Archival listing
In addition to the order and the creation of a finding aid , the archival listing is an essential part of the indexing . Recording is the precise recording of the essential content as well as the external characteristics of individual archival items , for example files or maps and plans. The mapping is intended to enable quick access to the information it contains. Likewise, the context in which the archived material was created should be comprehensible in accordance with the provenance principle.
technology
Up until the end of the 1980s, the entries were made by hand or by machine in finding aids, repertories and mapping maps . Today, records are usually made in databases using archive software .
Types and intensity
After the evaluation and acceptance of archived material, it must be considered which method and to what extent this is to be recorded. The decision can be based, for example, on the informational value and the evidence value of the archive material. However, it is not absolutely necessary to list (new) archive material in every case. There are cases in which, depending on the processing time available and the type of archive material, you can initially do without a description and instead carry out order work. This results in the following five levels of order and distortion:
- Ordering without distortion: This method is particularly suitable for so-called mass files, which can be put into a sequence according to a certain formal characteristic. For example, you can use an alphabetical order or sequence of numbers such as date of birth or date of posting for certain file groups. Archives that can be processed according to these principles are, for example, personnel files or patient files, which are part of the so-called case files. This procedure enables quick and relatively uncomplicated access to the archival items.
- Ordering according to subject groups without listing: In this procedure, file groups are formed on the basis of the file plan or the administrative structure. As a rule, this method serves as preparation for the actual development of the stock. It is particularly suitable for public authorities such as school administration. The archive materials can be listed here according to file plan groups such as “legal bases”, “school construction” and “school operation”.
- Order and group list: In the group list, the individual titles are not taken into account. Information is formulated for a group of archival material. This time-saving type of listing is only possible for archival documents with the same content. A theoretical example would be: Minutes of the City Council, Vol. 1–8, 1960–1980, call number 16–24. The summarizing refers exclusively to the description; the files are not bound together, but remain individually. Each file has its own signature .
- Simple description: This method of description includes the adoption of the existing archive good title or the creation of a new title without any further additions. It is assumed that the content is fully represented by the title. In certain cases, aids, for example official submission lists, can also be used as a provisional listing. Tax files are a good example of this.
- Extended listing: With this type of listing, the title is critically checked and, if necessary, corrected, revised or supplemented. "Contains" notes can add to, improve or correct a file title. The old title can be taken over and corrected with an appropriate “contains” note such as “contains also” or “only contains” and the notes “contains”, “contains among other things” and “contains mainly” . In parallel to the “Contains” note, the “In” note is also used, which often refers to items in the collection (such as brochures) within the file. The extended mapping offers the advantage of a more precise and error-free mapping work, but it is also very time-consuming and labor-intensive and generally requires extensive knowledge of the content of the archive.
Principles
In the archival indexing, a fundamental distinction is made between three different principles:
- Bär's principle: This method was introduced by the Danzig archive director Max Bär (1855–1928). This is a numerus currens procedure in which the archived material is recorded in the order in which it comes into the hands of the person editing it by chance or in a pre-sorted manner . The content structure or the pre-archiving sorting of the archive inventory are not taken into account for the time being. According to this procedure, the units of description are not available in the order that later specifies the factual structure. However, this is then produced in the associated finding aids, so that research and further processing are made easier. The Bär principle is very simple and is used in most archives. Their great advantage is that the inventory can be expanded at any time without complicated organization or rearrangement work.
- Pertinence principle ( Latin : pertinere, 'to belong') : The inventory is created according to subject matter or a subject systematics; Breakdown of archived material according to territorial, personnel or material concerns regardless of the context in which they originated. With the pertinence principle, the documents of different registrars are usually mixed up, so that the creation and development of a file inventory is (can) be lost. This and the much greater administrative effort required for the pertinence principle led to the fact that the provenance principle is usually preferred in larger archives.
- Provenance principle ( Latin: provenire , "come here"): As an archival organizing principle, it forms the basis for the organization and indexing of archived material according to origin and context. The principleof filingarchives according to their provenance (i.e. their creation / origin) by a registrar, e.g. B. an authority, to summarize in stocks, wastheoretically developedby Philipp Ernst Spieß from 1770and applied in the secret house archive of the Margraviate Brandenburg-Kulmbach-Bayreuth on the Plassenburg . However, it was not until the 19th century that it becamemore widespreadin archives and ultimatelyestablished itselfin most archives in Central Europe.
One method that can be used independently of the three principles mentioned above is:
- Strip method : If the storage is to correspond to the factual structure, the strip method is recommended. The archival items are initially given a provisional (preliminary) signature on an inserted paper strip. The final signature is only assigned after classification . The method of the strip method is time-consuming and space-intensive, since the archival material units have to be used several times for processing. It is suitable, among other things, for archival holdings that have already been completed and are manageable and that are no longer expected to grow.
Distortion information
Understanding title recording
The basis of the listing is the title recording. Nowadays there is no uniform basis for archiving titles within Germany. However, there are also states which legally stipulate principles for the recording of titles in their archives. For example, the GDR relied on its principles of order and record for the State Archives of the German Democratic Republic , or OVG for short .
The ISAD (G) standard still exists at the international level . From an archiving point of view, certain data fields are seen as indispensable in order to clearly describe the archive material. The fields archive signature, file title and term are among the most important information in the title recording .
Title recording fields
| field | description | Example (s) |
|---|---|---|
| Provenance | Designates the registrar who created the archival material unit or who was last added. At the beginning of the description work, information about the registry creator is to be researched at least in the basics and given if necessary (establishment, tasks, dissolution etc.). | Musterhausen community |
| Stock description | Specifies the name of the stock. It is often identical to the provenance. | Musterhausen community or K 500 |
| Archive signature | Serves for the clear identification of the archival material unit within the inventory. It must be clearly recognizable as the order signature in the finding aid. A distinction is made between provisional and final archive signatures. | District Court of Musterhausen No. 10 |
| classification | The classification (stock structure) forms the basis for the internal order of stocks. Each archival material unit is assigned to a classification group when it is recorded. The units are arranged chronologically within the groups. | 1. Community of Musterhausen> 1.1 police system, 1.2 school system |
| Dating / term | Describes the temporal extension of the archive material content. The start date is the date of the oldest document and the end date that of the most recent document. In the case of inaccurate dates, you can select “around”, “before” or “after” with the year. Documents without a date are indicated by "o. D. “(without date). |
1950–1970 (clear term)
around 1750, before 1750, after 1750 (not clear) |
| File title | Should reproduce the content of the archive unit in a short, summarized form. When formulating the file title, the purpose of the archive must be clear. Wrong or ambiguous titles must be corrected or improved. | School regulations of the Kunstgewerbeschule (misleading)> Corrections and new versions of the school regulations of the Kunstgewerbeschule (better) |
| “Contains” comments | A distinction is made between different variants depending on the distortion case: | |
| Contains: | The note includes the entire content of the archive material unit in full reproduction. | Contains: Construction of a new primary school in the community of Musterhausen |
| Contains among other things: | The note only includes selected content from the archive material unit. The parts of the content that are of particular qualitative importance are highlighted. | Contains u. a .: Articles of Association, Articles of Association |
| Mainly contains: | The note only includes a selection from the content of the archive material unit, which makes up the majority of it (quantitative significance). | Contains v. a .: Inventory lists |
| Also contains: | The note corrects file titles that are too narrow. | Also contains: Minutes of the city council and the advisory board |
| Contains only: | The note corrects file titles that are too broad. | Contains only: Supraregional press monitoring |
| In it note: | The note is used to indicate formally or physically deviating material. It is an alternative to the "also contains" comment. | Maps, plans, posters or photos |
| Volume number | In the case of file titles to which a volume series of several archival items belongs, the volume number is recorded for each description unit. | Musterhausen community no. 10 vol. 1: no. 1–50, vol. 2: no. 51–150, vol. 3: no. 151–250 |
| Remarks | The remarks include: B. Information on the state of preservation, usability or the protection periods for personal documents. | File is infected with mold and not released for use |
| References | Are z. B. appropriate to show the register-related and content-related relationships between holdings, archive material groups or archive material units. | see also nos. 919 and 920; For follow-up files see A School Administration, No. 234–245 |
protocol
During the indexing, the processor should create a log in which he notes all findings that were not directly included in the indexing (e.g. information on the history of the authorities, document structures). This serves as a memory aid for the directory and forms the basis for the foreword and the structure of the finding aid. It can also be of great help for another employee to continue the description.
literature
- Norbert Reimann (Ed.): Practical archive studies. A guide for specialists in media and information services specializing in archives. Ardey-Verlag, Münster 2014, 3rd updated edition, ISBN 978-3-87023-366-2
- Evelyn Kroker , Renate Köhne-Lindenlaub, Wilfried Reininghaus (eds.): Manual for economic archives. Theory and practice. R. Oldenbourg Verlag, Munich 1998. ISBN 3-486-56365-3
- Johannes Papritz : Archive Studies. Volume 3. Part III, 1. Archival order theory. 1st chapter. 2nd revised edition, Marburg 1983. ISBN 3-923833-16-4
Web links
- Cataloging guidelines of the Saxon State Archives
- ISAD (G): International principles for archival indexing (PDF file; 790 kB)
Filing of files:
- Guidelines of the Bavarian State Archives for the listing of files (PDF file; 116 kB)
- Guidelines for the listing of factual files from the 19th to the 21st century of the Saarbrücken State Archives Link not available (PDF file; 37 kB)
Distortion of photos: