Dublin Core

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Visit https://www.accesstomemory.org for information about AtoM, the currently supported version.

Main Page > User manual > Add/edit content > Add/edit archival descriptions > Dublin Core elements

Editing resource metadata in Dublin core template; note asterisks next to mandatory fields

Identifier

In Dublin Core, an identifier is "an unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context. Recommended best practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system."

Title

"A name given to the resource. Typically, a Title will be a name by which the resource is formally known."

Names and dates

Events in ICA-AtoM

ICA-AtoM manages date ranges as events that links an actor (corporate body, person, or family), described in an authority record, to an archival unit in a type of role (e.g. creator, publisher, contributor) over a certain period of time. At the highest level of description, the archival unit should always be associated with its creator over the date range of the material. At lower levels of description, enter the date range only to inherit the creator from the higher level (i.e. a description will inherit the creator if "Actor name" is left blank). At any level you can associate a description with multiple creators over different date ranges. At any level you can assign multiple types of relations; this will be primarily useful at the item level (e.g. date of publication vs creation).

Add a new event

Click the blue Add new link on the left
Under "Names and dates" click the blue Add new link to add a new event.
Enter data into event dialogue box
Enter data in the dialogue box as described below. When you are done, click "Submit".

Actor name

In the Actor name field enter the first few letters of the the actor's name. A list of names will appear in the drop-down menu (generated from the names of existing authority records).
If the name does not appear in the menu, type the name and a new authority record will be created.
Note that you can leave the Actor name field fields blank. Lower levels inherit creator information from higher levels: use only if the creator is different at the lower and higher levels.
At the highest level of description, you should always include the creator.

Event type

Select the type of event from the drop-down menu: creation, contribution or publication.
The value list is drawn from the event types taxonomy and can be edited by system administrators and editors (some terms in this taxonomy, however, are locked because they are accessed by the software code).

Place

Select the place of creation, contribution or publication, if relevant, by typing in the first few letters and then selecting the place from the drop-down menu. If the place name does not appear on the list, type it in and a new place term will be created.
To add new place terms, you must edit the places taxonomy; for editing taxonomies, see add a new term.

Date/End date

Enter the Date (i.e. start year) and End date.
If the start and end years are the same, enter only in the "Date" field and leave the "End date" blank.
Complete at lower levels of description even if you are leaving the creator name field blank (e.g. when describing a series, you do not need to repeat the creator name from the fonds description, but you do need to enter the date range of the series).
Do not use any qualifiers here (e.g. "ca.") or typographical symbols (e.g. "[194?]") to express uncertainty (see step 4).

Date display

If desired, enter the date range as you want it to appear in view mode.
Add any additional text to qualify date range (e.g. "ca. 1940-1980" or "[1940]-1980, predominant 1973-1980").
Whereas "Date" and "End date" are used internally for database searching and sorting purposes, this field is for display purposes. However, if you do not enter anything into "Date display" the "Date" and "End date" will appear as a date range when the record is saved.

Event note

Enter any additional information relating to the event.

Subject

"The topic of the resource. Typically, the subject will be represented using keywords, key phrases, or classification codes. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary. To describe the spatial or temporal topic of the resource, use the Coverage element."
Click on the "Subject" field and select a term from the drop-down menu. You can narrow the list of choices by entering the first few letters of the term.
The values in the subject drop-down menu are drawn from the subjects taxonomy. ICA-AtoM does not ship with any pre-loaded subject terms.
This taxonomy can be edited by administrators and editors on the list taxonomy terms page.
If the subject you want to use does not appear on the menu, you (or your system administrator or editor) must first add it to the taxonomy.
For more on editing terms and adding to taxonomies, see add/edit terms.

Description

"An account of the resource. Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource."

Type

"The nature or genre of the resource. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the DCMI Type Vocabulary [DCMITYPE]. To describe the file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource, use the Format element."
ICA-AtoM provides a data entry field using a rop-down menu to select Type derived from the Dublin Core types taxonomy.
This taxonomy can be edited by administrators and editors on the list taxonomy terms page.
If the term you want to use does not appear on the menu, you (or your system administrator or editor) must first add it to the taxonomy.
For more on editing terms and adding to taxonomies, see add/edit terms.
For more information on the Dublin Core type taxonomy, see http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-type-vocabulary/

Child levels

See add a new archival description.

Format

"The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource. Examples of dimensions include size and duration. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the list of Internet Media Types [MIME]."

Source

"A related resource from which the described resource is derived. The described resource may be derived from the related resource in whole or in part. Recommended best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system."

Language

"A language of the resource. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as RFC 4646."
ICA-AtoM implements this as a drop-down menu. The user may select as many languages as desired.
Click on the field and select the language from the drop-down menu. To narrow the list of choices, enter the first few letters of the language.

Relation (isLocatedAt)

This field is used for indicating which archival institution holds the record(s) being described. Select an archival institution only at the highest level of description; leave this field blank at the lower levels if they are all held by the same institution. It is important to remember this because if an institution is selected for the lower levels then these lower levels will all be displayed in the holdings area of an archival institution's context menu.

Click on the Relation (isLocatedAt) field and select the archival institution that holds the archival material being described. The names are drawn from pre-existing archival institution records. You can narrow down the list of choices by typing in the first few letters of the name.
If the name of the institution does not appear in this list, you can type it in and a new archival institution record will be created.

Coverage

The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant."
Click on the "Coverage - spatial" field and select a term from the drop-down menu. You can narrow the list of choices by entering the first few letters of the term.
The values in the this drop-down menu are drawn from the places taxonomy. ICA-AtoM does not ship with any pre-loaded place terms.
This taxonomy can be edited by administrators and editors on the list taxonomy terms page.
If the place you want to use does not appear on the menu, you (or your system dministrator or editor) must first add it to the taxonomy.
For more on editing terms and adding to taxonomies, see add/edit terms.

Rights

"Information about rights held in and over the resource. Typically, rights information includes a statement about various property rights associated with the resource, including intellectual property rights."