Last updated October 2013
When doing an initial survey of your collection, familiarize yourself with any existing electronic data. If any has been identified during accessioning, it will have been an assigned a Data #. Each creator should be assigned only one Data #, no matter how many accessions. If you locate more than one Data # for your collection in AV/DC Tracker, discuss options with Jen Weintraub.
When you find any data carriers in your collection, you will need to record them in AV/DC Tracker. If your collection has an existing Data #, keep reading. If your collection has no Data #, ask Jen to assign one and create a new Creator Record for you.
The following steps should be taken to maintain original order (e.g., disks found in a folder with related papers) and context (information written on the carriers) for the electronic records.
- Carriers are numbered sequentially without regard to different carriers. These numbers are then combined with the data number (unique for every creator) to form a unique carrier number (example, Data-066_01, Data-066_02, etc.). This number should include the leading zeros. If you find a carrier while processing, make sure you assign it the next available number after any carriers removed and numbered during accessioning.
- Write the carrier number gently on the carrier using a felt tipped marker (consult team leader if you have questions).
- If carrier is removed from a folder, complete the Digital Media Item Removal Sheet and print it on YELLOW paper.
- Create an item record for each carrier in AV/DC Tracker according to the instructions below.
- Give physical items to Jen.
AV/DC Tracker Overview
Creator Record
Records the information applicable to the person or organization whose born-digital materials Schlesinger has acquired. Information in the Creator Record should pertain to the creator’s material as a whole, including all relevant Accession Numbers and MC numbers. A unique Data number is assigned to each creator.
Item Record
Each item record created should correspond to one carrier of born-digital content within a collection. Each item is linked to a Creator Record via the Item ID, which should consist of the unique Data number for the creator, an underscore character, and an item number. Item numbers should have leading zeros added to them to assist FileMaker with the proper sort order of the numbers. FileMaker treats Data-XXX_02 as item number two and Data_2 as item number twenty.
Neither the Data Number nor the Item ID numbers carry any intrinsic meaning. They are used merely to track and group related items.
Searching
To search for a Creator Record, select the CreatorView-MSS layout. Press Ctrl+F or click the find button to bring up a search screen. Enter the creator name, name variants and/or acronyms in the Collection name field AND “data” in the Data # field, then press Enter or click Perform Find. Look at the number of records found. There should be only one Creator Record for Data in AV/DC Tracker. Contact Jen if the search results in more than one record.
If there is no Creator Record in AV/DC Tracker, get in touch with Jen. She will create a record and assign a Data number to the creator. Jen will let you know once the record is created. Complete the Creator Record if any information is missing (Jen may not have the accession number, for example).
Create Item Records
Create an Item Record for each carrier of born-digital content (CD, USB drive, floppy diskette, etc.) in a collection. Record information relevant to that specific item according to the field-by-field guidelines below. Item Records can be created from the CreatorView screen, but, please note, only some of the fields that pertain to an item are visible, and thus completable, from the Creator View. To view and complete all fields in an Item Record, click the “View Item Records-MSS” button.
Auto Enter Multiple Items Script
Use this script to have FileMaker automatically generate the Item Records for your collection (after you make a model record). See below for instructions.
NAVIGATING AV/DC Tracker:
- To open, use "AV-DCtracker.fp7" found in G:\SCHLES\COLLECTION SERVICES\MANUSCRIPTS.
- For read only access, select the “guest account” radio button, then click ok.
- For data entry, the account name is "staff." See team leader for the password.
AV/DC Tracker serves multiple purposes, so there are multiple layouts. Only two of these layouts, CreatorView-MSS and ItemView-MSS, are concerned with data entry relating to electronic records (both are light green). Other layouts contain fields that are not relevant to electronic records. To access different views:
- Click arrow next to "Layout:" on toolbar
- Select desired layout from list
OR
- Select "view" from the toolbar
- Move mouse to "Go to layout"
- Select desired layout from list
It is possible to toggle between the creator and item layouts relating to a single collection by clicking on the green "view Item Records-MSS" button in the creator view or the green "view MSS Creator Record" button in the item view.
GETTING STARTED:
- Go to the CreatorView-MSS layout
- Search for:
- Creator name (search all forms of the name since there may be multiple records under multiple forms of the name) AND
- "Data" in the Data# field
- Look at "Acc. #, MC #" field to determine if record (or records) exists for your collection
- Double check that you have one Data record for the name/organization. [LOOK AT ### FIELD] If there are multiple records (generally created for separate accessions that are being processed as a single collection), consult Jen about merging the records.
- If there is no Creator Record in AV/DC Tracker, get in touch with Jen. She will create a record and assign a Data number to the creator. Jen will let you know once the record is created. Complete the Creator Record if any information is missing (Jen may not have the accession number, for example).
NOTE: Ideally a Data# will be assigned to all electronic data created by one organization or person. So there should only be one “CreatorView” record, which may contain information about data associated with a processed collection (which would be identified with an MC#) as well as any unprocessed later addenda (which would be identified with an Accession #). If you are unsure about any information you find in a Creator-level record, please talk to your team leader before deleting/overriding anything.
CREATORVIEW-MSS RECORD:
Creator:
Creator must match the 1xx field in HOLLIS (do not include dates) and the creator name in the finding aid.
Use proper name capitalization rules.
Commonly used acronyms should be included in parenthesis after name to aid in searching.
Example: National Organization for Women (NOW)
Data #:
Get Data number from Jen.
If multiple data numbers exist for collection, consult Jen re: which number to use
Write in this format: Data-xxx.
Acc. #, MC #:
This field should record all accession #s and MC#s associated with the data #. If accession # is listed, add MC ###. You should also make sure to record the correct accession # in the item record for each carrier.
Make sure there is a space between "MC" and number (MC 653, not MC653). Make sure "MC" is capitalized
If you are entering info for disks from a collection you are processing and you cannot determine the accession #, just skip it. Do not enter the entire range of accession numbers for that collection
Number of items:
Enter total number of items/carriers [add what you have to whatever # already exists; the total should equal the last item number assigned to the creator]
Notes:
Write note if you have one (about all the materials or the creator); otherwise leave blank – for example, a specific restriction note that would apply to all content could go here
HOLLIS link:
Copy link to HOLLIS record
Link2Finding aid:
Copy link (urn) to finding aid
You can enter some item information in the creator view (and you may want to enter basic #s/titles etc.), but to enter all the data about each item, you need to be in ItemView-MSS Record – click on the green box to “View Item Records-MSS”
ITEMVIEW-MSS RECORD:
Information appearing in the gray box at the top of the screen should all be populated from the Creator record
Data #:
Data-xxx
This field is what links the Creator-level record and the item-level record together. Double check that it is correct or else your item will be LOST IN THE DATABASE.
Item number:
Should match number written on carrier; should be in NATURAL form (do not add leading zeroes as written on the carrier).
ItemID:
Combination of Data# and Item#.
When you complete the first record, you should create an ItemID from the Data# and the Item# (with leading zeros depending on how many items you have).
When you use the script for multiple records, it should AUTOMATICALLY populate any subsequent with Data-xxx_item number.
Original/copy:
Select original from dropdown menu
ItemTitle:
Write any title from disk/carrier label exactly as it appears on carrier
If carrier contains abbreviations that you (as the processor/current expert) know what they mean, please write that in brackets
If title/contents entirely unknown, write "[no title]"
Storage Medium:
Select from dropdown menu
If medium is not included in list, contact Jen
Item Acc. No.:
Include if known (even if all current disks are from the same accession and this info seems redundant to you, new ones may be added in the future)
ItemQuantity:
Number of items being described in record (usually is 1)
Item MC #:
Record MC #: e.g.“MC 683”
Item size in MB:
Leave blank
Fiscal Year of Acquisition:
Record actual accession date (from blue card) in the following format: MM/DD/YYYY; this information will be used to generate reports about how many carriers we receive per fiscal year
Formats of Digital Files:
List if known
Separate formats with semicolon Example: PRN (ASCII); TXT
Item Location:
Leave blank – when you give the physical carrier to Jen she will record its storage location here
Item Note:
Leave blank or fill in if you have a note – remember that you are the current expert on the collection, and write down any relevant data that you know - whomever ends up processing the material will benefit from your knowledge
Author:
Record author of files, if known
FA Series:
Enter name of series item is intellectually part of, if known. Enter in the following format: “Series II. Correspondence”
FA FolderTitle:
Enter folder title carrier removed from, if applicable
FA Folder Number Item was removed from:
Enter folder # carrier removed from, if applicable (use x.x until finding aid is numbered if necessary)
ItemPreservationPriority:
Leave blank
ItemPreservationNote:
Leave blank
Restriction Status:
Choose appropriate option from the dropdown menu. If you choose an option with a "see note" appendage, please clarify by recording the full access statement if applicable as a note.
Example: written permission of NOW required; closed until January 1, 2050; etc.
ItemAccessforDRS:
Access statement for item once deposited in the DRS; drop-down menu offers 3 choices: open, Harvard PIN access, closed
If you have questions about this talk to your team leader or Jen
Restriction note:
You can write something here if you need to, but you do not have to. See "Restriction Status" above.
Copyright Statement:
Copyright statement from DOG: What is important here is knowing who is the copyright holder; Harvard, the donor, or someone else. You don't need to include that statement from the finding aid about "copyright in other records created by other people may be held by them."
If unknown, write "unknown"
AUTO ENTER MULTIPLE ITEMS SCRIPT
There is a script that allows FileMaker to automatically generate multiple Item Records for your collection. Use the script if you have two or more items to enter. BEFORE running the script, create one item record, following the instructions above, and completing all the fields that apply to all the item records. Leave the title field blank if each item will have a separate title, etc. Make sure to complete the Item Number field.
- Run the script by pressing Ctrl+2
- Answer the questions posed by the script.
- Wait for the script to complete.
- Display each newly created item record and complete any fields that need item-specific data such as title according to the instructions above.
IF YOU WANT TO DEACCESSION A DISC ALREADY LISTED
There may be a case where disks/carriers have been entered and assigned numbers in the database, but you may determine that we do not want to keep them. In this situation, there is a large red button in the upper right-hand side of the screen that says “DEACCESSION.” If you are in the item record of a carrier you want to delete, you can hit this button and the database will run a script that will automatically populate several fields with “Deaccessioned” for you.
Do not forget that you will also need to physically remove the disks from the collection and dispose of them. You can consult with your team leader or Jen about how to do this.