[Archivesspace_Users_Group] Top Containers for volumes

Wed Feb 13 23:21:48 EST 2019

Maureen,

My feedback assumes Adrien is thinking of these volumes purely as containers and not as meaningful representations of the nature of what’s within them. So just like there’s nothing inherently meaningful about calling something Box 1, there’s nothing inherently meaningful about calling a container  “Volume 1-5 (1st series).” The latter is a silly label, but it’s just a label.

Given this assumption, I think the reason why I would advocate for keeping the confusing, baroque volume labels is three-fold:

1)      There may be legacy references to them

2)      Renumbering the volumes with something less baroque would require, like, sharpie-ing over the existing numbers, which Jared Sparks would be very grumpy about because boy, aren’t those some handsome volumes

3)      Who cares what the indicators are, they’re just container labels (i.e. from an inventory management standpoint they should be tracked with something unique like barcodes anyway)

But to your point,hypothetically if the items could be easily removed from the volumes, put in folders, and put into boxes, without offending  the ghost of Jared Sparks, definitely just number the new containers 1, 2, 3 etc.

Best,

Jordon

Jordon Steele
Hodson Curator of the University Archives
Sheridan Libraries
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21218
jsteele at jhu.edu<mailto:jsteele at jhu.edu>
410-516-5493
he/him/his

From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org <archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org> On Behalf Of Maureen Callahan
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 5:07 PM
To: Archivesspace Users Group <archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>
Subject: Re: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] Top Containers for volumes

A different direction!

I've noticed that we often get in trouble when there's a conflation between archival/bibliographic description and collection control, particularly because those descriptors fundamentally serve different purposes and can even change over time -- sometimes at cross purposes. So I would say that your best bet would be to think carefully about the purpose the volume number serves. When you say that these are in two series, is that a designation made by the publisher/author? Or is it just an organizing principle imposed by past archivists? Because I think that there are much better ways of saying that volumes belong together than using volume numbers, and I also think that whenever possible it's best to keep inventory management simple and just number widgets seriatim.

MC

On Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 4:55 PM Jordon Steele <jsteele at jhu.edu<mailto:jsteele at jhu.edu>> wrote:
I second (third?) the logic that the container indicator should exactly follow the volume label on the spine. So container type=Volume, container indicator=1-5 (1st series).

This may not work with your workflow, but two additional suggestions:

•         Barcode each volume and add the barcodes to the container records so that staff can track them as such OR

•         Put each volume in a custom box and barcode the box.

Best,

Jordon

Jordon Steele
Hodson Curator of the University Archives
Sheridan Libraries
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21218
jsteele at jhu.edu<mailto:jsteele at jhu.edu>
410-516-5493
he/him/his

From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org> <archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org>> On Behalf Of Kottman, Miloche
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 1:37 PM
To: Archivesspace Users Group <archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>>
Subject: Re: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] Top Containers for volumes

I would prefer whatever enumeration had been used to label the pieces to avoid confusion for the patron.  For example, if the pieces are labeled v. 1-10 but your finding aid has series 1, v. 1-5 and series 2, v. 1-5, the patron is likely to be confused if they ask for series 2, v. 1 and get volume 6 when it’s paged.

If there’s no label and/or you get to re-label, I recommend using the Arrangement note to explain that there are two series with 5 volumes each, e.g.
Series 1, vol. 1-5 shelved as v. 1-5
Series 2, vol. 1-5 shelved as v. 6-10

Then do top containers as v. 1-10

This is similar to what we do in the catalog for serials and monographs, i.e. a summary holdings statement followed by actual item records/barcodes for which volumes the library holds.

--Miloche Kottman
University of Kansas Libraries

From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org> <archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org>> On Behalf Of Hilton, Adrien
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 8:53 AM
To: archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>
Subject: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] Top Containers for volumes

Hi,

I’m in the process of retrospectively adding top containers to all of our 800,000+ archival objects. A large number of our collections are in volume format, housed on shelves as is, not in boxes. I’m wondering how folks are handling these types of “containers” in AS.

Just for an example, the Jared Sparks papers consists of 10 individual volumes, which if these were boxes, of course would be Boxes 1-10. However, the material is a two part series, each consisting of 5 volumes each and referred to on spines as volumes 1-5 (1st series) and another volumes 1-5 (2nd series). I’m disinclined to give them top containers Volumes 1-10 and I don’t want to have two Volume 1 Top Containers in the same collection. Any advise on how to make this clear to users and manageable on the back end?

Thanks in advance,
Adrien
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--
Maureen Callahan
Sophia Smith Collection Archivist
Smith College Special Collections
Northampton, Massachusetts 01063
413 585 2981
mcallahan at smith.edu<mailto:mcallahan at smith.edu>

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Smith College Special Collections is now housed at Young Library<https://www.smith.edu/libraries/about/new-neilson/wheres-my-library>. Learn more about renovations to Neilson Library here<https://www.smith.edu/libraries/about/new-neilson>.
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