EUAN


Specifications of Top-Level Finding Aids of the Consortium Partners



Home

NAS

Holdings

Around 60 kms, consisting of the public archives of Scotland, together with a large number of fonds relating to private individuals, families and corporate bodies. Also operates the National Register of Archives (Scotland) which surveys private archives not preserved in the NAS.

Cataloguing System

House cataloguing rules are in place, but have not always been followed. Partial compliance with ISAD(G). Some adoption of name rules, but these are internal. UK has produced rules for name authorities, which are complementary to, but may not be fully compliant with ISAAR(CPF); NAS does not at present use these rules. Finding aids contributed by other agencies for the NRA(S) are varied, though efforts are made to encourage general compliance with NAS house cataloguing rules.

Top level finding aid is known as the Summary Catalogue. This contains the following elements:

  • title
  • reference code
  • dates of creation
  • extent of unit of description (partial information only)
  • finding aid
  • location

There is also an alphabetical index to the summary catalogue entries, which gives some sub-fonds/series level information. The Summary Catalogue is not considered suitable for the EUAN project purposes of information diffusion.

Top level finding aids exist for 100% of the fonds, and there are detailed descriptions in computerised form of around 20% of these, mainly private fonds.

Catalogue Access

All catalogue information is publicly available. Partially computerised, majority paper based. Access to computerised catalogue only in search rooms.

Published Guide

The Guide to the National Archives of Scotland, published 1996. The current edition which covers only public records, includes the following elements:

  • custodial history (at institution level)
  • administrative history (at fonds level)
  • title
  • reference code
  • dates of creation of material
  • extent of unit of description
  • scope and content/abstract

Back to Top

IISG

Holdings

Around 10 kms of archive documents and publications of individuals and organisations relating to international social and economic history.

Cataloguing System

This is based on US MARC and MARC AMC. Partial compliance with ISAD(G) and ISAAR(CPF).

Index to archival collections is in effect a top level finding aid. It contains:

  • name(s) of person(s)
  • dates of birth and death of person
  • extent of the unit of description
  • finding aid
  • biographical/administrative history
  • scope and content/abstract

Top-level archival descriptions in online public-access catalogue contain many more elements in MARC AMC format.

Published Guide

The Guide to the International Archives and Collections at the IISH, Amsterdam, 2nd edition 1999 (first published 1989), which covers non-Dutch materials only (there is a separate guide for Dutch materials), includes the following elements:

  • title
  • dates of creation of material
  • extent of the unit of description
  • finding aid
  • biographical/administrative history
  • scope and content/abstract

Catalogue Access

All catalogue information is publicly available. All holdings included in online public access catalogue. Access to OPAC in search rooms and across Internet (both Web and Telnet interface). Additional top-level Web guide to the archival collections.


Back to Top

SCAN

SCAN will be implementing a top level finding aid system for all 45 participating Scottish archives, over the next 3 years.

Holdings

The total holdings covered will be around 150 kms. The 45 participant archives include 4 national institutions, 18 local authorities, 8 universities, 4 professional associations, 3 health boards and several specialised archives.

Cataloguing System

This will be compliant with ISAD(G). It is expected to use the following elements:

  • reference code
  • title
  • dates of creation
  • level of description
  • extent of the unit of description
  • administrative/biographical history
  • scope and content/abstract
  • finding aids (including a link to lower level finding aids, where relevant)

Decisions on use of ISAAR(CPF) and name authorities are not yet taken, and will be heavily influenced by the conclusions of the EUAN project.

Published Guide

None.


Back to Top

RA

Holdings

These extend to around 235 kms of both public and private records; the former are the records of parliament, of government agencies and of courts, the latter include family and personal papers of national importance.

Cataloguing System

Top level descriptions exist for 100% of holdings; there are detailed descriptions in computerised form of around 30%, mainly 20th century government records.

National cataloguing standards were agreed in 1993, which closely relate to ISAD(G). The concept of keeping information on creators separate from information on records (name authorities) has also been developed in conjunction with libraries and museums in Sweden. This is close to ISAAR(CPF). MARC-AMC was adopted to tag the data elements in text files to allow the exchange of archival descriptive data.

Arkis 1 was developed as a simple system to apply to both national and regional archives participating in the national database NAD. It provides descriptions to container list level and allows keyword searching in he fonds title, name of creator and other access points.

Arkis 1 uses the following elements at the fonds level:

  • reference code
  • title (2 levels)
  • dates of creation
  • bulk or majority dates
  • extent of unit of description (linear metres and boxes)
  • access conditions
  • existence of copies
  • finding aids
  • subjects/key words (this is rarely used)

It also includes entries for creator (main and added entries) and for administrative information. An administrative or biographical history is given in the general description for those fonds that have detailed descriptions in computerised form.

Arkis 2 which is being developed during 1999, improves on the earlier version by allowing true multilevel description, by providing additional management information and by allowing the management of microforms and of acquired databases and electronic records.

Published Guide

The printed guide Riksarkivets besttåndsöversikt gives:

  • administrative and custodial history (in the general description)
  • titles of sub-fonds
  • dates of creation
  • extent of unit of description
  • content (series titles, dates and extent)
  • finding aids
  • related and associated material (titles of fonds)
  • publications

Back to Top

NAI

Holdings

The records of the Allied Control Commission for Italy (ACC) 1943-1947 extend to 1,400 linear metres in original form, and are estimated to occupy 8,000 reels when completely microfilmed.

Catalogue System

An index to the records is being created in Italy from the film. To date approximately 60% (5,000 reels) have been indexed. Top level descriptions in electronic form will be provided to the project for these, which are the Headquarters records of the ACC.

The Descriptive System has a reference code which includes the following elements:

  • indicator, e.g. Headquarters
  • sub-indicator e.g. military region IV
  • file number

The Index entries contain:

  • indicator/sub-indicator/file no.
  • reel no.
  • title
  • date
  • notes
  • no of frames in file

Indexing is being carried out to file level, usually from the file covers. The indicator may not always be helpful without the sub-indicator.

Published Guide

None.

Back to Top

Last updated 7 July 1999.

This page is maintained for EUAN by the International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam.
We highly appreciate comments and suggestions.