SPEC Kit 314: Processing Decisions for Manuscripts &Archives · 139
University of California, Irvine
Archival Processing Manual
Michelle Light Page 2
1. Boxes.........................................................................................................................32
2. Folders ......................................................................................................................32
3. Paper.........................................................................................................................33
4. Bound volumes..........................................................................................................34
5. Oversize items ...........................................................................................................35
6. Bulky items................................................................................................................35
7. Photographs, negatives, and slides...........................................................................35
a. Prints.......................................................................................................................................... 36
b. Negatives.................................................................................................................................... 36
c. Glass plates and tintypes ...........................................................................................................37
d. Slides.......................................................................................................................................... 37
e. Photographs and negatives in University Archives Collections.............................................. 38
8. Scrapbooks and albums ............................................................................................38
9. Audio, audiovisual, and digital media ......................................................................38
VI. DESCRIPTION...........................................................................................................40
A. TITLES ...........................................................................................................................40
1. Basic rules.................................................................................................................40
a. Specificity................................................................................................................................... 41
b. Inheritance and clarification.................................................................................................... 41
c. Style issues................................................................................................................................. 42
2. Name segments in titles.............................................................................................43
a. Predominant responsibility .......................................................................................................43
b. Form of the person, corporate, and family names................................................................... 45
c. Corporate body name changes.................................................................................................. 46
d. Unknown creators or repository-created collections ...............................................................46
3. Form segments in titles .............................................................................................47
a. Three or more forms? ...............................................................................................................47
b. One or two forms?..................................................................................................................... 47
c. One or two predominate forms? ...............................................................................................47
d. Common forms based on material type ....................................................................................47
e. Common forms based on function or purpose......................................................................... 49
4. Topical segments in titles..........................................................................................49
B. DATES............................................................................................................................50
C. ORGANIZING AND LABELING FOLDERS...........................................................................51
1. Logistics of labeling..................................................................................................51
2. Answers to FAQs about filing...................................................................................52
D. MEDIA MATERIALS ........................................................................................................52
1. Describing photographs ...........................................................................................52
2. Moving images..........................................................................................................54
3. Sound recordings ......................................................................................................55
E. DATA ELEMENTS IN THE FINDING AID ............................................................................56
1. Using levels of description effectively ......................................................................56
2. Descriptive Summary................................................................................................56
a. Title ............................................................................................................................................56
b. Inclusive dates ...........................................................................................................................57
c. Collection number..................................................................................................................... 57
d. Creator....................................................................................................................................... 57
e. Extent (and measuring the collection) .....................................................................................58
f. Physical location .......................................................................................................................58
g. Abstract...................................................................................................................................... 58
University of California, Irvine
Archival Processing Manual
Michelle Light Page 2
1. Boxes.........................................................................................................................32
2. Folders ......................................................................................................................32
3. Paper.........................................................................................................................33
4. Bound volumes..........................................................................................................34
5. Oversize items ...........................................................................................................35
6. Bulky items................................................................................................................35
7. Photographs, negatives, and slides...........................................................................35
a. Prints.......................................................................................................................................... 36
b. Negatives.................................................................................................................................... 36
c. Glass plates and tintypes ...........................................................................................................37
d. Slides.......................................................................................................................................... 37
e. Photographs and negatives in University Archives Collections.............................................. 38
8. Scrapbooks and albums ............................................................................................38
9. Audio, audiovisual, and digital media ......................................................................38
VI. DESCRIPTION...........................................................................................................40
A. TITLES ...........................................................................................................................40
1. Basic rules.................................................................................................................40
a. Specificity................................................................................................................................... 41
b. Inheritance and clarification.................................................................................................... 41
c. Style issues................................................................................................................................. 42
2. Name segments in titles.............................................................................................43
a. Predominant responsibility .......................................................................................................43
b. Form of the person, corporate, and family names................................................................... 45
c. Corporate body name changes.................................................................................................. 46
d. Unknown creators or repository-created collections ...............................................................46
3. Form segments in titles .............................................................................................47
a. Three or more forms? ...............................................................................................................47
b. One or two forms?..................................................................................................................... 47
c. One or two predominate forms? ...............................................................................................47
d. Common forms based on material type ....................................................................................47
e. Common forms based on function or purpose......................................................................... 49
4. Topical segments in titles..........................................................................................49
B. DATES............................................................................................................................50
C. ORGANIZING AND LABELING FOLDERS...........................................................................51
1. Logistics of labeling..................................................................................................51
2. Answers to FAQs about filing...................................................................................52
D. MEDIA MATERIALS ........................................................................................................52
1. Describing photographs ...........................................................................................52
2. Moving images..........................................................................................................54
3. Sound recordings ......................................................................................................55
E. DATA ELEMENTS IN THE FINDING AID ............................................................................56
1. Using levels of description effectively ......................................................................56
2. Descriptive Summary................................................................................................56
a. Title ............................................................................................................................................56
b. Inclusive dates ...........................................................................................................................57
c. Collection number..................................................................................................................... 57
d. Creator....................................................................................................................................... 57
e. Extent (and measuring the collection) .....................................................................................58
f. Physical location .......................................................................................................................58
g. Abstract...................................................................................................................................... 58
