See also: Collections vs. Single Item Manuscripts
The most important change in Technical Services recently has been our use of ArchivesSpace to create finding aids, and the physical separation of single items from collection material in the stacks. Single items are still cataloged and shelved sequentially as they always were, though they reside in separate ranges. But collection material (mostly in boxes) are given call numbers without prefixes, and are stored according to a shelf numbering system enumerated in ArchivesSpace, which includes ranges, bays, and shelves that are physically labeled. Thus, single items are located first by their prefix, and then sequentially. All of the retrieval information resides in the call number. But for manuscript collections retrieval depends on the particular Building, Floor level, range, bay and shelf number, which gets printed on the call slip. Returning this material to its exact location is crucial to the ability to locate the items. Taking the time to understand how to locate items using ArchivesSpace and AEON is a smart thing to do.
A "single item" manuscript is often a volume or small number of sheets. It will not have a finding aid. Anything that has a finding aid in ArchivesSpace is a "collection". The term "single item" seems to be a Houghton invention. It is up to the curators and members of Technical Services to decide whether a given thing is a collection or a single item. The criteria is not always predictable. Single items are shelved sequentially in a few locations mostly based on physical dimensions, which are choices in Alma. Any additional location notes can be added to the 852 field, such as '$$z Shelved with....". In the case of a framed item hanging in an office, "$$x Hung in G131" uses the hidden note "x". A framed item hung in the stacks would not need to have a hidden note.
(*for detailed information, see ArchivesSpace)
I. Navigating the current system
Using ArchivesSpace to locate material
Using AEON to locate material
II. Understanding manuscript call numbers
Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection (single items and legacy collections)
Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection (IN DETAIL
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Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection (single items and legacy collections)
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*note: manuscript collections were categorized in this way prior to ArchivesSpace, and were interfiled with single items. New box and volume labels are being generated for all such pre-existing collections with call numbers that OMIT the prefixes, f, b, pf, etc. Incoming collections are now being shelved separately in newly established ranges. This is known as CONTAINER MANAGEMENT. A project, and now a regular feature of the end processing work flow.
MS = upright storage less than 28 cm. height (also called GEN)
(distinct shelving area in Houghton and HTC): mostly upright volumes; occasional upright document box.*
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bMS = boxed manuscript, flat storage, less than 13.5 cm. tall
(separate shelving area of Houghton sub-basement only): standard-size flat manuscript boxes
bMS = boxed manuscript, flat storage, less than 13.5 cm. tall
(shelved at HD): standard-size flat manuscript boxes.
bMS = boxed manuscript, upright document box, taller than 13.5 cm, height limited by HD specifications.
(shelved at HD): all sizes of upright document box and Paige boxes.
dbMS = was used ONLY in HTC indicating ranges full of exclusively regular height document boxes (NO LONGER USED because it just duplicates other ranges that can accept different boxes of the same height, like Paige boxes).
bMS = boxed manuscript, flat storage, less than 13.5 cm. tall
(distinct shelving area of HTC, lower level): standard-size flat manuscript boxes; upright document boxes, & pfMS boxes of all sizes--all shelved together on continually adjusted shelving)
pfMS = flat box, less than 13.5 cm. tall, but wider and longer than standard size flat box
(in a separate pf area of Houghton): several different pf sizes all shelved together
pfMS = flat box, less than 13.5 cm. tall, but wider and longer than standard size flat box
(shelved in bMS area of Harvard Theatre Collection): several different pf sizes all shelved together with the standard-size flat box.
pfMS = large volumes, over 28 cm., that must be stored flat, but are not in a box are also shelved in the pf area of Houghton along with boxed pf items.
pfMS = large volumes, over 28 cm., stored upright on bottom shelves (only in HTC stacks).
There are other places in the library where some items are shelved, but this is indicated by a word or phrase that follows the call number. See below.
PFC = PF Cabinets on basement. This is storage for oversize items. There are 2 flat files, small black and large white.(lots of Typ stored here, but other things as well).
PFD = Case Range-half drawer (HTC flat files in Pusey). Folder labels read "pfMS" with "drawer" several spaces from end of call number.
PPF = Case Range-full drawer (HTC flat files in Pusey). Folder labels read "pfMS" with "drawer" several spaces from end of call number.
TRC = Most manuscript items in the Theodore Roosevelt collection area of the Houghton stacks. [This is being phased out. Collections are now shelved like everything else].
zMS = anything in the z closet now has this prefix.
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Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection (IN DETAIL)
UPRIGHT STORAGE INDICATOR: MS
Items that are shelved upright have no prefix. Their call number begins with "MS" [manuscript]. This includes mostly volumes, and, occasionally, upright document boxes. Shelves for this designation are 31 cm. in P&GA stacks on basement, so items need to be 30.5 cm. or less. The average shelf height for mss. on sub-basement Pusey, is 33.5 cm, so items need to be 33 cm. or less. or less. However, shelves on sub-basement in Pusey for MS Eng, MS Ger, and MS Port are 33 cm. And shelves for MS Am, MS Ital, and MS Lat are 34 cm. So there is a range for all MS items of between 31 - 34 cm. shelf height. It is helpful to keep a piece of card stock that records the various height ranges for different categories. The manuscript end-processor will note changes in storage indicators that occur during end-processing and provide updates for the cataloger. The official size for MS has recently been set at 28 cm. for all future cataloging and shelving purposes.
Since 31 cm. is the exact size of our most commonly used pre-fab, when a tab is added to these pre-fabs, they will not fit on the P&GA shelves, which are also exactly 31cm. So these items must be designated "fMS" and shelved in the "fMS" section of the P&GA stacks. In most other areas of the stacks, the 31cm tall pre-fabs are designated "MS" because they do fit on the shelves after a tab is added. Also, unlike the general Houghton stacks on sub-basement in Pusey, P&GA does not put "f" sized upright items along the bottom shelves, but segregates them in an entire small section at the end of their "MS" storage.
Upright document boxes are 26.5 cm. tall--largest ones are 32 cm. tall. They would fit on most "MS" shelves but are seldom designated "MS" because "MS" is mainly storage for upright volumes rather than boxed collections. The word "boxed" has a double meaning, which can be confusing. A boxed collection is stored in various sizes and shapes of boxes that are purchased in mostly standard sizes from an archival supply vendor. A boxed single item manuscript refers usually to a volume that has had a custom-made clamshell type box and is normally shelved upright. The vendor we use that does such custom work is called "CMI". We therefore call these "cmi boxes". More detail is provided in a section below.
There can also be confusion when referring to the Pusey Stacks because of the two separate areas which are used for shelving Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection material. The manuscript stacks in Pusey is entered through Houghton's sub-basement, and houses non-Theatre Collection material. The Harvard Theatre Collection has two levels of stack space and is entered via the basement level of Houghton. Though technically both Houghton and the Theatre collection have stack space in Pusey, they are two distinct areas. We don't currently have terminology that makes that distinction. Large manuscript collections waiting for end-processing are usually kept in the Houghton manuscript stacks in aisle Pusey-4,5 called the "collections holding area" on the sub-basement.
UPRIGHT STORAGE INDICATOR: fMS
The prefix "f" stands for folio, but for purposes of shelving, this simply means all items that are shelved upright, but are taller than 28 cm. They are kept generally along the bottom shelves continuously throughout the stacks. Though occasionally shelving is adjusted to create separate set of shelves for them.
"fMS" also designates an item shelved upright whose width (rather than height) exceeds the width of the regular "MS" shelves. This happens only occasionally. In this instance items are shelved along with all the other fMS items in order of call number.
The height of the fMS shelves varies. In the P&GA Houghton basement it is generally 3 contiguous shelves of 48.5 cm. with the bottom shelf 46 cm. In the Pusey sub-basement manuscript stacks, however, it is most often about 48.5 cm., but sometimes 49.5 cm. We do not generally have volumes bigger than this. When we do, sometimes they are extremely heavy, fragile, with lots of metal hardware in the binding that would do damage if shelved vertically. So anything taller than 49.5 would shelve flat and be called "pfMS", or "portfolio manuscript", and shelved in the "pf" area. As this was written, the official sizes of MS, fMS, and pfMS are being designated. MS is anything 28 cm. or less; fMS is anything larger than 28 cm. There are exceptions to this, however, in some of the special locations like the Keats Room, which does not have a separate area designated for "f"MS items.See SAMPLE BOOK (and rules) for labels and tabs.
(There is no manuscript category for anything larger than 49.5 to be shelved upright, except in the Theatre Collection. In other words, Houghton does not have a category of items called "pfMS" (horizontal) because there are no "pf" manuscript items that are ever shelved vertically).
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For collection material, use the ArchivesSpace Containers tab. To print locations on the AEON Slip click Import Container and Citation, save, then print.
