SNAC Policy

Owned by Betts Coup
Apr 09, 2021
6 min read

Houghton Library Technical Services SNAC Policy 

Prepared by Betts Coup & Melanie Wisner, 2019-2020.

Overview/Value

Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) provides an opportunity to describe people, groups, and families who have created, are the subjects of, are referenced in, or have another connection to archival materials in a descriptive tool separate from finding aid creation tools. These people, groups, and families, referred to as entities in SNAC documentation and this document, could have relationships with archival materials spread across multiple repositories. It has been a challenge up to this point for users to collocate archival materials without relying on scattered footnotes and websites. SNAC provides this collocation function, connecting entities to related but dispersed collection materials. 

SNAC also brings entities together via structured relationships. SNAC records demonstrate relationships between separate creators of collections (such as family members) or writers who are co-creators or are subjects of archival collections (such as a person who is the subject of another person’s papers or groups with which a person was closely involved). Through SNAC, it is then possible to discover and visualize entire networks of entities while viewing all related collections. A SNAC record functions as an archival authority record, and archival authority records must include context and a description of related archival materials. To provide this, a SNAC record can include biographical information, connections to locations, occupations, subjects, and defined relationships to other entities and archival collections. This creates enhanced descriptions that go well beyond what is provided by most finding aids. SNAC records provide context that traditional bibliographic systems do not in records that bring to light well-known creators of archival collections as well as lesser-known entities.

SNAC, unlike other authority systems, is intended for public use rather than a domain-specific user. It is free, available online, and has international contributors. It exists within a system of authority files, providing links to bibliographic authority data in the Library of Congress Name Authority File when available, but also provides further context and connections to both collections and other entities. This work offers Houghton the chance to give back in sharing Houghton collection data with the larger community. Finally, the programming team behind SNAC is working on interoperability with a new ArchivesSpace agent module that will allow processors to import and export data between systems to simplify, enhance, and standardize description of people, groups, and families associated. This will also allow the valuable data input into SNAC to boost the description of creators and other entities in our local system for improved access.

To summarize, SNAC: 

  • Focuses on archival data rather than the bibliographic data in existing authority systems

  • Separates the work of collection description from creator description, enhancing each,

  • Provides context which existing authority systems do not,

  • Is free, online, international,

  • Shares rich Houghton collection data with the larger community,

  • Will be interoperable with ArchivesSpace (coming soon), and

  • Brings to light overlooked entities (non-creators and those in small collections).


Selection criteria for inclusion in SNAC 

There are multiple reasons for selecting entities for inclusion in SNAC: to include their relationships to archival collections or other entities; to reveal their role in the process of archival collecting; and to take the opportunity to focus on entities who are otherwise underrepresented or members of marginalized communities. These included entities will have at least one mention in the finding aid and a 6xx or 7xx in the MARC record.

We have identified the following entities that Houghton archivists are required to include or upgrade if possible in SNAC:

  • The chief entity responsible for or the subject of a collection, as defined by DACS and in DACS Principle 4: “Record creators and other agents must be described sufficiently to understand the meaning of records”;

  • Additional entity/ies closely related to the chief entity, including as additional creator or major subject, even with few mentions within the collection, including: 

    • Donors;

    • Dealers;

    • Spouses or significant others of creators or subjects already included in SNAC

    • Entities who have a relationship with the creator that can be uniquely identified  and described through the archival materials at hand.

  • Entities who are well-represented in a collection and/or are  subjects of an archival collection in its description;

  • Entities who are or were members of traditionally or currently underrepresented and/or marginalized communities, including enslaved persons (if uncertain, use one or more of the following sources of guidance):

  • Entities’ self-identification

  • Common cultural knowledge

  • Curatorial rationale for acquisition 

  • Colleagues’ advice

  • Researcher input

  • Archivist’s informed judgement

  • Web research

  • Persons who have relationships with archival collections that have seen high researcher demand.


Levels of SNAC records

Houghton Library has established three levels for SNAC records, which define the extent of the record created for each of the various types of entities listed above. The selection of some entities to receive enhanced description is one that should be carefully considered, as level two and three SNAC records take additional time and work. We have established guidance regarding certain types of entities for more extensive SNAC records based on current practice as well as Houghton’s Recommendations from Diversity and Inclusion Working Group on Description and Cataloging and intentions of centering our work in user needs per the DACS Principles.

Level one is a baseline SNAC record which includes the accurate name and life dates (if available) for the entity, a biographical or historical note, and a link to the finding aid for the archival materials at Houghton that relate to this entity and serve as the sources for all notes in the ArchivesSpace resource record. This work will be done for all creators of newly accessioned collections as well as for creators of collections in process as part of a backlog project. See above for a complete list of those who will be selected for at least level one SNAC records.

Level two SNAC records include all the level one entries, plus places associated with and occupations of the entity, subjects relating to the entity, a Wikidata image which will appear in the public SNAC interface, and the sources for this additional information.

Level two SNAC records should be created in these cases:

  • Houghton Library holds materials that provide new or otherwise undeclared  information about an entity.

  • Entities are not known elsewhere.

  • Entities who are members of underrepresented or marginalized communities, are/were enslaved persons, have complex identity information, or whose collections were purchased by curators specifically for reasons based on expanding Houghton collection diversity and inclusion. In these cases, additional connections of location, occupation, and subject may aid further collocation or research value.


Level three SNAC records include all the level two entries as well as established relationships with other entities in SNAC. To do this work, SNAC editors must fully understand the key relationships in this entity’s life or active time. SNAC editors are also asked to add the reciprocal relationship to the other entity’s record; thus, this is a somewhat time-consuming project. 

Level three SNAC records should be created in cases where:

  • Houghton Library holds materials that demonstrate unique relationships not clear from other available resources; thus it is important to identify the relationship and cite the Houghton collection that provides that evidence.

  • If the materials relate to an entity who is part of an underrepresented or marginalized group whose relationship to various collections or entities would not otherwise be known.

  • If establishing the SNAC record will provide connections between multiple identities and a single entity that might not be provided elsewhere.

  • If a collection title includes a creator name and also a subject that is an entity (rather than a topical subject), that relationship should be established in SNAC. (For example: John Madison Morton letters to Benjamin Webster (MS Thr 2048). The association between Morton and Webster should be established in SNAC.)

  • If a collection is seen by collections and technical services staff to be likely to be in high demand or regular use, meaning that it is important to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of the SNAC record. 


Relationship between levels of SNAC records and processing levels

The choice of level for a SNAC record is not dependent on the processing level for the related collection. Many of the collections at Houghton that have received in-depth processing (level three) have creators who are well-known entities with existing accurate and thorough SNAC records and for which we have no unique information to share. In this case, spending time adding information at SNAC level three may not add value. 

In other cases, a collection processed at level one will have a creator who (for reasons mentioned above) does fit the guidelines for a level two or three SNAC record; that decision is based on the guidelines above rather than the processing level for the collection. Furthermore, collections that have been processed to a level three may provide opportunities for identifying additional entities beyond the creator who should have minimal (level one) SNAC records created. These entities might only be included once at the file level in the finding aid but warrant additional attention due to factors explained above.