Additions and Legacy Finding Aids

Additions to previously processed collections, and legacy finding aids requiring redescription will need to be imported into ASpace from the archives portal. If you are unable to locate your collection in ASpace, check with your supervisor to make sure the collection has been imported. 

When a legacy or previously processed collection is imported into ASpace, there are typically many formatting issues that will need to be addressed. Look for issues such as missing front matter data, incorrect container profiles, missing required notes fields, obsolete terms, offensive language, audio and moving image format types in the container list, abbreviated terms, and DACS non-compliant dates. See the Inclusive Description and Style Guidelines section of this documentation for more information on identifying problematic description and style.

Review the legacy pdf version of the finding aid on the Archives Portal, which may differ from the version displayed on the portal, and thus differ from what was imported into ASpace. Sometimes the legacy pdf will include additional description and administrative information that does not display in the portal. You may need to manually enter this information into the finding aid’s front matter in ASpace. Always check with your supervisor  if you have any questions about the legacy description, and to verify what parts of the finding aid will require updating or descriptive remediation.

Review the access terms in the original finding aid, and only use terms that meet current authority standards. Create new access points as needed, and revise legacy terms when necessary. See the Controlled Access Terms section of this documentation for more information on creating valid terms, and the Inclusive Description and Style Guidelines section to determine if the legacy terms meet our current standards. 

Container profiles do not import into ASpace. Since this information is not published in the finding aid, you will need to check SPEC to determine the container types from the legacy collection, and then manually enter this information into the top containers section of ASpace.

Audio and moving image identifiers may not import correctly, or may import with legacy ID numbers. Check with your supervisor to determine how to handle these legacy idenfiers, and if they need to be preserved. You can locate AMI identifers in SPEC by searching for a AMI object’s legacy identifer.

When making updates and adding new information to an existing finding aid, you should always write a revision statement [DACS 8.1]. In some cases it may also be appropriate to add a processing information note. The ASpace User Guide and Revision Statements section of this documentation explains how to properly complete this note, which should always include your name and the date the revisions were made. It can also be helpful to indicate information about what was added, such as a box range or if AMI or electronic records were added.