Step-by-Step Guide to Single/Collection Level Description in ArchivesSpace

Owned by Betts Coup
Last updated: Nov 30, 2022

This section provides the basic information needed to create finding aids in the ArchivesSpace environment at Houghton Library. It is not a tutorial on how to use ArchivesSpace. For more detailed information about using the software please refer to Harvard Library user manual and/or the ArchivesSpace resource center. 

 

  1. Open ArchivesSpace. Go to https://arstaff.lib.harvard.edu
  2. Login with username and password (Username will likely be your last name followed by your first initial, such as smithj.)
  3. Set up the Resource Record template if you’ve never done so
  4. Check for an existing accession record in ArchivesSpace and any existing relevant bibliographic records in Alma.
  5. Open a new Resource Record
    1. Go to “Create” in the upper left of your screen and select “Resource” from the dropdown menu
  6. Fill in the minimum required elements to save:

    TITLE

    IDENTIFIER

    LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION

    DATES

    EXTENTS

    EADID

  7. Save Resource Record
  8. Fill in Houghton Library required elements
  9. When you are done with your description entirely, set the Finding Aid Status to “Completed” and assign the processing level to the collection in the Collection Management tab. 
  10. When you are ready to publish your finding aid, click “Publish All”