iSchool Capstone

Describing Born-Digital Collections: Adapting and Improving Content Standards

Project tags:

archives & special collections

content & digital asset management

knowledge organization

Project poster

Descriptive standards used to develop archival descriptions—also called finding aids—are well-suited to describe the fundamental documentary elements of collections of analog materials; it becomes necessary to assess these standards’ applicability for born-digital materials, which are being ingested into repositories with increasing frequency. After writing archival descriptions of a born-digital collection which is to be accessioned by UW’s Special Collections, I have evaluated where these standards do not address the fundamental documentary elements of born-digital materials. I have also developed a set of recommended adaptations to these standards, so that they can adequately convey relevant information about born-digital materials.

Project participants:

Claire McDonald

MLIS