Introduction

This page provides guidance on writing draft archival authority records. Refer to the ISAAR (CPF) standard for further guidance on writing authority records.

Steps to create an archival authority record

Complete the following steps to create an authority record for a Dalhousie corporate body:

1. Conduct historical research on the corporate body, person, or family.

2. Prepare citations for all sources used (citations to be recorded in authority record (ISAAR 5.4.8).

3. Create authorized form of name (i.e., the access point).

4. If the corporate body is a unit within Dalhousie University, create a unique Office ID for unit.

5. Draft the archival authority record. Send to archivist for review and feedback.

6. Enter archival authority record into the Archives Catalogue.

Research

Historical information must be gathered before an authority record can be written. Gather information such as:

• Name(s) of corporate body, person, or family

• When the unit was established

• Significant facts about the history of the corporate body, person, or family

• The primary functions and activities of the corporate body, person, or family

• The geographic location(s) of the corporate body, person, or family

• The internal structure of the corporate body and its relationship(s) to other corporate bodies

• The names of any programs and/or noteworthy individuals associated with the unit

This information can be found in a variety of locations, including:

• Departmental websites (e.g., the "About" page may include a history of the department)

• Department administrator or secretary (email the unit to ask whether a history was written, for example, for an anniversary or event).

• University calendars (up to 1950/1951 are available in DalSpace)

• Peter Waite's Lives of Dalhousie

• Dalhousie Gazette

• University News

• Senate Minutes

• Archives Catalogue

Use the Chicago Manual of Style to create citations for all resources consulted during the research phase. See the Guide to Archival Research for guidance on citing archival material.

Create authorized form of name

Search Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) to locate authorized form of name. If LCSH has an authorized heading, use it in the draft authority record.

If the authorized heading is somehow problematic, bring it forward for discussion before drafting the rest of the authority record.

If there is no authorized heading that is suitable for the Archives Catalogue, create a “local” name heading following the rules used in LCSH.

Office ID

If the corporate body is part of Dalhousie University, create a unique Office ID for the unit. 

Draft the archival authority record

Use the research, citations, authorized form of name, and unique Office ID to write a draft archival authority record. The text must be structured and labelled in accordance with the ISAAR(CPF) standard.

Send the draft authority record to an archivist for review and feedback.

Enter authority record into the Archives Catalogue

Provide the draft archival authority record to an editor or administrator of the Archives Catalogue. See detailed instructions on how to create an archival authority record.