JSTOR Forum Metadata Field Reference

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Cataloging Approaches

Staff working in Forum will use either or both of the cataloging models introduced in 2024, depending on the needs and workflows of each Forum project:

A standalone item record describing the object being cataloged--the work--plus information about a single image
Item records for individual images linked to a "work container" where the object being cataloged is described
- Work containers are useful when the sequence of images is important, and provide a single point of maintenance for metadata shared by many items.

Item records have the same set of fields as work containers, with the same data types, rules, and conventions, plus additional sets of fields for a) image-specific metadata and b) image source metadata. The bulk of description should be put in the general fields, using the image-specific fields only where the information differs. The one exception is that all item records must include the image repository in order to appear as a repository limit value in Harvard systems.

In addition,

depending on the Forum project, item records may have two additional fields that can be used to associate them with a work container: the work container link and the sequence of the item among other items linked to the same work container.
Work containers may have a Primary DRS Image field to support future image uploads.

Field Types and Their Uses in Harvard systems

Most fields in Forum are of one of two types: Linked Authority or Text. These fields types are processed differently into Harvard systems, and the differences are important.

Linked Authority Fields

Terms in Linked Authority fields must be linked to an authority record or a term from a list that is controlled within Forum. When a linked authority field is processed, only the term from the linked authority will be used. The concatenated text is not used, except for the Creator and Private Owner fields. In addition to the controlled values used for searching and in facets, the text of those fields will be available for display as notes in Harvard systems to communicate the named entity's role.

Linked Authority fields have a book icon, which will list the vocabulary sources available for that field and bring up a search interface for the terms in each vocabulary.

Once terms are linked and appended to a field, both a concatenated text string for all the terms and a link for each term will display. Terms in the text string may be separated by a vertical bar (aka pipe) symbol (" | ") or with semi-colons. Creator and Private Owner are also repurposed for display, and for that use Harvard systems will convert any "|" symbols will be converted to "; ".

Text Fields

For text fields, the text string in Forum is processed and, in the rare cases where a qualifier term is linked, the linked authority is not.

Because fields in Forum records are not repeatable, for most text fields, the text within the field can represent one or more instances of the concept-- multiple alternative titles or multiple notes, for example. For greater usability and legibility in public systems, a vertical bar (aka pipe) symbol must be used between segments to indicate where the text should be separated multiple instances of a field. If the " | " symbol is not used, the text will be processed as one value.

Work-Level Fields for Items and Work Containers

Certain cataloging practices need to be followed for Forum fields to be accurately displayed and used in Harvard systems. Please follow the guidelines below for best results. Fields are listed here in alphabetical order because the field order in the cataloging forms staff see can differ from project to project.

Field Name	Type	Guidelines	Vocabularies / Lists
Alternative Title	Text	Separate multiple alternate titles with " \| ". This will cause them to be split into separate alternate title values for HOLLIS and LibraryCloud. Optionally, include a specific title type from the controlled list, in parentheses, at the end of an alternate title (see Vocabularies at right). Older controlled title type values will be normalized to the supported values. Supported title type values will be mapped into a separate title type subelement for HOLLIS and LibraryCloud. Alternative titles without a type will be assigned "alternate" as a title type. Unrecognized terms in parentheses at the end of an alternate title will remain part of the title	Title Type (uncontrolled list): abbreviated, album title, alternate, alternate transliteration, former, original, original language, series, translated, transliterated, transliterated (Pinyin), transliterated (Wade-Giles)
Artstor Classification	List	Not mapped into Harvard systems.	Artstor Classification
Artstor Country	List	Not mapped into Harvard systems.	Artstor Country
Associated Name	Linked Authority	Use for named entities related to the work that are not creators, subjects, or repositories. Link to authority records for each name. Create a new name authority record when one does not exist.	Shared Shelf Names (includes Harvard authorities, which are often LCNAF forms, and ULAN)
Collection Finding Aid	URL	Enter only the persistent URL for finding aid; do not include other text. E.g., http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:fun00002 or https://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/hou02307/catalog Separate multiple entries with " \| ".	n/a
Creation Site	Linked Authority	Use for place where the described material was created or published. Separate multiple entries with " \| ". Link to an authority record or controlled list term for each entry. Create a new authority record or list term when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used. Optionally, include the role (creation) or (publication) in parentheses following the place.	Thesaurus of Geographic Names Harvard: Place Names
Creator	Linked Authority	Use for persons or entities that played a creative role in the material being described. You may add role terms in parentheses following each name in the display field. Each creator name must be linked to an authority record. Create a new name authority record when one does not exist. Controlled terms from linked authority records will be used in searching and facets in Harvard systems. Attribution and role terms will not appear in those contexts. The Creator text field will be available for additional display in HOLLIS, with any " \| " symbols replaced by a semi-colon and a space ("; "). Attribution and role terms, if present, will appear in this context. In legacy records, names for patrons and similar roles may appear in the Creator field due to limitations during conversion. They can be moved to Associated Name, with their role in parentheses, if you choose.	Shared Shelf Names (includes Harvard authorities, which are often LCNAF forms, and ULAN)
Culture	Linked Authority	Link to authority records or controlled list terms for each entry. Create a new authority records or list terms when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Art & Architecture Thesaurus Shared Shelf Culture
Date Description	Text	A text expression of date information about the creation, publication, modification, etc. of the described content, intended for display.	n/a
Description	Text	Separate multiple entries with " \| ". This will cause them to be split into separate field for HOLLIS and LibraryCloud.	n/a
Discovery Site	Linked Authority	Use for place where the described material was discovered or found. Separate multiple entries with " \| ". Link to an authority record or controlled list term for each entry. Create a new authority record or list term when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Thesaurus of Geographic Names Harvard: Place Names
Earliest Date	Number	A numeric value used by systems to limit search results. Not intended for display. Precede BCE dates with a minus sign.	n/a
Former Site	Linked Authority	Use for place where the described material used to be. Separate multiple entries with " \| ". Link to an authority record or controlled list term for each entry. Create a new authority record or list term when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Thesaurus of Geographic Names Harvard: Place Names
Has Larger Context	Text	If the work was associated with a "group" work record, this field will contain the title of the group followed by the identifier of the group in parentheses. Do not edit this field except under specific circumstances. Refer to Relationships Between Forum Records (forthcoming) for further infomation.	n/a
HOLLIS	URL	Enter only a permalink URL to an associated HOLLIS record, typically the Alma record for the related archival collection; do not include other text. E.g., http://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/99153758696603941/catalog Separate multiple entries with " \| ".	n/a
In House Notes		Local notes about a work for staff use only. Notes about a particular image of a described work can be entered in the Image In House Notes field. Both fields are only for internal use and will not appear in public systems.	n/a
Inscription	Text	Separate multiple entries with " \| ". This will cause them to be split into separate field for HOLLIS and LibraryCloud.	n/a
Latest Date	Number	A numeric value used by systems to limit search results. Not intended for display. Precede BCE dates with a minus sign.	n/a
Larger Context For	Text	A list of former work records that had a "part of" relationship to this work. Each segment in this field will contain the title of a related work followed by its Ref ID (see below) in parentheses. Do not edit this field except under specific circumstances. Refer to Relationships Between Forum Records (forthcoming) for further infomation.	n/a
Legacy ID	Text	Record identifiers supplied to Forum, not created in Forum itself. Do not edit these.	n/a
License	List	Controlled list of values from Creative Commons. Creative Commons licenses are a standardized way for a copyright holder to grant the public permission to use their creative work under copyright law. In Forum records, this should only be used if the copyright holder has assigned such a license or if Harvard owns the copyright and has determined the appropriate license with guidance from counsel.	License
Location	Linked Authority	Use for the places that are not creation, discovery or former sites or repositories. Current sites Separate multiple entries with " \| ". Link to an authority record or controlled list term for each entry. Create a new authority record or list term when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Thesaurus of Geographic Names Harvard: Place Names
Materials	Linked Authority	Link to authority records or controlled list terms for each entry. Create a new authority record or list term when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used. Optionally, the material type (medium) or (support) may be added to the text value to specify how the material is used. This will not appear in Harvard systems at this time, but could be extracted to provide more detail in the future.	Art & Architecture Thesaurus Shared Shelf Materials
Materials Techniques Note	Text	Free text field	n/a
Measurements	Text	Free text field	n/a
Notes	Text	Separate multiple entries with " \| ". This will cause them to be split into separate fields for HOLLIS and LibraryCloud. Prefix the note with the note type followed by a colon and space, e.g., "Locations: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, United States (installation site)" Recommended note types are: General, Agent, Associated number, Bibliography, Biography/history, Citation/references, Classifications, Credit line, Cultures, Dates, Description, Events, Exhibitions, Formats available, Historical, Icon, Identifying marks, Locations, Process description, Provenance, Related site(s), Series, States/editions: Styles/periods, Subject, Titles Current systems do not enforce or make use of note types except for display. However, applying them is recommended to add context that might be useful in future applications.	See Guidelines, at left.
Private Owner	Linked Authority	Link to authority records or controlled list terms for each entry. Create a new authority record or list term when one does not exist. Append "(owner)" or "(former owner)" to the name in the text field, as appropriate. Separate multiple values with " \| "	Shared Shelf Names (includes Harvard authorities, which are often LCNAF forms, and ULAN)
Ref ID	Text	Original record identifier, whether supplied to Forum from an earlier system or process or generated by Forum itself.	n/a
Related Information	Text	For related content that can be accessed via a link. Enter in the form [Description and/or title]: [link] E.g., "[Military life in the form of comic strips] - album view: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:37308602" Separate multiple entries with " \| " The description will become a hyperlink in HOLLIS.	n/a
Related Works	Text	Use to reference related works that cannot be accessed by a link. Enter in the form [Relationship] [Title or Description] Separate multiple entries with " \| "	n/a
Repository	Linked Authority	Link to an authority record for the repository currently holding the material being described. Create a new authority record or list term when one does not exist. Former repositories should not be entered in the Repository field but instead be added to the Notes fields as Provenance notes, e.g. Provenance: Defunct Museum (former repository) The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used. *When the repository is a Harvard unit, it must be linked to specific authority records.* See Repository Names and Contacts for details. The appearance of these specific authority records in the Repository field is used to set the "Original at Harvard" facet in HOLLIS Images	Shared Shelf Names (includes Harvard authorities, which are often LCNAF forms, and ULAN)
Repository Number	Text	All work-level repository numbers are entered in this field, with multiple values separated by " \| ". Optionally, add the number type in parentheses following the number. The number types will display as entered. Established number types are: accession, accession number, accession date, barcode, object number, other, repository number, shelfList, shelfmark, and survey number	n/a
Rights/Access Information	Text	Use to identify copyright holders or to describe restrictions on access Supply the prefix "Copyright: " or "Access Restrictions: " to each entry. Entries without a prefix will be treated as copyright information Separate multiple values with " \| ".	See Guidelines, at left
Standardized Rights	List	Controlled list of values from rightsstatements.org. Use in Harvard systems is planned but not yet designed. Standardized rights statements are intended to communicate the copyright and re-use status of digital objects to the public in a consistent way. There are twelve statements expressing variations of three categories: known to be in copyright, known to be out of copyright, and other.	Rights (controlled list)
State/Edition	Text	Free text field	n/a
Style/Period	Linked Authority	Link to authority records or controlled list terms for each entry. Create a new authority records or list terms when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Art & Architecture Thesaurus Shared Shelf Style/Period
Subject	Linked Authority	Link to authority records or controlled list terms for each entry. Create a new authority records or list terms when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Art & Architecture Thesaurus Shared Shelf Names (includes Harvard authorities, which are often LCNAF forms, and ULAN) Thesaurus of Geographic Names Harvard: Place Names
Techniques	Linked Authority	Link to authority records or controlled list terms for each entry. Create a new authority records or list terms when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Art & Architecture Thesaurus Shared Shelf Techniques
Title	Text	Use for the primary title for the material being described. In legacy item records, alternate titles will appear in the Title field due to limitations during conversion. They can be moved to Alternative Title, with their title type in parentheses, if you choose. When they remain in the Title field, separate all title and alternative title instances with " \| ". In this case, the first title segment will be treated as the primary title and subsequent segments treated as alternate titles in Harvard systems.
Work Container	Link	An optional link to a container record. If an item is linked to a container, the container fields will be used in Harvard systems instead of the parallel fields from the item. Only the image-specific fields from the item will be used.	Work Container
Work Container Sequence	Number	The order of this item in the sequence of other items linked to the same container.	n/a
Work Type	Linked Authority	Link to authority records or controlled list terms for each entry. Create a new authority records or list terms when one does not exist. The text field will not be used by Harvard systems; only the controlled value will be used.	Art & Architecture Thesaurus Shared Shelf Work Type

Item-Level Descriptive Fields in Item Records

Field Name	Type	Guidelines
Image View Description	Text	An optional title or phrase characterizing the image relative to the Work. It may be values like "Recto", "Verso", "Full view", "Side panel", "Exterior", etc. or something more descriptive, e.g., "View of Firostefani, village adjacent to Phira." For standalone items, this will typically be blank.
Photographer	Linked Authority
Image Type	Linked Authority
Image Date	Text	A text expression of date information about the creation, publication, modification, etc. of the image, intended for display.
Image Start Year	Number	A numeric value used by systems to limit search results. Not intended for display. Precede BCE dates with a minus sign.
Image End Year	Number	A numeric value used by systems to limit search results. Not intended for display. Precede BCE dates with a minus sign.
Image Measurements	Text
Image Associated Name	Linked Authority
Image Materials	Linked Authority
Image Support	Linked Authority
Image Technique	Linked Authority
Image Subject	Linked Authority
Image Notes	Text
Image In House Notes	Text
Image Credit	Text
Image Rights	Text
Image Repository	Linked Authority	Link to an authority record for the Harvard repository holding the image. *Harvard repositories must be linked to specific authority records.* See Repository Names and Contacts for details. Harvard repositories in this field underlie the Repository dropdown and Repository facet values in HOLLIS Images. If the Image Repository is missing, the item will not be retrievable using those search limits.
Image Collection	Text	Image Collection does not currently map to Harvard systems because no guidelines for its use or specifications for how it should display have been developed.
Image Classification Number	Text
Image Accession Number	Text
Image Accession Date	Text
Send To Harvard	Boolean	This misnamed field really means that the record should be included in Harvard discovery systems such as HOLLIS.
In House Use Only	Boolean
Olivia ID	Text	The record identifier from the legacy cataloging system for images at Harvard, OLIVIA from which a Forum item record was created. Leave these as is. They may be useful to tracking down a reference. Many correspond to identifiers provided as Owner Supplied Names for content in the DRS.
Additional Formats	Text
Olivia Record Info	Text	Creation and modification catalogers and dates migrated from OLIVIA. These provide clues to a record's age and history. Leave as is.

Image Request and Image Source Fields in Item Records

Field Name	Type	Guidelines
Image Requester	Text
Image Request Date	Text
Image Provider	Text
Image Source Author	Text
Image Source Date	Text
Image Source Title	Text
Image Source Alternate Title	Text
Image Source Edition	Text
Image Source Type	Linked Authority
Image Source Place of Publication	Text
Image Source Publisher	Text
Image Source Publication Date	Text
Image Source Series Title	Text
Image Source Reference Number	Text
Image Source Call Numbers	Text
Image Source Notes	Text
Volume	Text
Issue Number	Text
Year	Text
Page Plate Number	Text
Images Source ID	Text
Image Source Record Created By	Text

Obsolete Fields

The following item record fields were made obsolete during the data model changes in 2024. In almost every case, they have been replaced by one or more new fields. The obsolete fields with their metadata as of 2020-04-01 remain in the records for now for staff reference only, but they will not be used by Harvard systems. There is no point in editing them; the new replacement fields should be used.

The obsolete fields can be omitted from cataloging forms, but the field itself cannot be deleted from a project unless the field is empty in every record within the project.

Obsolete Field	New Field(s) / Note
ARTstor Earliest Date	Earliest Date
ARTstor Latest Date	Latest Date
Creation/Discovery Site	Creation Site Discovery Site
Export Only in Group	items and work containers are no longer exported within group records.
Latitude, Longitude, and Elevation	Coordinates will be extracted from linked TGN records for inclusion in Harvard systems. Image coordinate fields can be added to a Forum project for camera-extracted coordinate data on request to LTS.
Relationships	Related Works Related Information HOLLIS Collection Finding Aid
Materials/Techniques	Materials Techniques
Reference Sources	not used
Repository Accession Number	Repository Number, appended by optional "(accession number)"
Repository Classification Number	Repository Number, appended by optional "(classification number)"
Rights	Rights/Access Information

Thesauri, Authorities, and Vocabularies

The most commonly used sources of authorized terms in Forum are

Shared Shelf Names (SSN)

The Shared Shelf Names authority file in Forum includes both terms from the Getty's Union List of Artist Names (ULAN) plus terms that were added directly in Forum by Forum users.
10-digit IDs starting with '900' indicate local or contributed values created in Forum's SSN database table. Terms that do not match this convention can be assumed to be ULAN terms.
Locally contributed terms most often align with the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF).
ULAN forms of name and/or qualifiers typically differ from Library of Congress terms, and will appear as separate facet values, for example, in HOLLIS. For this reason, where there is a choice of locally-added terms, catalogers often choose locally-contributed terms to make Forum records work better in aggregations dominated by records with LCNAF names.

Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN)

In JSTOR Forum, TGN includes both a static (years old) set of records from the Getty's Thesaurus of Geographic Names plus terms that were added directly in Forum by Forum users. 10-digit IDs starting with '400' indicate local or contributed values created in Forum's TGN database. Terms that do not match this convention can be assumed to be "true" Getty TGN terms. It is no longer possible for Forum users to add new terms to Forum's TGN. To create a new geographic term in Forum, add it to the Harvard: Place Names list under the Cataloging Tools / Lists menu.
Getty TGN terms often contain intermediate divisions, such as region or county, that Library of Congress terms do not, and terms that differ from LC will appear as separate facet values, for example, in HOLLIS. For this reason, where there is a choice of locally-added terms or TGN terms, catalogers often choose local terms that were constructed to align with LC terms.
However, Getty TGN terms typically include coordinates. If coordinates are valuable to your unit, TGN terms may be preferrable.

Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)

Forum's AAT authority file does not support the creation of local values. Terms not found in AAT can be added to the following lists under the Cataloging Tools / Lists menu
- Shared Shelf Culture
- Shared Shelf Material
- Shared Shelf Style/Period
- Shared Shelf Subjects
- Shared Shelf Technique
- Shared Shelf Work Type

New Vocabulary-- Harvard: Place Names

With the retirement of the Works service in Forum, there is no longer a way to add new place names to the "TGN" vocabulary in Forum. A new list, Harvard: Place Names, has been created where new geographic authorities may be created. The new list has been added to the following fields:

Location
Former Site
Creation Site
Discovery Site
Subject
Image Subject

Legacy Vocabularies

Shared Shelf Works (SSW)

Forum item and work container records that originated in OLIVIA may have used other cataloging records for works and sites as authority records. In Forum today, the title and alternate titles of the work or site will appear in some Subject, Location, Former Site, Creation Site, and Discovery Site fields in both the text of the field and as a "cartouche". E.g.,

Since the retirement of the JSTOR Forum Works Service, these cartouches no longer link to any existing authority. Harvard systems still rely on the data in the cartouche for the authorized form(s) of the work or site. Once removed, they cannot be reinstated. Do not remove the cartouche unless a) the term is no longer relevant to the record, or b) you replace it with a new linked authority. If removed, they should be replaced with new text and a link to a comparable authority record from vocabularies such as the Thesaurus of Geographic Names or Harvard: Place Names.

Qualifier Controlled Lists

Controlled lists of qualifier terms in Forum are no longer system-enforced. However, the term lists can still be referenced to improve metadata consistency. In some fields, the list values are used in processing the field value for the best experience in discovery systems.

List Name	Applicable Fields
Attribution	Creator Associated Name	When applicable, assign an attribution term preceding a name term, followed by a single space. E.g., "follower of Holbein, Hans, the younger"
Location Type	Location Creation Site	In the Location field, specific location types other than former, creation, or discovery (which have dedicated fields) may be appended in parentheses following place terms. In the Creation Site field, (creation) or (publication) may be added following the place term to specify the relationship of the place to the thing being described.
Note Type	Notes
Owner Type	Private Owner
Repository Type	Note - Repository	Used for former repositories in Notes. Only current repositories should be recorded in the Repository field, and these should not be assigned a type.
Rights Type	Rights/Access Information
Shared Shelf Role	Creator Associated Name	When applicable, assign a role term in parentheses following the name term. E.g., Bourdichon, Jean (illuminator) or Bry, Theodor de (engraver (printmaker)).
Title Type	Title Alternate Title	For new records, title type should only be used (optionally) in the Alternative Title field, although they also appear in the Title field for some legacy records. When assigning a title type, include a specific title type from the approved list, in parentheses, at the end of an alternate title. E.g., Friendship (translated). Terms recognized by Harvard systems are abbreviated album title alternate alternate transliteration former original original language series translated transliterated transliterated (Pinyin) transliterated (Wade-Giles) Unrecognized terms in parentheses at the end of an alternate title will remain part of the title. See Title and Alternative Title, above, for more information on the processing of titles.

Legacy Record Identifiers: Legacy ID, Ref ID, Work Record

Over time, Harvard records have entered JSTOR Forum through three different routes:

created in the Forum user interface
loaded into Forum using the AVES batch loader
created in OLIVIA, the home-grown image cataloging system in use at Harvard from roughly 2000 through 2014

All the identifiers are being retained in Forum work container records and in item records, and all will be searchable in HOLLIS.

In most cases, the record identifier with which the record was originally created will remain the primary record identifier in HOLLIS. This is representative of the way the identifiers appear in the various systems:

Forum Work	Ref ID	Legacy ID	LibraryCloud base ID	HOLLIS	Source
8001309581	8001309581	[blank]	8001309581	8001309581	Work created manually in Forum
8000517011	W20034188	W20034188	W20034188	olvwork20034188	Schlesinger record loaded into OLIVIA.
8000455159	W689656	W689656	W689656	olvwork689656	Work created in OLIVIA
8000560644	S1534	S1534	S1534	olvsite1534	Site created in OLIVIA
8000556397	G80	G80	G80	olvgroup80	Group created in OLIVIA
8001176338	SlavPost_Plakat_Perestroike	SlavPost_Plakat_Perestroike	8001176338	8001176338	Slavic record loaded through Aves into Forum
8000949055	JPCDPIR7128	JPCDPIR7128	JPCDPIR7128	JPCDPIR7128	Judaica record loaded through Aves into Forum
8001717130	8001717130	D480	8001717130	8001717130	Gutman record created manually in Forum by Imaging Services

The primary record identifier for HOLLIS is determined by a sequence of tests:

Ref ID = JPCD*
Ref ID = W, S, or G followed by digits (initial letter converted to the long form prefixes olvwork, olvgroup, olvsite for HOLLIS)
Forum Work Record ID
Container ID
Item ID