[Archivesspace_Users_Group] Agent Records with missing information

[Benn Joseph]

Hi Nic,
This is a very timely question as we’ve been talking about the same thing here—basically we try not to create Agent records for names that cannot be established in the NAF. So for your examples below, we probably would not create an Agent record for those and would instead try to find another approach. If we did want to make an Agent record for creators like "Bro. Smith" or "Sister Jones”, we’d follow RDA rules where the honorific goes into the Title field (rather than DACS, which I’m not sure covers name construction). Here’s an example:

[cid:image001.png at 01D81F4F.AC40B970]

Cheers,
--Benn

Benn Joseph (he/him/his)
Head, Collections Services
McCormick Library of Special Collections & University Archives
Northwestern University Libraries
Northwestern University
www.library.northwestern.edu
benn.joseph at northwestern.edu<mailto:benn.joseph at northwestern.edu%0d>
847.467.6581

From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org <archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org> On Behalf Of Nic Stanton-Roark
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2022 9:03 AM
To: Archivesspace Users Group <archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>
Subject: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] Agent Records with missing information

Hi all,
I am curious how others treat entering agent records with only very partial information. We are currently doing item level processing on a significant collection where many of the subjects and even creators of the records are only described as "Bro. Smith" or "Sister Jones." Sometimes it is clear the same person is being referenced in multiple records, but without an identified first name.
Do you place the humble honorific in the title field? Include a note on the agent record? Place [unknown] in the rest of name field? I paged through DACS but didn't find any references to unknown first names.
Thanks for any advice.

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Nicholas Stanton-Roark  |  Archivist  | Robert A. Nicholson University Library
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