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All collections will need to be described at the collection level for minimum level processing.
Assigning a Collection Number
Depending on the creator of a collection, the collection will be assigned either an AC or MC series collection number. Always choose the next available collection number in the series. It should always be formatted as xC-0000.
AC series collections comprise the records of the Institute. Records of administration, departments, labs, and centers comprise the bulk of these collections. Groups funded by the Institute, including student groups, are also considered to be Institute records. MC collection numbers are used for everything else, including faculty papers, student papers, independent student groups, and outside organizations.
The collection number is used both as the Identifier and the EAD ID in ArchivesSpace.
Creating the Collection Title
Title is required for resource records at the collection level. At the collection level, the title is usually a concatenation of the creator name and a term describing the form of materials, whether general (personal archives, records) or specific (correspondence, diaries). In general, use "personal archives" for manuscript (MC) collections and "records" for MIT administrative material (AC collections).
Capitalize official name of a body or entity, or person, but not the document type. Separate elements with a comma and use a comma after first part of corporate body, but not between the last word in the office and the word "records."
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the Provost records
Alice K. Hartley personal archives [creator plus type of material]
Oral history interview with Tim the Beaver [no single "creator" so use type of material plus topic]
Oral history interviews on Francis Otto Schmitt [collection of oral histories about one person]
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of Minority Education records
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oral History Program, oral history interviews on ocean engineering
If there is a set of administrative records created by a person who has a distinct responsibility in a large office, include their name following the office title and before the word "records."
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the Provost, Assistant Provost Walter Rosenblith records
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the President, Paul E. Gray records
If the collection consists of specific forms of material use the more specific form name in the title such as: correspondence or diaries
- Theodore Grover collection of autographs, signatures, and images of Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty members, administrators, and alumni
- Holliday C. Heine student notes
- John Smith diaries
Use the word “collection” to denote an assembled set of materials. If Distinctive Collections is the collector or assembler of the collection, use MIT Libraries as the creator.
Albert G. Ingalls pseudoscience collection [pseudoscience materials collected by Ingalls]
- Frank J. Lepreau collection on Klaus Liepmann [collection assembled by Lepreau about Liepmann]
MIT Libraries collection on student life
MIT Libraries collection of websites of student life
If a collection consists solely of an item with a defined title, retain the existing title.
The Log of the Dorian
Designating Resource Type
Each resource (collection record) should be assigned a resource type based on the nature of the materials being described. See Resource Types for more information.
Required Notes
The following notes are required at the collection level for minimum level description.
| Type of Note | Overview | DACS Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| A brief description of the context and content of materials. | 3.1 | |
| An element for documenting decisions and actions related to assessing the archival value and disposition of the materials being described. | 5.3 | |
| 3.2 | ||
| Note for information about creator(s) of materials. | 2.7 | |
| The Conditions Governing Access note designates any restrictions to access to material due to legal requirements, donor restrictions, or MIT record access policy. The note may also document a lack of restrictions. | 4.1 | |
| Use this field to provide information about permissions to copy, quote, or publish from the collection that apply after access has been granted. | 4.4 | |
| The Custodial History Note described changes of ownership or custody of the material being described, between the time it left the possession of the creator and when it was acquired by the repository. | 5.1 | |
| Describes the source from which the DDC directly acquired the materials being described, the date of acquisition, and any other relevant information. | 5.2 | |
| Language of Materials | The language(s), script(s), and symbol systems appearing in the materials being described. | 4.5 |
| Natural language expression of location, particularly where location affects access to the materials. | 4.2 | |
| The Preferred Citation note specifies how researchers should cite the collection. | 7.1.5 | |
| This note provides information about actions of the archivist, custodians, or creators of the records or conventions in the finding aid that may have an impact on a researcher’s interpretation of the records or understanding of the information provided in the finding aid. | 7.1.8 | |
| Scope and Contents notes give a narrative overview of the materials being described. | 3.1 |
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