What are the types of archival materials?
THE NATURE OF ARCHIVAL MATERIALS Archival collections can be divided into three basic types: individual documents, books and photographic materials. This information sheet addresses issues associated with the preservation of documents and books.
What is EAD finding aids?
Encoded Archival Description is a standard for encoding archival finding aids or guides to primary source materials. EAD is based on the multi-level description of finding aids and collections used by archival repositories.
What are the objectives of finding aids?
The finding aid serves the purpose of locating specific information within the collection. The finding aid can also help the archival repository manage their materials and resources. The history of finding aids mirrors the history of information.
What makes a good finding aid?
Well-designed finding aids have a clear and pleasing visual appearance, with elements that make it easy to navigate and search. Use of appropriate tools is critical, for poor layout and confusing design will detract from a finding aid’s effectiveness.
What are the main characteristics of archival materials?
Archives have several characteristics:
- They are only retained if they are considered to be of long-term historical value.
- They are not created consciously as a historical record.
- Documents do not have to be ‘old’ to be an archive, just no longer required for the use for which they were created.
What are the types of finding aids?
Examples of finding aids include published and unpublished inventories, container and folder lists, card catalogs, calendars, indexes, registers, and institutional guides. Formal publications that help a user find information regarding a record group, collection, or series of archival materials are also finding aids.
Why was EAD created?
EAD originated at the 1993 Society of American Archivists annual meeting in New Orleans and was headed by Daniel Pitti at the University of California, Berkeley. The project’s goal was to create a data standard for describing archives, similar to the MARC standards for describing bibliographic materials.
What is National Archives Act?
ACT. To provide for a National Archives and Record Service; the proper management and care of the records of governmental bodies; and the preservation and use of a national archival heritage; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
Is a file plan a finding aid?
Filing Plan scope note: A classification plan or scheme for the physical arrangement, storage, and retrieval of files. A filing plan is often identified by the type of symbols used (e.g. alphabetical, numerical, alpha-numerical, decimal). Use for agency-created filing plans, not NARA-created finding aids.
How do you use Find Aid?
Use archival finding aids
- Read the abstract, the scope and contents, and the biographical or administrative history to get a sense of what the collection contains.
- Note any restrictions on the collection.
- Look at the inventory list.
- Write down the series numbers and box numbers you would like to view.
What is an example of archival research?
Common examples of archival research sources are census records or survey data that was collected in the past. An example of archival research would be a psychologist looking at mental institution records from the 1900s to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients at the time.
How are finding aids used in archival research?
Archival materials are described in documents called finding aids or collection guides . These are detailed guides to the contents and arrangement of collections. Finding aids are written to give the repository intellectual and physical control over their holdings and to help researchers find what they are looking for within collections.
How to find research materials in the archives?
If you want to find research materials in archives, you will need to read a Finding Aid. This document describes the materials in an archival collection and gives you a summary of the materials housed in that collection.
What should be included in a finding aids?
Finding aids sometimes provide narrative portions describing the background of a collection (how and when it was formed, how the archives acquired it, etc.), and how the archival staff has arranged or ordered the materials in the collection.
How does a finding aid describe a collection?
It describes the entirety of a collection, as well as the collection’s component levels (series, subseries, folders, items). The format of a finding aid reflects the hierarchy present in the collection’s intellectual arrangement, and often the physical arrangement as well.