# /programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/archives/holdings.htm

originally: http://www.oclc.org/programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/archives/holdings.htm

# Analyze Archival Descriptive Practice Project Problem statement: Choosing where to invest scarce cataloging resources in the under-described collections inventory currently is informed largely by local strategies and priorities. Current archival descriptive practice is time consuming and therefore expensive. It does not scale economically or quantitatively. Impact: Providing institutions with a system-wide view of archival collection descriptions would provide new data for decision-making and could help inform funding agency support. Changes in descriptive practice could be informed by an understanding of how existing norms have been applied. Change could be further informed by evaluating descriptive norms against what is valued and necessary for discovery and delivery. This change could be accelerated by corresponding enhancements to the technology platforms used to capture data. This project will: Analyze the 1,000,000 MARC records for archival materials in WorldCat to provide a system-wide view of descriptive practice over time. Test and refine the definition and scope of which materials are considered "archival." Determine system-wide data patterns, such as how consistently present or absent various data elements are, what effect the promulgation of standards has had on practice, etc. Provide a system-wide view of under-described collections by determining the descriptive data patterns associated with them, particularly for collections of significant size that warrant high priority for discovery. Recommend practices that would lead to improved discovery of relevant archival materials. |
For more information Jackie Dooley Consulting Archivist jackie_dooley@oclc.org