Description Survey (SSC)

Purpose

Compare electronic and paper collection description to ArchivesSpace resource records in order to determine the location of description missing from ArchivesSpace resource records. All SSC collections are to be checked with the following exceptions (noted in the description survey spreadsheet):

• Funded collections (these were checked pre-A2C)
• High pain collections (these were checked pre-A2C)
• PPFA II
• YWCA

Sources

• ArchivesSpace
• S:\LIB\Special Collections\SSMITH\SSC-FA
• S:\LIB\Special Collections\SSMITH\SSC-ACC
• Open collection guides in Reading Room drawers
• Closed collection guides in manuscript boxes on table in reading room

Phase I: Comparison of Electronic and Paper Description to ArchivesSpace Resource Records

1. Open file in S:\LIB\Special Collections\SSMITH\SSC-FA
2. Find matching resource record on ArchivesSpace
3. Check spreadsheet to make sure it doesn't need to be skipped
4. Pull paper file(s) for this collection
5. Compare Word finding aid and paper guides to ArchivesSpace resource record to determine if description is missing (we're looking for significant differences, so spot-check inventories and notes, don't compare them line-by-line)
6. If paper file(s) contains accession inventories that are not included in ArchivesSpace, use the accession number to check that inventory against the Word inventories in S:\LIB\Special Collections\SSMITH\SSC-ACC
7. On spreadsheet, note file names containing information not in ArchivesSpace and whether there is any description in the paper files not on ArchivesSpace or shared drive. For an example entry, see line 353 of the spreadsheet (SSC-MS-00332).

Phase II: Comparison of Remaining Paper Description to ArchivesSpace Resource Records

1. Pull paper file(s)
2. Check spreadsheet to see if it still needs to be examined
3. Find matching resource record on ArchivesSpace
4. Compare paper guides to ArchivesSpace resource record to determine if description is missing (we're looking for significant differences, so spot-check inventories and notes, don't compare them line-by-line)
5. If paper file(s) contains accession inventories that are not included in ArchivesSpace, use the accession number to check that inventory against the Word inventories in S:\LIB\Special Collections\SSMITH\SSC-ACC
6. On spreadsheet, note file names containing information not in ArchivesSpace and whether there is any description in the paper files not on ArchivesSpace or shared drive.

What can be ignored

When comparing Word and paper guides to ArchivesSpace resource records, the following can be ignored:

• Accession inventories dated prior to a full finding aid.
  • For example, if there are two accession inventories (2001 and 2008) for collection that has a finding aid written in 2004, the 2001 accession is assumed to have been incorporated in the finding aid.
• Background material (photocopies of reference works, finding aids to related collections, etc.)
• Printouts of InMagic records
• Printouts or copies of catalog records (including online catalog, card catalog, and National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections)
• Formatting differences
• Location information
• Agent and subject differences (unless ArchivesSpace resource has no subjects listed)
• Access and use restrictions
• Extents