3 steps in describing creators
- Identification of individuals, families, and corporate bodies that played a significant role in record creation (DACS ch. 9); primary and secondary creators like a family and then its members; could have creators of individual items or series like a letter writer; can write history notes for both primary and secondary creators
- Assembly of biographical information about individuals and families, or data about the history, structure, functions, and relationships of the relevant organization (DACS ch. 10); might have to go to outside information sources
- Standardization of names to facilitate retrieval of information across descriptions, systems, and institutions (aka authority control) (DACS ch. 11-14)
Identifying creators
- Who is a “creator”?
- DACS definition – a person, family, or corporate body that created, assembled, accumulated, and/or maintained and used records in the conduct of personal or corporate activity; creator can also be responsible for the intellectual content of a single item
- Creator's names have to appear in the archival description (e.g. the finding aid)
- Easiest rule of thumb: it is most often in the supplied title
Describing creators
- Assemble information from reliable sources (the materials themselves and reference works)
- Provide administrative/biographical history information for all creators and, optionally, for non-creator access points (e.g. for correspondents)
- When primary responsibility for record creation is shared between two or more people o corporate bodies, make separate histories for each creator
- Optionally: make separate histories for creators different from the primary creator at subordinate units of description
Biographical histories of individuals or families
- Minimal amount needed to included if possible
- DACS 10.14 – record information relevant to the understanding of the life, activities, and relationships of the person or family including...
- Names including all variants
- Family history, where relevant
- Dates of birth and death
- Places of residence
- Education
- Occupation, life, and activities (including important relationships with other persons or organizations
Administrative histories of corporate bodies
- DACS 10.25 – give information relevant to the understanding of the creator's functions, activities, and relations with other corporate bodies including...
- Dates of founding and/or dissolution
- Geographical areas (where head and regional offices were located)
- Mandate (legislation or other source of authority for corporate body in terms of its powers, responsibilities, or sphere of activities); law passed that established the body
- Functions
- Administrative structure
- Predecessor and successor bodies – kind of like genealogy of it
- Names of corporate bodies
- Names of chief officers
Will be important when headings are created later on
