How-to: Create a Resource Record in ArchivesSpace

Collection-level description and finding aid creation guide • View the full HARC ArchivesSpace Manual on the HARC SharePoint.

Overview

An ArchivesSpace Resource record is used to create a finding aid and record information about a collection.

In ArchivesSpace select: Create → Resource Record. A resource record with default field values will appear. Fill in and edit the fields as indicated below.

⚠️ Editing tip: Edit the information in square brackets [ ] and delete the brackets. Choose the proper selection from those listed in italics.

Basic Information

Basic Information Fields — click to expand
Title

[DACS compliant collection title]. For oral histories, this includes ["Oral History"] or ["Oral Histories"] appended at the end.

Identifier

[Accession #]

Resource Type

Choose: Records, Papers, Publications, or Collection

Publish?

This checkbox determines whether a Resource will display in the ArchivesSpace Public User Interface. Check this box only if the Resource is ready to be made public. Note that any lower-level components or notes that are unpublished will not be displayed.

Restrictions Apply?

Check box if restrictions apply. If there are no restrictions, leave unchecked. Additional description of the restrictions will be entered in the Access and Use restriction notes.

Repository Processing Notes

Describe any missing material {"[Box #, Folder #] is missing as of [YYYY-MM-DD] -- [Your name]"}, or any anomaly/oddity about the processing of the collection (e.g., multiple collections processed into one). Otherwise, leave it blank.

Languages

Languages Fields — click to expand
Language

Select the language of materials. If more than one language is present, click "Add Language" button and add the appropriate information.

Language of Materials Note

Add a human-readable note describing the language of materials found in the collection.

Content

Material entirely in [English].

Dates

Dates Fields — click to expand
Timewalk Plugin: The Reuther uses an ArchivesSpace plugin called timewalk, developed by Alexander Duryee at the New York Public Library, to automatically parse Date Expressions into structured Begin and End dates when an ArchivesSpace component is saved.

In order for this to work properly, create one Date subrecord for each distinct individual or range of dates and enter the information in a consistent, standardized way.

Example Date Expressions
  • 1945 August 17 — This will be automatically parsed into a Single date with a Begin value of 1945-08-17
  • 1957-1965 — This will be automatically parsed into an Inclusive date with a Begin value of 1957 and an End value of 1965
Approximate dates: If exact dates cannot be determined but approximate dates can be inferred, enter the Date Expression as circa [date]. If no dates can be determined or inferred, enter a Date Expression of undated.

At the Resource level: Record one Inclusive or Single Date and, if applicable, one Bulk date.

At the Archival Object/component level: Record as many Inclusive or Single dates as necessary, favoring one or two inclusive ranges when possible, and one Bulk date if applicable.

For Each Date

Select: Add Date or + if necessary to add a new Date subrecord

Label

Creation

Expression

[Date]

Type

Choose one: Inclusive, Single, Bulk

Extents

Analog-Only Collections — click to expand
Portion*

Ensure "Whole" is selected.

Number*

Enter the number of linear feet of the entire collection. (See Extent Calculations)

Type*

Select "Linear Feet"

Container Summary

Enter the number of boxes of each type [## MB, SB, or OS]. Include [# cassettes], [# reels], etc. if describing oral history recordings.

Physical Details

Mostly for AV Archivist use to qualify the amount and types of AV materials, e.g. audio recording, film reels, etc.

Digital-Only Collections — click to expand
Portion*

Ensure "Whole" is selected.

Number*

Enter the number of Gigabytes, Megabytes, or Terabytes of the entire collection. (See Extent Calculations)

Type*

Select "Gigabytes," "Megabytes," or "Terabytes."

Container Summary

Enter [## files] if known.

Hybrid Collections — click to expand
Part 1: Analog Materials
Portion*

Select "Part"

Number*

Enter the number of linear feet of the entire analog part of the collection. (See Extent Calculations)

Type*

Select "Linear Feet"

Container Summary

Enter the number of boxes of each type [## MB, SB, or OS]. Include [# cassettes], [# reels], etc. if describing oral history recordings.

Physical Details

Mostly for AV Archivist use to qualify the amount and types of AV materials, e.g. audio recording, film reels, etc.

+: Select to create the next part of the extent.

Part 2: Digital Materials
Portion*

Select "Part"

Number*

Enter the number of Gigabytes, Megabytes, or Terabytes of the entire collection.

Type*

Select "Gigabytes," "Megabytes," or "Terabytes."

Container Summary

Enter [## files] if known.

Finding Aid Data

Finding Aid Data Fields — click to expand
EAD ID

[Accession #]

Finding Aid Title

Guide to the [DACS compliant collection title]

Finding Aid Date

[YYYY-MM-DD] (Fill in as much as possible; leave blank if unknown)

Finding Aid Author

Processed by [Walter P. Reuther Library]. (Replace with name of processing archivist if known)

Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language of Description

English

Finding Aid Status

Completed (or, select 'In Progress' and then update to 'Completed' when finished.)

Revision Statements

Add only if applicable.

Revision Statement Fields — click to expand

Select: Add Revision Statement

Revision Date

[YYYY-MM-DD revision made]

Revision Description

[Describe changes made to resource record and by whom.]

Publish?

Select "publish" if this note should be viewable to the public or will help researchers understand a change to the record. Leave it unselected if this revision is meant for internal use only.

Agent Links

Add agent links for the creator(s) as well as any person, corporate, and family subjects that need to be access points to the collection.

See the Agents and Subject Records guide for detailed instructions on creating and linking agents.

Subject Links

Add subject links to important subjects that need to be access points to the collection.

See the Agents and Subject Records guide for detailed instructions on creating and linking subjects.

Notes

To edit a note, select expand and modify the content. If a note does not apply, or there is no applicable content, delete it: select the X in the upper right of the note box, and then select "confirm removal."

To add a note, select "Add Note" in the "Notes" Subrecord title bar. In the new note field, select the Note Type from the dropdown. Check the Publish checkbox (unless the note should be for staff only, e.g., location). Add the note in the Content box.

Multiple parts: If the collection has multiple parts with differing note content, add a sub note for each part when necessary. Note that creating Parts is no longer encouraged.
Required Notes — click to expand
  • Abstract
  • Physical Location (Leave unpublished)
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Processing Information
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Preferred Citation
  • Biographical/Historical (Levels 1 and 2)
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement
Required if Applicable Notes — click to expand
  • Related Materials
  • Separated Materials
  • Existence and Location of Copies
  • General
  • Custodial History

Collection Management

Collection Management Fields — click to expand
Processing Priority

Choose one: High, Low, Medium

Processing Plan

(Enter plan details)

Processing Details
Process Level

[1-3] (Enter the Level # the collection was processed at — level 1, 2, or 3)

Ease of Processing

[1-3] (Enter the scale of difficulty with 1 being difficult and 3 being easy to process)

Conservation Description/Location

[If there is conservation material, describe and indicate location. If there isn't any, state that there is none.]

Discards

[State if there are any discards, and what they are]

Processors

[Name(s) of Processor(s)]

Processing Metrics
Processing hrs/unit Estimate

[Enter the estimated number of hours to process 1 linear foot based on processing level (Level 1 = 4, Level 2 = 2, Level 3 = 1)]

Processing Total Extent

[Enter total extent of material at beginning of processing (e.g. '21' if processed 21 linear feet) not the final extent of the collection.]

Extent type

[Enter the measurement type of material processed (i.e. linear feet)]

Total Processing hours

[This field will automatically populate by multiplying the hours/unit estimate by the processing total extent. If the number of hours is not accurate, delete the auto populated number and type the correct number of processing hours.]

Funding Source

[Type the organization funding the processing of the collection if it is not general fund, i.e. AFT, AFSCME, etc.]

Processing status

Select 'In Progress' or 'Completed' to indicate the status of the material being processed.

Save Resource: Select Save Resource or Save to complete the record.

Next Steps

Continue with the NAPWR guidelines or access related quick guides.

NEXT: Review NAPWR Guidelines Agents & Subjects Guide Workflow Overview