ArchivesSpace Accession Records

Use a DACS-compliant title for the accession record consisting of creator and type of material with a possible subject component.

If accession is an accrual to an existing collection, note this by putting ADD following the title. (May be followed by a colon and brief description of the material added.)

Leonard Bernstein correspondence ADD

Houghton Library collection concerning slavery in Cuba

Collection of manuscript music scores by M. W. Balfe

Autograph File, Q ADD: Fern Quinn letter to William Whetherby

Accession number consisting of the fiscal year, an alpha designation, a dash, and a sequential number (no leading zeros). The entire accession number should go in the first identifier box. The alpha designation is "M" unless the acquisition is by the Theatre Collection ("MT"), Printing & Graphic Arts ("MH"), or Theodore Roosevelt collection ("TRM").

2016M-101

2019MT-2

2023MH-15

2024TRM-3

This is the date of receipt of the materials, not the date of creation of the accession record.

This field copies over to the resource record as Scope and Contents. Provide summary details on the contents of the accession.

A description of the condition of the materials, including special handling instructions.

Box 1 in the collection contains brittle newsprint, use care handling.

Includes glass negatives, fragile; use provided gloves.

Volume is bound in vellum; may not go to HD.

Use to indicate the new collection call number or the call number of the collection the material is being added to; if the latter, add the word "ACCRUAL". The call number should be the first entry within this field, if used.

Also see Related Resources.

Information about donor/dealers, fund names, and acquisition date. Do not include addresses or purchase amounts. While this information does not automatically transfer to a spawned resource record, this line may be copied manually to the resource record in an "Immediate Source" note.

2008M-99. Transfer from Widener Library (purchased from K. Jackson), 2008 December 1.

2022MT-115. Purchased from Auger Down Books with the Frank E. Chase Bequest, 2022 March 28.

2005M-10. Gift of W.E.B. Du Bois Institute (purchased from George Robert Minkoff Inc.), 2005 August 18.

2017MH-2. Purchased from Phoebe Jane Easton with the Rosamond B. Loring fund, the Printing & Graphic Arts fund, the Caroline Miller Parker Collection fund, the Osgood Hooker fund, the Philip Hofer Trust fund, the Imrie de Vegh fund, and the Frank Denny Book fund, 2017 June.

Information about known ownership and/or transactions prior to Houghton's acquisition. If none, state that no information about prior ownership is known.

These papers were previously owned first by the author's editor at Faber & Faber, James Witt, who gave them in 1983 to the author's niece, Deirdre Smith, from whom the Houghton Library purchased them.

Ownership of the collection prior to this acquisition is unknown.

This is a drop down menu. Select the most appropriate.

Deposit; Gift; Purchase; Transfer

This is a drop down menu. Select the most appropriate.

A collection is an assembled group of materials, even if very small, usually focused on a topic or person, created or collected by an individual or corporate body (collected by Houghton in the case of a catchall). Papers are the materials generated by an individual. Records are the materials generated by a corporate body.

Collection; Papers; Records

For material that gets added to a catchall or other collection.

Accrual

For single items that only get a MARC record and aren't otherwise represented in a finding aid.

Single item

This is a check box. Check if either an access or use restriction applies to the collection.

This is a check box. Check if an access restriction applies to the collection.

Describe the restriction, using language prescribed in TS Department Restrictions document or language shown below in the case of material shelved at HD.

Restricted: donor permission required; Series II is restricted until 2045; consult curatorial staff.

This collection is shelved offsite. Retrieval requires advance notice. Readers should check with Houghton Public Services staff to determine what material is offsite and retrieval policies and times.

This is a check box. Check if a use restriction applies to the collection.

Describe the restriction if there is a use restriction associated with the collection.

Label – used to indicate the type of date you are recording, generally this will be Creation.

Expression – used for the natural language expression of the date

circa 1990-1999

2014 March

undated

Type – used to indicate whether the date is inclusive, bulk, or single. If creating both an inclusive and a bulk date, create two date sub-records.

Date Begin – used to document the normalized begin date of materials

Date End – used to document the normalized end date of materials

Whole / Portion – used to indicate if the extent you are recording applies to the whole accession or only a part of it; it will usually be Whole. Use an additional extent note to describe the extent of audio, visual, or born-digital material included in the collection, using Part.

Number – used to indicate the numeric extent of the accession.

.1, 10, 100, etc...

Type – used to describe the unit of measurement. Always use linear feet OR gigabytes for born-digital content.

Container Summary – used optionally to describe the containers.

(5 boxes, 2 folders)

(1 folder)

Physical Details – used optionally to describe other physical details of the materials being described.

Contains black and white photographs.

Contains 15 floppy disks and one CD.

To add an extent for born-digital content:

Use "Portion"

Number: calculate number of Gigabytes

Type: use Gigabytes

Container summary: (15 floppy disks, 1 external hard drive)

Not necessary for single items or accruals.

Role – this is a drop-down menu used to describe the role of the agent in the accession.

     If creator, select Creator

     If donor or dealer, select Source

Agent links – this is where you create the actual Agent Record. You can either browse to see if your agent already has a record or create a new record.

For information about creating a new agent record, see the Harvard-wide ArchivesSpace Best Practice Guidelines.

Resource – if the accession is an accrual, search in the text box or browse to the appropriate resource and link to the accession record. If spawning a new resource record from the accession record, the links will be made automatically.