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Format

highly recommended, controlled single value with up to three levels of specificity

Format represents the generic name for a single object. For items, the format values are primarily drawn from or inspired by the terms and hierarchical structure of the Getty’s Art and Architecture Thesaurus, though may also follow more local format conventions. For containers, the format values are based on the most common containers used throughout the Research Libraries.

The values in each of the three format fields are conditional to, first, the type of object (item or container) and further, the values entered into each of the three levels of format. Not every format or container type has options for all three format fields. It is not required to select a value in the second or third format field, even when options are available for those fields.

   

Class

highly recommended, single controlled value

Class represents the form factor or approximate “shape” of the object. Most formats have default classes, though the class can be entered or manually overwritten. The available classes are:

  • 3D object: three-dimensional objects for which there are no more specific terms in this list
  • Cassette
  • Container: containers that store collection items; use “3D object” for items like a wooden box or other artifacts that are part of the collection
  • Digital file: digital material, but not the physical carriers on which they are stored, such as compact discs, hard disks, and floppy disks
  • Disc: flat, round objects, such as audio records and compact discs
  • Disk: rectangular digital storage devices such as hard disks and floppy disks
  • Reel
  • Sheet: non-bound items for which the depth of individual items is negligible, such as paper, vellum, photographs, and photographic negatives, including glass or metal plates
  • Volume

   

Content Form

single controlled value

Content form identifies the form of the primary content carried by an object. For example, the Content Form of a book is text, a score is musical notation, and a map is cartographic. The available terms are: audio, cartographic, graphic, moving image, musical notation, and text.

   

Extents

optional, multiple values

Extent captures the dimensions of an object. Relevant dimensions depend on the object’s type, class, and content. Each extent measurement comprises several elements:

Measure Type

required, single controlled value

The specific dimension being measured. The available measure types are: height, width, depth, diameter, weight, runtime, and bytesize.

Unit

required, single controlled value

The unit of measurement for the selected measure type. The available units are: inches, centimeters, kilograms, pounds, milliseconds, GB.

Measurement

required, single numeric value

The numeric value representing the number of units.

Context

optional, single controlled value

Specifies the context in which the measurement was taken. The available contexts are: storage, use, display (used for exhibitions and loans).

Linear Feet Dimension

The linear feet dimension determines which measure type (if any) should be used when calculating linear feet. For most formats and container types, there is a default value, though it can be adjusted as necessary. For example, for most containers and books, linear feet calculations are determined by their widths.

   

Media

optional, multiple controlled values

Media identifies the material that an object is made of. The level of detail for this value can vary depending on the level of analysis performed on the object.