Archival Description Finding What Ya Got

The Archival Information System Information about records and their creators. Tools used to present the information. Standards and rules followed in creating these tools.

Descriptive Elements Information about the records. Information about Context and Content. Information about Archival Actions and Descriptive Control.

Information About Records Intellectual Context and Content Intellectual Access Physical Description Physical Access

Information About Archival Actions Archival Actions. Control of Descriptive information. Authority Control.

Descriptive Tools: Internal Accession documents. Creator-supplied Finding Aids. Inventories.

Descriptive Tools: External Guides. Specialized Descriptions. Summary Collective Descriptions.

Standard Archival Inventory Introductory Information. Administrative / Biographical Sketch. Scope and Contents Notes. Series Descriptions. Box / Folder / Item lists.

Introductory Information The John Doe Papers The papers of John Doe came to the Such and Such Archives in 1945 as part of the estate of Mrs. Jane Doe. Mrs. Doe bequeathed the papers to the Archives. Mrs. Doe also provided financial support for the arrangement and description of the records, including the digital scanning of the collections photographs. Processing archivist, Snerd Snidely completed the arrangement and description of the collection in 1996.

Administrative / Bio Note John Doe was born in Poedunk, Arkansas, in 1900 and led a relatively obscure and miserable life until he discovered “Smuck-doddle” in Smuck-doddle revolutionized the snoodle industry and revived the nearly forgotten art of snard-doodle. Doe married the former Jane Nobody in 1937 and then mysteriously died of unknown causes in Mrs. Doe went on to marry Joe Somebody and expanded the Snoodle industry into a snard-doodle empire.

Scope and Content Note The John Doe papers are arranged by the following record Series: correspondence; financial records; photographs; smuck-doodle development and testing records; company memorandum. The correspondence files generally recount Doe’s efforts to develop various wild inventions and his numerous failures in secure venture capital for his ideas. Of particular note to the researcher are the smuck-doodle development and testing records.....

Series Description Correspondence, , 4 cubic feet This record series documents the various activities, including efforts at finding friends, jobs, and lovers. The bulk of the series documents Doe’s attempt to market a variety of inventions, such as..... The series is divided into the following sub-series: Personal correspondence; business correspondence; correspondence with Jane Nobody.

Box / Folder / Item Lists Box 1, Correspondence, Sub-series: Personal, Location: Folder 1Jane Nobody Folder 2The Binkerly Brothers Folder 3J.P. Morgan Folder 4Ford Motor Company Folder 5The United States Defense Department Folder 6God Knows What Else

Introduction Administrative / Bio Sketch Scope and Contents Note Series Descriptions Box / Folder / Item Lists Index Terms

Selected Web Sites With Archival Finding Aids Michigan State Universityhttp:// Bentley Historical Library Bentley Historical Library Home Page Oregon State Archiveshttp://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/ City of Portland