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Using a Scope and Content tag for description at the folder level
Schlesinger practice has been to provide extra descriptive information about a folder as part of the folder title (generally after the date). Another option is to create a <scope> tag at the folder level and include more robust description of material within that tag. Decisions about how best to handle description should be considered as part of the appraisal and processing plan creation process. Some collections lend themselves to robust description (diaries, A-Z correspondence folders with many correspondents of note), some do not. Should you decide to use this approach, please treat punctuation the same way as any other note within a folder <c>: End the folder title with a period, capitalize the beginning of the scope description, and end that with a period as well.
EXAMPLE: from Ti-Grace Atkinson papers
- 29.13. [Interviews:] Beatrice K. Reynolds, "Ti-Grace Atkinson: Her Speeches and Speechmaking--An Interview," 1973.Scope and Contents: Clippings re: Atkinson, offprint of "Ti-Grace Atkinson: Her Speeches and Speechmaking," published in Today's Speeches. Paper includes transcription of interview Reynolds conducted with Atkinson on February 2, 1973.
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other examples of recently-processed collections where folder-level scope notes were used extensively include:
Using a Physical Description/Physical Facet tag for description at the folder level
If you are describing the physical object in a folder and not the contents of the folder, you should use a <physdesc><physfacet> tag at the folder level (mirroring our practice with memorabilia and audiovisual materials).
EXAMPLE: from Mary H. Page papers
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<physdesc><physfacet>White leather diary with pencil. Green and purple seal on front, and purple and green strap enclosure suggest this may have been English suffrage memorabilia? Only one page written on, with a note about "Mrs. Leonard." </physdesc></physfacet>
White leather diary with pencil. Green and purple seal on front, and purple and green strap enclosure suggest this may have been English suffrage memorabilia? Only one page written on, with a note about "Mrs. Leonard."
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If the majority of folders have titles supplied by the donor, retain those titles (and say so in the scope and content note for the collection, series, or subseries, as relevant). Add your own additions to donor titles, or pertinent information, in brackets
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If only a few or no folder titles were supplied by the donor, create your own folder titles. In this situation, any folder titles created by the donor should be demarcated by quotation marks. This should also be spelled out in the (collection, series, and/or subseries) scope and content note.
EXAMPLE: 8.2. Diary: "African notebook #3," April 1993 - March 1994
If the material is undated or a folder contains dated as well as undated material, "n.d.undated" should appear after the title, following the dated material
EXAMPLE: 5.3. Correspondence, 1968, n.d.undated
If you can provide an approximate date for materials, write the date using "ca." for circa, and DO NOT put a space between the period and the year.
EXAMPLE: 6.9. Cape Cod Fish Net Industries publicity contacts in New York City, notes, ca.1939
Keep folder titles simple. They should not contain extensive information about formats already provided in the scope and content note. In other words, if the scope and content note states that most folders in an "Engagements" series contain correspondence, notes, programs, clippings, etc., it is unnecessary to repeat the listing of genres in each folder title. However, you may point out items that fall outside the scope of listed materials for that group (e.g., "includes diary").
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Always capitalize the first word in each folder title.
Labeling Folders With Descriptive Headings
In the upper left corner of a legal-sized folder tab, either write the MC # and collection name (in pencil) or for larger collections, use a custom-made rubber stamp. Once the collection is completely processed and ready to be numbered, the file unit number (consisting of the container number and the folder number) will be written underneath the MC #. The folder heading follows the MC # an inch or so to the right. E.g.:
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