lepr€sehted in the col[ection. , '. .:' .r: . Scope and content: narrative section ofa finding aid that provides a collective description of , the cqlle_ction, summarizing the contents,an,{ desribing the types of records and'linforma-

.

o

c

included ' i*i.;,,,fl--Jhy.i.utriz"

tion

-

format, developed by the Library of Congress and endorsed by archivat and tibrary professionaI organi-

zations, for exchanging information about archivat materiats via bibtiographic networks.i" The format provides a wide variety of fields and subfields (many of which para[let the finding aid elements noted above) for entering structured information about the inte[[ectual, content,and,.physical detaits of archival coltec-

of the cotlection, usu-

tion5. The.Various'MARc formats (books, archivaI

Dates: the chr:onologicaI extent of a collection from the earliest to latest materials (inctusive

materiats, visual rnaterials, etc.) have now been integrated, so all fields are avaitable to catalogers of all types of materials. Suhiect headings: standardized terms, most cornmonly those lound in the Library of Congress Subiect

dates) and, if relevant, the years in which most materials fatt (butk dates).

Headings (r-csH).Acontrolted vocabulary used to facilitate searching in bibliographic systems.

Container tist: a list of the contents of each box, often a list of series and folder tittes and dates, which may provide the most detaited information for access and retrieva[.

Autharity controL: use of standardized forms for

i

See also Leivis J. Bellardo and Lynn l.ady Bellardo,,4 Glossary for Archivkts, Manuscript Cura.tors anri Records lt4anogers (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, r993).

ti

Findhtg aid is also used as a gencral telm for any kind of descriptive tool, and lnventory {or this particular for:m.

iii

Archival repositolies car: be divide,J into trvo groups: those that use cubic feet ("c.f." or containcr volume) and those that r.rse linear feel ("l.l" or thickness ofthe lnatcrials).'fhus a ro x:rl.,x 15" records carton ("cubic foot box") rvould hoid r.zs l.f. of lettersiz-i:d 6lcs or r I.f. or legai-sizccl filcs. lrithcr mcthocl can bc uscful for estin.rating collection siz-e antl storagc nceds. .

44

Processing: the activities required to ready archival coltections for use, inctuding performing basic preservation measures, refining arrangement, and gathering information for description. MARC (MAchine Reodoble Cotaloging): a standard

a[[y expressed in cubic feet or linear feet;iii counts of items, boxes, or containers may supplement this measurement.

N'{I.lS1lUrvl

AIt(l}{IVES: AN INI'l{OI)LJC I'lON

irr

structured and elclngated note fields. No one descriptive tool fulfills all o1'an archivcs'

names of peop[e, institutiorrs, organizations; for subiect terms; and for form and genre terms. lndexing; a detalled analysis of a cottection or group of rnaterials with the g0a[,of providing access to information in individual documents or resources.

EAt) {Encaded Arcklvat fuescription); a rlocument type definition (oru) for archivaI finding aids encoded in scnnl 0r xML.o

IV

See . Sce ; ;

ancl

Archit,al Description 'liLg Librnry, r.ersiolr zoor- (Chicago: Society of Arrcrican Arclrir.isl:s, zoo:.). Encor.le.rl

establishing a descriptive prograrn, and a cliscr:ssion ol Julolnat iorr's rolc irt tlescription.

Finding Aids

thclcbl provicling r sinr1:le clescription of the contr:lrls ( Jane (-. l)oc I)apcrs; ]1ccorcls of the Citv Art Museur-n) .rrci rllorling lcaclcrs to lcfcr to the collcction cicail1,. Inclusivc irrd/or bulk clates place tl-re collection in tin-re. Extcnt (sizc o1'the r.oilectiot-t) helps uscrs evaluate

The finding aid, a flexible, multifaceted document, includes both information directly derived from a collection's contents (folder Iists, dates, collection sizc) and descriptive, contextual, and analytical material researched and written by the archivist. \t\4rile they may look quite different, all finding aids draw from the same group of basic data elements. Some of the basics are quite simpie, and may even have been recorded as part ofthe accessioning process. Archivists assign a formal title to each collection,

how rnuch time thcy are going to need for research and how much infcrrn"ration they may find. A containel list provides fiie-by-file informatiolr on thc contents. Provenance and processing notes detail the history of the coilection. This information is easily gathered and

needs only to be placed

in a structured,

ccnsisteut

format.

In contrast, the scope and content and biographical and historical notes are the heart and soui of a finding aid. Writing these sections, you will exercise

ExceRpr FRoM A SentEs-LEVEL Fl'ttuf NG AtD Bnoorrvru Musrunn or Anr [record group] RecoRos oF THE OrrtcE oF rHE Dtnrcron [sub-record groupl SrRrEsr Witts & Estates files

trclusrvE Dntrs: r888-ongoing Exrrrut: 9 tinear ft.

I

DareeRsr AccEss: lNVi LEGAL Accssstof'r Dart: rc I g l1986 (survey; inventory)

Historical Note: The Brookiyn Institute of Arts & Sciences maintained iis Offlce of the Treasurer at the Brool
r9o9), Clinton W. Ludlum

$grc-ryq),

Daniel V.

B.

Hegeman $9q-ryr6), Herman Stutzer (Actingl rgrz), J. Foster Smith (r9r8-r93r), Fdwin B. Maynard (rg:rrg+g), Ltoyd R. lVlcDonatd (tg4t-r958), Thomas A. Donnelly {t954*t978), Gtoria Rosenbtatt (1928-1984), and l\4useunr Deputy Directors Roy R. Eddey (r98rrygfl and Judith Frankfurt (1998* ).

grants, corporate donations, claims or actions for or against the Institute, gifts. Bequest files contain legal documents (Notices of Probate, Citations, Receipt & Retease forms); witls and extracts, appraisats, affidavits; correspondence, legal opinions and letters of transmittaI regarding estates; and financial statements from trusts in which the Institute or Museum had a residuary interest. Most of the correspondence is with the law firms that represented the lnstitute or Museum and with those representing the executors.

Accees

& [states series is a permanentlv active archivaI file tlrat is held in the Office of tlre Director. Access is restricted to menrbers of the Director's Office staff and the Archivist. Specific questions may The \tVitts

be investigated by the Archivist for researchers. As a result of a survey undertal<en in 1986, folder descriptions of tlre Wills & Estates fites were entered into the Archives databaser (nncH/lrcnl); new files are added as created"

0ther Sourees of lmformatIon Fites on [:equests are also hetd in the Records of the Office of the Director; these may or rnay nol overlap those hetd in the above series. IFolder tist I

Seope & Content The Witts & Estates files contairr records retating to legaI matters, particulartlr bequests, but also inctuding

I)csr

rtpltort

t45

\,or.il iutcllcctual and creative skills to explain how tl'rc collection is organized, what it contains, what is nrost

important or interesting, interrelationships rvith other collections, who the people and irrstitutions are, and the historical context of t]re records. The tcxt may be short and succirtct or more expansive; regardless of their length, the notes must take readers into the collection in such a way that they are well prepared to use the records. The point is not to exercise your abilities as a historian (although some expertise is certainly helpful), but to use your archival understanding ar-rd

.ritls ;rre nracle available on institutiortal or collaborative

\\tcb sitcs. ,,\t this time, Wcb bascd clocumcnts can be 1'rroduccrl r-rsing scveral tcchniqucs, each haviug advantases ancl disadvantagcs that arc hotly debatecl

b1, proponents and opponents.z nlll. ([-lypertext Markr,rp Language) is a formatting tool that is widely usecl and readable by all Web browsers; its simplc structure supports formatting and searching at a very basic level. The aao (Encoded Archival Description) document type definition was developed and endorsecl as a

standard by n-rembers of the archival profession for

encoding archival finding aids in scML (Standard Generalizeci Markup Language) or xML

(eXtensible Markup Language) and mounting them on the Web.

Using ae.o, each element of a finding aid can be identified and encoded, or marked up, giving Web users access to standard output from system to system and, potentially, detailed scarch capabilities. sen also allows users to reflect the nested and hierarchical structure of finding aids. Style sheets, used

in conjunction rvitli

a marked-up document,

allow repositories to define-and easily Pro;-ro:roralphotograph for "Wonder and Horror of the Human Head" exhibition,

:c5c, ,', ,.;s,-f.y oF PENN5YLVANtA

MusEuM. No NEGA|VE.

change-a standard appearance and organizational schemc {irr' their f incling

.:. .,.:,r nrake the collection understandablc. A finding .',:i. r:-nist iurs\ver tl"re question, "What do we bave herc?" iust as archival collections are often arranged ILr'rarchicaill', a finding aid may have a hierarchical .rnrl nestcd structure; the organiziltion of a collection i: often mirrorecl in the structure of the finding aicl. 'l hus, a standard group of data elenrents--title, dafcs, cxtent, ar-rcl descriptive note.-rrray recur at cach level: the record €troup or collcction, thc subrecord group or subcollcction, the seriers and subseries, each rirre providing more dctailed infornration alrout a more

lin-rited sclection

of rc'corcls.'fhc records you arc

rvorking on often dictate how far

pu

neecl to go. A srnall

collcction rviti-r a simplc strllclLlrc rlla)/ lead to ' straigl-rtfirrward finding aicl, r'r,hile a complcx colleclirlrt rcquires 1l'rat you find i,r,ays to prcsernt clitical ir-rlorrnation in an organized and ui'rdcrstaudable fashicln. Finding aids rray bc producccl and distribulccl in rrranl, f1l1111"ts. Ilitrcl copy is still r-rs;cful and rttay ber proclucecl "otr tltc Iiy" l'ronr a u,clrd proccssccl tlocitlncnt, as r.rccdccl. N4ore iltrcl nt
246 H,tustiUM At{CltIvt-ts: AN tN t'l(ol)lJC't'toN

'the

aicls.

h.4z\RC R.ecord

'I'hc deveJopment of lr.ruc cataloging-a

systcnr

with clearly clefincd fields and cataloging stanclarcls.-allowed iibrarians and archivists to catalog materials ranging l'rom bool<s to archives t
(l{cscarch I-iblirries ittl'rlrnratiorr Nctrvor^k)

I Scclot errtrPlc,.,\rtt'rir'rut.\rrJriyisl

arrcl

60, Io).f rrtrl +(rq97), lorrscl it,r ol-,rriiclr'sorr r,,u;,.rrrrl s(.u.ll tlrc.l(l)ivcsol lir.',\rclrilt,:.rrrrl '\'.lli\i,l\ lislscrt rrl.:lrttp://lislselv.nrrrohio.cdLr/irrtlrjvt's/.rlchivcs.lrlrnl> on "rt'r rrr ,lril r.,ru" lilr e\tcl(lr(l aonlt)(ltlitrv ort 1]tis issrrt.

RLIN MARC Senrss-LEvsr- RgcoRD, sHowtNG coDtNG 555 8* *a Unpublished finding aid avai[able

ooa a3g75cbd zzoo565 a 45o* oo1 4623 oo5 2oo77oog772553.O oo8 9zo8z5ir888r99znyu

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repository.

SSS 8_ *a Folder-leveI descriptions availabte on-line

eng

In reposrfory.

:, *9 NYBAgz.Axg '' *a NBB *c NBB *e appm o4o o9o -_ *b DIR: W&E +i oglzzlgz N 11o z- ta Brooklyn Museum,,*.b.0fficeof.lhg, Direitor., . 245 ro *a Wilts & Estates fites, *f r888-[ongoing]. 3oo _ *a 9 linear ft. 35t *c Series tb arranged alphabeticatty. 1,45 - *a The Brooktyn Institute of Arts and .

,506 ,,.-*a Permanently active, aryhivat fite hetd in

office, restricted to ,use, of ',+d, untnortred ,staff ,mem. b91s,.*c Cqnsq!! Aqchlvist,foidetails. ,, ,,. ,1 , , ,, ; ,.5S-Or,,l-::*.a,'fhe,,Witts g:,Eiiateg,files form one of rz series in the Records of the Office of the Director, The Brooklyn Museum.

583

*n

9

*o linear ft. *a inventoried *c rc161r986.

Records of the Office of the Director, Wills 54t -*3 r888-longoing] *a Director's Office tc Sciences maintained its Office of the Treasurer at The & Estates,

Brooklyn Museum; one of the Treasurer's

responsibit-

Maintained in Director's Office

Institute 583 *3 Records of the Office of the Director, Witts - r888-[ongoing]*a inventoried *c ro/r5/1986 Brooklyn & Estates,

ities was to attend to [egaI affairs for al[ the

departrnents (The Brooklyn Museum, Children's Museum, Brool<[yn Botanic Garden, and *k D. Wythe Brooktyn Academy of Music). With the dissolution of S4t *n 9 *o tinear ft. ro *a Buck, Robert T. the Institute in r98o, the Treasurer's legal files (known 6oo as "Wi[[s & Estates") were adopted by the Deputy 6oo ro *a Buechner, Thomas S. Director.ofTheBrooktynMuseum,thememberof.th€..:€9.o..'o*a'Camgro1'Duncan 696 14 *a Fox, Wittiam Henry, *d rB5B-r952. Director's staff responsibte for tegat affairs. were Institute ro *a Nagel, Charles *b The creators of this series 6oo 545 Treasurers and Assistant Treasurers Gates ? 696 t4 *a Roberts, lsabelSpautding, *d r9nFahnestock (tgo4-tgog);Ctinton W. Ludlum (r9ro-r3); 6oo ro *a Roberts, Laurance P. DanieI V.B. Hegeman '(r9i4-r6);'Herman, stutzer 696 t4 *a Sghgnck;1E{gar,C1qig",*;d'rgdg1g5g. (Acting, :9q); ). Foster Smith ,(r9r8:31)',Edwin B. 6oo ro4aYc.utz,:Phitip.,,lileWelt';*dt}95.t9Vz li4aynard (ryt-tg4$; Lloyd R. McDonald (r9+r-S8); 6gG t4 *a,Fahnestoek,.Gates D. Thomas A. Donnetty bgSr+-fS); Gloria Rosenbla{t ,.,,,6#,:r4,{611u{!um,Clinton,W, bgtS-8+); and Museum Deputy Director Roy R. Eddey ' 69$,;t4,*a Hegerna'n, Daniel V.B. (rg8r- ). 696 t4 *a Stutzer, Herman ,

52o-*aTheWitls&[statesfi[escontain.reco.|d'.696,r4'xa5mith.l.Foster relating to [ega[ matters, particularty bequests,'but 69f 14 'lg lvlaynard, Edwin B. also including grants, corporate donations, claims'or actions for or against the Institute and Museum, and gifts. Bequest files contain tegal documents (Notices of Probate, Citations, Receipt & Release forms); wills and extracts" appraisal, affidavits; correspondence, tegal opinions, and letters of transmittal regardlng estates; and financiatstatements from trusts in which the Institute or Museum had a residuary interest" Most of the correspondence is with the law firms that

6gG 4*a McDonatd, Ltoyd R. 696 t4 *a Donnelly, Thomas A. 696 t4 *a Rosenblatt, Gloria 696 t4 fa Eddey, Roy R. VT3 o- *TczbctaBroolclynMuseumofArt.Of-ficeof the Director. *t Records, 1896-[ongoing] *w (NBBR LIN)NYBAgt-Ar

E56 [hottinkto

an existing unl, if availablej

represented the Instit*te or Museum and with those representin g the executors" ba4 fa Records of the Oflice of the Director, Wi[s & Estates files, r888-longoingl, Brooklyn Museum of Art Archives.

_

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ocLC (Oniiue Clon"]puter L.ibrary Center), u'hiclr require institntional rnenrbcrship (and fecs); as part of integrated library systeurs and on-linc prrblic access catalogs (olecs); and in surallcr staud-alclne database packages.'

to declare, "Here we are" and "This is what we've got." This is critical since, in many cases, there is no reason to suspect that a particular repository might hold a given collection. You must get researchers in the door, and vr,c.nc records remain an extremely important tool in this respect. rurenc records allow archives

Althouglr tlrey sl-rare many clf the same colnponot a substitute for formal finding aicls. They often have system-defined size limitations, canuot reflect complicated collectiou luents, MAllc records are

hierarchics as clearly as a more flexible document, and generally are not used to record detailed contents or container lists. uanc's great strength is its standardization: data can be shared, transferred, and upgraded without great difficulty, and the use of name and subject authorities allows researchers to search and find

materials across a wide variety of collections. In addition, a fully compliant MARC program also contains communication protocols that allow other MARC programs to recognize its records and exchange data.5 Each uenc "tag" (numbered field) consists

of a standard

set of subfields with ciearly defined contents. These definitions are created and maintained by MARBr (MAchine Readable

llibliographic Information), a comnittee of librariarrs and other information professionals coordinated by the American Library Association and the I.ibrary of Congress.6 Archirrists and Iibrarians depend on a variety of standards publications and otLrer tools in creating and formatting the actual contents clf each field.T

Other Tools

:,: :rcosing ship's

figurehead representing Civit War admiral David G. :::i-agut anchors this portion ofthe Navy section in "Voyages: Stories :'Anerica & the Sea." This signature exhibition opened at Mystic SeaDort in lune zooo, CouRrEsy Mvsrrc Senponr, Mysnc, CoNNF-cr'rcur.

\ational and international vrrnc-based s)rstems

Archivists often clevelc)p utore detailccl, custontized access tools to fulfill needs beyond thosc of the finding aicl and ra,trc record.

such

of repositorics as ir resourccs ril'e gateway, althor"rgh hrtcrnet rese arch beginr-ring to challenge ancl expand upon that role. Participatiug in the library ot),\c ?t your inslilt.ttion rvill give the archives visibility as a componeut of the mllsculn's research rcsolrrces. Evcn if lrou do trot havc access to a local or national r,,r,rnc bibliographic clataberse at your inslitution, you can submit inl'clrnration tcl the Nationa[ [Jnion Cataloglre of N4arrr-rst:r'ipt Collections (nuct',tc;) at thc l.iblarv o1'Oongrerss. ns RLrn- and ocr.c sen'e thousands

NLTcMC creates 14Al{cl rccorcls access

oti

Rt-tx ancl prot,icles

t0 thclr yia a fi-ec rrr.rN llate\vit\.otr tire l.iltrarl,

of Congress

\Arcb site .l

Solt\virc |cI(l()1s ilftr'n crlril.il .rt llrc s.r.r .rnrrurrl nr.'.'tirtq.ttttl rilr?rlisr ir irrchivirl l,rrblie.rtjons..\ \rJr.Lh oj tlr.' \rilrjrts,rrrrl.\r'ihivj'ts list' :crr uill lrclp iileillilr'rcnJ,rrs.iltLl 110iilt rrrLr t0,ttrlririsls trltir tt.c their' plorlrrr ts. Sct .,:rvrrrr.loc.gor/coll/rruinre,/trtr!ntf.hllnl ,. iirl'o:;itrrrir: itt \t'rr

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Yoll< Statc nrrl,subnrit lccords lo thc Ncrv inclusion in llrc tu lx database.

\\rhilc it is possible to create

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State Archives

rr,rur:-lilic llcld stluclurc and

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tag,s

usirrg off^thc-shclf datatrirsc solirlalc', such clatabascs lack thc irbility to shalc jnlirluraLion directl,v, \'i1l)oul thc trst' of atlclitio;ral sollrrarr'

or proqrantrling. and
\lost inrporlnfrtly,,.\rylo '\tncricntt Ontalotittg

/lrr/r:s, :ncl. cd., .uoolrcvisiou (Otlarla: Canadiarr l.iblarv Associutiorr irnd Clricirqo: Antcricarr Librarv i\ssociation, zoo.z), knorvrr as ,rA(:trli itncl Stcvcn I.. I Iensen, ,.\f(t/irrri, l)t'rsonul I\Lpers atd :,Iil ttl. ((ihicagtl: Sociclt of r\trcl icittt r\rchivisls, r989),^lrttutsctilts, lirtorvrr iis i'lrc nL':t gcncr,rliorr ^t,1,\t. ofirlchjvirl tlcsr'riplivc stanrlartJs, lrou,cvcr, is rrnrlt'r'rvl,rvillr t]rr'r Lrsr,rtrn pro.jcct ((.lrradiln'u.s. iasli liorce orr ,\rclrivrl l)cscriptirrn), rr'lriclr rrill lcr:ottr:ilc.lt,t,rt,tht-(.anaclirn ll.ulcs lirr..\rchivrrl J)cscriPtior: (rr,rr), )cscripliorr I rsrrr(<;) ). rrrd tht'(lcrcr al lrrteilrational StirrrrJ;rrrl '\rchirrl | .\ dcscription ol- tlrc projcct rrrav bt lirtrrrtl on thc sr,r \\t'b silc ll . Sourrcs oi st,rrrtl,rrrljzcd tcrnrinokrqv irrclutlc llrc I ibrirr v ol (.onu,rcss sLrbit'ct hc.rclirrlis ( | ( sl i, lltc '\rt rntl ,\rtlritt.trrrr. -l lr.'tarrrrrs (.\\r I ilt <\\'w\{.llrtt\'.r(llt/resa,lr(lt/tools/rocirlrLrl,rrr'/.rirt.r,t .urtl lltr: l ltrrs,tur.Lts oi-(irapltic Il,rtcrials ltr,rrr irncl r(;\'t) itf .ihlllr://rrrr'rv.loc.gory'rr/print/trint I /trlr:.htntl> rnct <

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Indcxes, inventories, chronologies, anel ilcm-levei nll ber lppropriate irr slrt'cifie cases.

databases n-)a1r

for exanrple, fi"eclucntly require iten"r-level access and control; patrol.ls wisl-r to search for specific images, and archives staff members need to manage individual items in [he digitization Irhotograph collections,

and rights and reproductions processes. Field notes may be extensive and rich, but urithout an index, may be much less useful. A large collection of "general correspondence" that is arranged chronologicaliy may require description of the foider contents to provide

accc'-ss for all recorcls under 1.olrr to enhanced access to top prioriry materials. It rvill also help you avoici the pitfall of using scarce resources to create highiy detailed acccss to certain collections and little or none to othcrs.

an adequate

ler.e

I of

care and then on

Museum archives programs are generally smali: most of us can't expect to have a description division!

Planning a descriptive program must take into account both the resources avaiiable and otirer resources you may be able to obtain. As you work out audience needs, priorities, and procedures, consider

adequate reference service.

Developing special tools has become much simpler in the age of computers and can be a useful, interesting, and creative part of your job, as well as an excellent way to involve volunteers and interns in 1,s11r program. Ttr be valuable, however, any such micro-access toois must be part of a well-thought-or-rt and complete descriptive program,

Irnplementing a Descriptive Frogram T)esclintir.e ft'.h1ri{rrrr.\ and tools achieve their !,r'r';.rleql r rr ilit',.. r.,r r'' r rr .r dcrct inl it,' r'r'nr','nltl; tr,'....'.'t..'.r,.S'.,,,

a rveli-pl.111red seqilence of activities, each one l'url.linq rlFtur .rfld enhancing the others. Ser e r..ll rir'ir5 ;11. critical in setting such a trr'.r{i.in ii-t nrotion :

'

;.ri.rsiclcring \'()rrr rcsourccs fbr dcscriptive ancl rcferencc rvcirk;

. r,rnderstanding your uscrs, both institutional and outside rcsearchers; " setting priorities for levels o1' description and r,r,hich collections to attaclc first; procedurers and implcmenfing designing " standards that u,ill leacl f

tii

illarren Mastodon sl<etetorr, 3l 4 rear, frorri and figure.

consistent descrip-

ion cclllectionu'ide"

;\

descriptive prograrn drar.r,s on and overlaps rnosl othcr face ts of irrchiial lvorli. It star"ts rvith your

mission slaterne rr [, grows ou1

AvrrnrcnN MusruM

oT,NATURAL HrsroRy LrLlRARy, NEG. #35356.

of the acce ssion iug

process, is accomplisliccl coucnrrentlv rvith pnrccssi;r11,

and is a critical par:t of refcrorcc. Or.rr:c lror-r have thougirt about atrcl arralyz-ecl thr.:sc topics, arficulale vortr coni,lusiotrs in rvritlett policies ancl proceclttrcs, bctqin to put tJ-rcrr-r into c.'11ect, cvalttate: hor'r' lvcl] thc pro5lranr is tvorkiuii, itucl acljusi as rlcccssary. Approachinq cli:scription in this rvav lcacls l'lrst to

who wili do the rvork and keep in n-rind that the basic frainework must be created and inaintained by pernauent staff. Descriptive rvork clone b1, inlerns ancl volunteers [ends to be tightly tocused ol-r one collr:ction; without profcssionirl oversight and supcivisi,rn, you risl( losing the brciad.er ev611 vis14, artcl consislerrcy that is critical to aclricving, clescriptive corrtrol o1',vour collcctions. '1'he prirr-rary ar,tcJience for an1, inslitutional archivcii likely to be ther stalTof lhe institirtion itself" if rve iguorcthat fai:t and corrccnlr:atc ouly cln clutsicl.r": rescar:chcls, tlrc archivcs nralr lxsll be cnclirngerccl as an institrrtional is

priorit;," On thc olherr hancl, ontside rescarchers arc oficn

l)r:script.ion 49

in the rccords.

engaged in rnore in-depth studies that place the institution in a broader context, so we must keep their needs

such

in mind as well. Analyzing collections and taking into account their context beyond your muselrm's walls can also help design and justift projects that are compelling enough to qualifr for grant funding. The types

all your time pulling down boxes and searching through folders, rather than going to the quickest, best source of information as directly as possible.

of questions asked by these two classes of researchers and the tools needed to serve them may be quite different. ln-house reference requests (as well as many questions from members of the public) are often quite specific: the staff member or researcher is looking for facts, and it is very likely that archives staff will do the actual research and provide the answer. In many cases, you are the archives user, and it is critical that your descriptive tools serve you quickly and efficiently. As you work with staff, you will soon learn which types of questions are most common, which records are most useful, and which access points are necessary to find what you need to answer questions accurately and with ease. Curatorial staff members most often approach research on objects by accession or cataiog number; archival records may be arranged br, correspondent, topic, pr-oject, function, or date. Administrators may seek information on past activities or people, which may not be segregated out as

C*sr

Sruov '' r

1,,,,,,,'

'

,.::.:..,:ir

Ycrur descriptive tools must

these requirements into consideraticln, or you

tal<e

will spend

On the other hand, outside researchers are more likely to approach with a more general topic and to be willing to read through a range of materials that could potentially support their research. Some staff members working on scholarly projects, exhibitions and reinstallations, and provenance research have similar requirements for exhaustive study. They need the background and contextual information that will help them decide which records to study; they aiso need to be assured that you and your descriptive tools are directing them to all the potential resources for their work, not just the ones that happen to be most easily accessible. When providing this kind of reference service, supplying the most effective descriptive level in your finding aids can help cut down on the amount of work done by reference staff. At all costs, you must avoid having to bring out boxes of records that are inadequately described "just in case" there's something in theml While producing detailed descriptive tools

'

Stefvart Culin, the Brooklyn Museum of Art's first cura-

tor of ethnology (r9ol-t929) ,was'wetl known in his day, but rarely published, so even though hisrcollections continued to be displayed in the museum, his work was largely forgotten. In the earty r.98os, the museum unearthed his'archives, organized portions of them, and used these series to inform an exhibition about Culin's Native American coltections, "Obiects of Myth and Memory" (rggr). Five:'years later, an t.lrs grant led to a detaited:finding aid, which was pub-

Descriptive tools:

,

Guide to the Culin Archiva! Collection

Coltection and series-leveI nnnnc records in Folder-leveI database Item-leveI image database Index to expedition reports

Rrrr,l

Cutin reference requests obiects of Mvth & Memory exhibition

Fotderlevel dat

lished, distributed to many museum and university libraries, and cataloged on:RltN.

A smalt but steady stream of researchers have always approached the archives to study Culin's papers, especiatly those related to Native Americans. Since pubtication of the finding aid, which covers his entire career, research use has expanded into more and more areas. We olan to mount an EAD version on the Web within the next year, thanks to a Melton Foundation grant, and expect that that will tead to even more use. Using volunteers, we have created detailed database access to images and expedition reports, atlowing researchers to mine the collectiorr even more easilv.

5() MUSEUM ARCITTVES: AN IN'fROl)IrO'rrON

100

9o 8o 7o 6o 5o 40 3o 20 10

o

&+sg

$oa so, $ro

%. %* s"r %o so" 5rrsr, %o 6""

%%

%

can be labor-intensive, it is worl< that must be dcxre onIy once, cfTectively "front Ioacling" y{rur effort.s

Scholarly researchcrs often find tl-reir way to the museum archives in the hope that there is something there, based on prior knowledge, guesswork, and word of mouth. 'I'hese researchers are often well prepared for work in your collections, even without finding aids or any effort to publicize the collection. For instance, they know that a particular scientist worked at the museum and that he or she was involved in an archaeological dig in a certain location and year, and they hope that you have his or her field notes. They may even help provide the context you need to understand them. Once a detailed finding aid is available

uding on your priorities aud resourccs, your dcscriptive progran rvili fill in detail for sorne or all of thcse leveis, starting .li'oru t.he brosdest.e Horv far you Depe

travel down the road to detailed description will depencl on the needs you identified by studying your users and the resources that you have available.

Keep in mind also that the level of descriptior-r need not be consistent throughout your collection. Description at the record or subrecord group may be ail you need in one case, while another part of the archives may require a folder list or even folder descriptions. It

and starts to circulate, however, new researchers are iikely to appear and use the collection in new ways. Your understanding of both potential researchers and the materials themselves will aid in creating tools to providc appropriate access.

Friorities and Levels of Description A fully realized descriLrtive pr(rql'ant c!)ntititls

:l

hierarchy of levels:

' ' '

t'eposi[1v1'1 .11]rl r't- institLttiott record gr!)ui. or collection

'

,it'llr'>

' . ' .

subrecr-rrd qror-rp Tyrannosaurus head, left. PHorocnnpH

:Lti-rsc'Lir-,s

Musruar or

l,,ltlcr

ri oup oi ilcnrs itcnr

I hc tbllowing cxample follouts one strand in the lirooklr,n Museum of Art Archives: . l{ecords of the Brcloklyn Muscum of Art (institLrtion); " ltecorcls of the Curatorial Departmcnts (record group); . I{ecords of the Department of Painting

& Sculpture (subrercord 5;roup);

"

may be most useful to complcte some taslts up- l'ront--creating plclirlinarl, box or containcr lists upon acccssiorring, for exarnple---rvhile otirers may have to u,ai1 r-rntil the records are processed. Articulate and jr-rstify tl-rese decisions to superiors and corvorkcrs ancl document your procedures in a written manual or guiclelines. Some priorities are obvious and more or less ur-riversal. Bvery ar:chivcs neetls a reposilory ciescriplion, for rvhich you have probably already laid the grouncl-

work in yonr mission statement or collection clevclclpment policy: "What is it that rve collect?" Thc next

Objccts (scrics);

.

Gifts (subserics);

.

repcatcd sntall ulounls of titlc ilvcr a pcriorl ol- rrirrrr' \'cArs. /\ contrn)cf list is a sinrpk: errrrplc ol'llrlnt krading ("\\'lrrt is in tlris boxi"). Intleritrs a r'.rluablt- st't ol-llcld notcs is labor irrtcrrsit', brrl srrlts 1trcil cllort r\'('r \' tintc rr rlue'stiorr nrLrsl bc arrsrr'ercd. (irrrclirl pl,rrrnirrll irn(l (lcsi!an ir(' csscntial in crcirlinrq cllcctivc tools, holt'rtr, so thrt lhc'rllirrt js not \\,tstcd.

Clifts reri-cived, 1945 (folcler); " |anc C. I)onor correspondcncc

j-ilff,,ii:?11,nu,"", watcrcolor (itenr). li

By A. E, ANDERSoN. AMERTcAN

NATURAL HrsroRy LTBRARY, NEG. #35492.

irr plarrninll Pr'oi('ats, )1)u nrLlsl oli!'lr tlctidc rrltcl]rer to iDYCst J si1;ltifitrnl arnorrrrt oJ'tinr arrcl r:llorl irl tlrc bcliirrrtirtti ("1iont lortling") or lo spcrrcl

9

Nonarchivists arc o{ien irrclinctl to staft willl tltc ltarrrrrrr:st tlcscripjorr.---a list oi lcttcrs ol corTcsl.rorrlcnts, litr crrrmplc. 'l his tvpt ll t invcnlorvirrri is lleilrrcrrtlt ir rvaslc ol-i'llirt: il pioviclt:s ir tlcnsc lo'r'l ol: dctrril u it h no ovrra rch inc. stnl( t r r (' or aol t('\ i- '.ir pcrbcl c-rrtnrplc ol' "can't scc tlrc lifcsl lirr thc trcc's" -,tttil 0iic;t lr'rl\ts ]l)orc rrscliri t('r]r ru

naccor.npl islr t'tl.

l)escrtltlrort gt

or collcctious, is describing your holdings to administrators and grant agencies and in the decisionmaking process with each new accession: "llow are the archives'holdings organized?" "Hon' do the various pieces fit together?" This step is also fairly simple in an institutional archives, since the scheme usually mirrors the organizational structure of the museum, with the addition of some speciai and artificial collections. Once you have sketched out the basic structure, you can start filling in the details for records that are already accessioned: "\\4rat are the dates and extent of holdings?" "What types of records are included?" You may be able to define series and subseries at this point, level, defining your recor:ds groups

also critical, both

in

though that may have to wait until you are ready to process the records.

The descriptive process is additive: you gather information and enhance description as you proceed. Once a structure is created and described in very broad terms, accessions can be plugged into the hierarchy and the description refined. This approach rrrovides ba'ic descrintivc access fronr lhe rnonrenI materials are acquired. Srmpie u,q.xc records in the museum's bibliographic database can make this ievel of description available to staff and researchers, even if it is son-re tin-re until the records can be fu1ly processed and a trndrng aid created. p51

Based on i'our priorities, records selected for full ,,g*r jps rr receir e more intensive descriptive

ill

Series and subseries will be defined ar-rd .ir':clibt'd, fblder lists created or refined, ancl specialized

tr.ainent.

:ccess tools such as indexes created rtthen neecleci.

final products include a firiding aid and a bibliographic (rra,o.nc) record that include all the stantlar-d elements: creator, title, dates, extent, biographicai and historical note, seope and contents note, details Star-rdard

on the physical characl.eristics of thc collections, ancl information on the contettts at an ilpplol.r'iate level of description" Ycu may also crcate databascs clr spreaclsheets to record and manage r:epetitive infortnation about the collection: 1'olcler lists, namc autirorities, indexes, and the like.

Procedures and Standards it is very likely that at least some of the descriptive work done in your archives will be accomplislred by interns, volunteers, and project stafl establish clear, written procedures and supervise descriptive work carefully. Every.one must collect the same information, express it with a consistent, controlled vocabulary, and use the same format. Bulleted guidelines Since

and worksheets can be very irelpful, as can working on description as processing goes on, rather than isoiating it as a separate process. Review and edit descriptive work on a regular basis to avoid compclunding errors" Most archivists have experienced or heard tales of collections that had to be entirely reprocessed and described due to ineffective earlier projects. Sirnple techniques can go a long way in making

description consistent and effective. Construcf titles consistentiy at al] lnels: collection, record group, series, subseries, folder. Ilstablish standard terminoiogy for museum functions and departments. Start a name

authority and always use the same forr.uat fcrr namcs. I)efine a standard structure for folder titles, so that thcy will both trral
NumeERrNG Numbering schemes can become qulte a headache; it

is difficutt to fincl ways to express atl the possibte levets."i lf wetl conceived, numbering can make it much easier for researchers to request and cite materiats. Decide whether to number foiders throughout an entire cotlection, a series, a subseries, or box by box. Consider what to do if (when) you find adelitionat

vi

On a personal note, this author avoicls nr.rn:rbering schemc's ol.t anything except closecl collections-groups of records rv)rcre u'e're fairl), certain. therc rvon't be accretions. At tbe llrooklyn h4useurn of Art Arcl:ives, we rell' 611 standard series names and

52 MUSE{.tM AIiCt-l1VilS: AN IN',I'}10l)UCIION

folders, have to add a new series, or decide to rehouse the collection. in general, simpler is better. 5ome examples: Series: Roman numerat; suhseries: capital letter; folder; integer (l l"A.oetZ) Series, suhseries, folder: ail numbers (z"t.oaf) Box and foider: nurnbers (boxtzrq, folder Z) coirsinrct consislcut foldcr litlcs that rvill sort pluirellv in orrr folcler levcl tlatalr:rse, i'o; arr exarrrp)r: ol a very cornplcle ancl rlctirilcd schcmc, sec thc systcnr dcvclopcd b1, iliclrard Picrce-N4oscs frrr tlrc Heard Muscurr at .

.!uioru atio u's

],{c.l}.e

in Dcscripti.on

L'sing ancl cicvcloping antouratccl tools--fhal is, cottriruter access to collections---grcatly cnhauccs tlte archivist's ability to both manage and providc in-clcl.'tli access to the n-ratelials in his or her carc. In fhe last three or four decadcs, autorrated techniques, including ir,rnnc cataioging with its atteudant on-line public access catalogs and national bibliographic databases; relational and flat-file databases; spreadsheets; collections management packages; Encoded Archival Descriptiou and word processing have moved from being available only to those with specialized com-

of

irrry clalalra.sc rlepeucls orr a clcar trnclcrstancling clf thc clata to be input; the lypes of uscr.s and tlreir nceds; and the desirccl output, r,r'hethcr on screerrr, in hirrcl copy) ol on thc Wcb. 'l-hc characteristics of some sections of firrcling aids point us tor,vard database techniqucs, rather than the rnore traditior-ral word processing. Box and I'older lists, for exarnple, contain standard data elements (box number, series and folcier titles, dates) and, while it is easy enough to format these in a word-processed document, setting up a database to handle such lists will sr.lcccss

puter science or programming trainiug to becoming standarcl tools in ei,cr)' trrchival repository, from the smallest to the largest. 1'lre emphasis must still be on the plulrltools-sincc no orte techniqtre ol svste nr rr'il1

provide all the capabilitic's

nc'c-cled. \\'e

archivists need to lead re s.'arcltcr: tir oLtt' cctllections; find matt'rials icrt' th.'n ( rr.r' i]1.'\ trc

therc or find the re s()Lri;J: ir' .trr:-,: i1' rtr.tJ\tions for thenrl shrrrc ittl,'i.tl:.:::":' -r', r,il rrilli't' repositories; dtvclrrr --. ' -.:. -.:- ., ;i,,!iLiac botlr or-linc .lrr!i,.r-:'.',1 ': *-:;:-.:r,r.' iPq)l:, l'-:. '": :l,l''. ,',]l'.-.ftli' and nlalraqr' :, :i' .,ll .. : ,. il .li.Or .'. I n toucl-]cd or.r r.: r'r.rutorlrirted this sectitrl:. ,. :.:: l-illllti. ltOit'evef, :.-..: iools an.l ---1..l:l ^::'. --:-:,. -.'ttt':''.ltci- riorld, 11exith at iit . :-.: r..: '.1

Schoolgirls view North American Indian exhibit, 1912. uNrvERsrry or PINNSYLVANTA MusEUl\ .

NIc. 10991.

bilil, greatly iucreasc thc functionirliti, s1 thc data. A folderr-

'

.-r:r ist:, bccause of the rvicic \/ariet)/ of'rlate- ..i:ri ra:li: that thcy dcal rvith, fincl that arr off-the- i .. .i.rtal)asc is an itnportirnt tool. Databascs, ft'ottt .:::..l1 flat'1llc tcl intricate rclalior-ritl vttrictiers, alJolv .,,.;lrivists to tailor acccss ancl managemcnl tool.s to fil :i.cciflc ncccls. Lr r.uost casc$, ).oti can clcvclop the .liills nceclccJ to dcsign and irlplcncnt iu housc datalrascs thirl lbllill rrany nec<.ls.r" Thc tnost er.sscntiai re cprir.crnc:nt is thc ability to thinl< criticall,v artd anal1'ticallv aLrotrt ilfor.nratiotr (i.e ., clata), .s1
art-lrivists alr"e'aclv ttsc clailt'. l:r'ert i{ r'tlr-r t lt
']

lre \lj.roroll .\cless liit ,\tr:lrjr isir li:lsL rI ii rll f\{ ellrrll }'l,tct l,' ,rrlliir'. Srrrrl rrr t'r:r,ril l]rit\\a!t( lo: '.\lS.\eeer, l.\r;hirl'' ittl':trilrr'

g,.'1

(r t()l)i(,r.aorll-".

Ievcl database can coniain informatiou that reaches bel,ond a single colleclion; allow seilrchcs that specil'y datc ranges or foider title kcywords; generate custonr reports for reseatrchers; include information that is important for nranagcn-rcnt (sirelf locatiott and processing auclit trails, for exarrplc); anrl output the clata in a forrnat that rvill piug into thc fincling aid. 'fhc: beauty of clatabascs is that the clata is independent of for:mat: it can bc r:corganiz-cd, vicwccl in tlany diffe rcnt rvays, usecl to gcrlcratc stirtistics atrcl cuslom victts, itttcl

linlrccl to other data

serts.

As 1'ou develclp a clescriplirrc prograt.l-) for 1,1r111 i1l11'tuticln, you rvill discovcr i'rrcras ir r'r,hich providittl3 ;i.ccss

to mofc clctaileel infrrrnratiotr is clcsirablc. In instilutiunal arclrivcs;, tlrt'alcLrivist oftcrt clclcs tlrer rcse;rrch (ulrrl nc,'cds infor"mation cltticl<11'), so i1 car':r bc to ye111'ac{r,an.tagc to "firrrl loacj" 1he tvorl< aircl sllcn
))cscrilttiotr 5j ''"r

,

r, , i,1,,.j, l)il;jf i'

ijiiffiili,ii

tiii,f iiiti

tr:ailiiyr:iti{::iilir..)ii,i:'.t

i:i

donors, or vendors, and you may find that it is wortirrvhile to expand the standard box and folder list to include a folder description with more detailed content information-a value-added action. Many document types could benefit from cletailed access poirrts or indexing, anong them minutes, field notes, expedition reports, exhibition checklists, and staff and trustee lists. If criteria are ciearly spelled out, the data can be gathered and entered by paraprofessional staff, interns, or volunteers.

Museum collections management databases assist all activities surrounding museum objects-acquiring, accessioning, cataloging, storing,

staff with

exhibiting, and lending them, to name a few.-and aiso often provide tools for other activities such as exhibitions and donor relations. The approach generally centers around the individual object, rvhich marmake such systems diflicult to ldapt tbr archii-al collections, but if vour museunl lccessions archival coilections in the same ir'.rr- it cir-'es objects, r'ou mav need to find a \vav to repres.nt vrruf collections in the systen-r. If this is indee,j the casr. )f .nd as rnuch time as I : r:-- lll"rn,and in '- I Ufrlullls ' ..' .1llU nossihle slrrtltin::r3 .... \.r \L;lll yvJJrur! what depth Io irlrLri .iichilal collectior.rs, keeping in mind that t the : :,trri> nr.l\'pro\ ide additional or other ftinctit-rn;li::e: li:', i'tlLi fleed iis u-ell. FOr example, because tr- 1]usaLin') c0mntunitv has not agreed upon

stand::.i.:i: ilre Sf,nle \rav that the library

and

archives cornmunities have, you nlay find that you nced to create a v,q.nc record so that you can share information on ,vorlr holdings beyoncl your rnuscurn's network. You could also explore "crosswall(s" clevelopcd by other ir-rstitutions, such irs the Getty's Metadata Standards Crosswalk, which enable you to map one descriptive standard to another." Finally, spreadsheets can also be useful in managing data, but keep in mind that,like word processing, their functionality is limited. They are primarily a very powerful tool for managing and manipulating numerical data, not the textual data that archives generate. In

all

cases, the task should match the tool and, when investing time and effort in collecting data, your goal should be to get the most out of that data.

conclusion, keep in mind that you are not tvorking in a vacuum. The archival profession has expended considerable effort on creating descriptive standards, not just to help individuals do their work, but to allow them to share their products. These standards and other helpful studies have been published

In

by the Society of American Archivists and discussed at iength in publications and at professional meetings. Archivists are almost aiways willing to provide advice, demonstrate their systems, and help colleagues solve knotty protrlems. Mile your collections may be unique, your solutions need not be: build upon the experieuce

of the profession and customize

I

I

aee
.J crossrvirll<s/incicx.htrnl>.

54

N4

l.lSEUI\,1

r\l{CltIVESi ;\N IN'fl{OJ)t,J(11'lON

as necessary.

tronrctaclata/