2. Archives
• To understand archival
repositories, holdings and
descrip<ve cataloging, one must
first understand what archives are
and how they differ from libraries.
5. This archival mission includes the
following cyclical process:
• Appraisal • Access and Reference
• Acquisions • Outreach, Promo<on
• Accessioning • Reappraisal
• Arrangement • Conduc<ng surveys
• Preserva<on
• Security
• Descrip:on
6. Archival Descrip<on is…
• The bridge between preserving records and making them
available.
• Opportunity for archivist to record what is known about the
collec<on and its arrangement in a way that will facilitate
access by researchers and users.
• OFFICIAL DEFINITION: Process of analyzing, organizing, and
recording details about the formal elements of a record or
collec<on of records, such as creator, <tle, dates, extent, and
contents, to facilitate the work's iden<fica<on, management,
and understanding. The product of the process.
7. Material differences between libraries and archives
Category Libraries Archives
Nature Published, discrete items, Unpublished, groups of related
independent significance, items, significance from
Available elsewhere rela<onship to other items, unique
Creator Many different individuals or Parent organiza<on or ins<tu<on
organiza<ons
Method of crea<on Separate, independent ac<ons Organic – normal course of
business
Method of receipt Selected as single items, decisions Appraised in aggregate
revocable Decisions irrevocable
Arrangement Predetermined subject Provenance and original order
classifica<on
Descrip<on Level Individual items Aggregate (record group or series)
Descrip<ve Media Built into the published item (<tle Must be prepared by the archivist
page, table of contents, index) Guides and inventories, online
systems
23. DACS and its antecedents
DACS was published by the Society
of American Archivists in 2004
DACS is a revision of Steve Hensen’s /
SAA’s manual, Archives, Personal
Papers, and Manuscripts (1989),
which was created to adapt Chapter
4 of the 2nd ed. of Anglo‐American
Cataloging Rules (AACR2) to the
needs of the archival community.
DACS is a statement of principles.
Levels of descrip:on are in
statements.
25. • ISAD(G) –
Interna<onal Standard for Archival Descrip<on
h`p://www.ica.org/sites/default/.pdf
26. DACS Elements
• IDENTITY ELEMENTS (chapter 2)
• Reference code
• Name and Loca<on of Repository
• Title
• Date
• Extent
• Name of Creators
• Administra<ve / Biographical history
• CONTENT AND STRUCTURE ELEMENTS (chapter 3)
• Scope and content
• System of arrangement
• CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE ELEMENTS (chapter 4)
• Condi<ons governing access
• Physical access
• Technical Access
• Condi<ons Governing Reproduc<on and Use
• Languages and Scripts of the Material
• Finding Aids
27. DACS Elements
• ACQUISITION AND APPRAISAL ELEMENTS (chapter 5)
Condi<ons governing Custodial history
• Immediate Source of Acquisi<on
• Appraisal, Destruc<on, and Scheduling Informa<on
• Accruals
• RELATED MATERIAS ELEMENTS (ch 6)
• Existence and loca<on of originals
• Existence and loca<on of copies
• Related archival materials
• Publica<on note
• NOTES ELEMENT (chapter 7)
• Note not defined by other elements
• DESCRIPTION CONTROL ELEMENT
• Sources used, rules or conven<ons, name of the person who prepared or
revised, date created or revised
