Agents and Subjects

To associate an agent record, the processor will need to do the following:

• Review the collection's material to identify possible agents.

• Once this initial list is assembled, try to locate the authorized version of the name(s) to add as agents by searching ArchivesSpace and the University of Michigan Library's Online Catalog (first as an author and then, if necessary, as a subject). For the most accurate results, limit the initial search to materials at the Bentley Historical Library before searching all UM libraries.  

• If your search is unsuccessful, search the Library of Congress Name Authority File (public link) and, after finding the appropriate agent(s), try to link those agents. If that fails because the agent has not yet been created, consult the next section on how to create agent records.

• Once ready to add the desired agent(s), either click the "Add Agent Link" (public link) or plus (+) sign on the bottom border of the Agent Links section (public link).

• Complete the following fields:

  • Role: Select either be "Creator" (to indicate the person, family, or corporate body primarily responsible for the creation of the collection) or "Subject" (a person, family, or corporate body that is a subject of the material). Typically, the "Creator" or "Creators" of a collection are also associated with the collection as a "Subject".

  • Relator (optional): Select an option from the drop-down menu to indicate what role the agent has in regards to its function as a Creator. In most cases, processors will use "Contributor" to indicate that, in addition to the primary creator of the records, there are other "Subjects" (e.g., persons, families, or corporate bodies) who have authored or created a significant portion of the material.

• In the "Agents" field, either type a name into the search field for the agent(s) (public link) to add or click on the arrow and select "Browse" from the drop-down list (public link). Once you have identified the appropriate agent, click the appropriate radio button and then "Link to Agents" (public link).

If a subdivision is necessary to make a complex authority (e.g., "University of Michigan -- Faculty"):

• Click the "Add Term/Subdivision" button (public link) below the agent name of a Subject.

• Enter the appropriate subheading term in the Term field.

• From the Type drop-down menu, select what kind of term this is. This element refers to the type of subject terms: cultural context, genre, geographic, topical, etc. These correspond to different kinds of MARC 6XX subject fields.

For example, in the complex record "University of Michigan -- Faculty" (public link), the subdivision term is "Faculty" and it is a topical subdivision (based on its Library of Congress subject heading record; public link). 

It is also important to note the following:

• When determining what agents to add, the processor should review topically similar collections in ArchivesSpace to see if those collections have agent records that should be added to the collection the processor is currently working on. However, the processor should make sure that the potential agent is actually well represented in the collection they're working on.

• If you need to remove an agent, click the small "x" next to the term.

Agent records should only be created by the Assistant Director for Collections Management.

To create a new agent record, do the following:

• Navigate to the resource to associate the newly created agent record with.

• Select the downward pointing arrow next to the search bar, hover over the "Create" option, and select the type of Agent that you want to create (e.g., person, family, or corporate entity; public link).

At this point, a blank form for that agent type will pop up. The processor will need to complete different fields, depending on the kind of agent they are creating. When finished creating the agent, make sure to click the "Create and Link to Agent" button.

Person

Dates of Existence sub-records denote when an agent existed.  If the agent's authorized name form includes dates, record them in this sub-record:

• If both the person's birth and death dates known, record the dates—separated by a single hyphen--in the date sub-record's "Expression" field, select "Range" from the "Type" drop-down field, and record their birth year in the "Begin" field and the death year in the "End" field. See this image for an example (public link).

• If only the person's birth date is known, record the year—followed by a single hyphen—in the "Expression" field, select "Single" from the "Type" drop-down menu, and record the year in the "Begin" field. See this image for an example (public link).

• If only the person's death date is known, record the year—preceded by a single hyphen—in the "Expression" field, select "Single" from the "Type" drop-down menu, and record the year in the "Begin" field. See this image for an example (public link).

Name Forms sub-records denote different forms (e.g., authorized, display, etc.) of an agent that can be recorded. For the most part, agents will have only one name form that will serve as both the authorized and display form of the name. If there have been any updates or changes to the authorized form of a name, consult with the Assistant Director for Collections Management.

• Authority ID: The Authority ID field can be used to record the unique identifier of an agent within the source from which it was acquired. When possible, add an Authority ID to newly created agents by locating the agent's URI in its source record. For example, the Authority ID URI for LCNAF agents found in the LC Authorities and Vocabularies resource can be found at the top of the record under the URI(s) section (public link). 

• Source: Refers to the authorized source of the agent. Choose the appropriate source of the agent term from the dropdown menu (e.g., LCNAF).

• Rules: Specify DACS as the rule used to form an agent record when the agent is not derived from an authorized source.

• Name Order: This should always be "Indirect."

• Title: Used to record a title that is part of a name (e.g., "Sir" or "Dame").

• Primary Part of Name: Used to record the primary part of a name, which is typically the last name or surname for a person.

• Rest of Name: Used to record the first name of a person and any additional (e.g., middle) names.

• Fuller Form: Used to record the fuller form of a person's first and middle names when they are abbreviated (e.g. "Willis John" in Abbott, Willis J. (Willis John), 1863-1934). Do not add parentheses to the fuller form; ArchivesSpace takes care of formatting and punctuation.

• Number: Used to record a number that forms part of a name (e.g., "II" in "John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005.").

• Dates: Enter the value from the Dates of Existence Expression field, if applicable.

An example of a completed Person agent can be seen here (public link).

Family

Dates of Existence sub-records are generally not needed for Families. If dates of existence are included in the authorized form or are otherwise necessary, refer to the documentation for Persons.

Name Forms sub-records denote different forms (e.g., authorized, display, etc.) of an agent that can be recorded. For the most part, agents will have only one name form that will serve as both the authorized and display form of the name. If there have been any updates or changes to the authorized form of a name, consult with the Assistant Director for Collections Management.

• Authority ID: The Authority ID field can be used to record the unique identifier of an agent within the source from which it was acquired. Refer to the documentation for Persons for how to locate an authority ID value.

• Source: Refers to the authorized source of the agent. Choose the appropriate source of the agent term from the dropdown menu (e.g., LCNAF).

• Rules: Specify DACS as the rule used to form an agent record when the agent is not derived from an authorized source.

• Family Name: Record the last name/surname of a family, typically followed by the term "family" (e.g., "Bentley family.").

An example of a completed Family agent can be seen here (public link).

Corporate Entity

Dates of Existence sub-records are generally not needed for Corporate Entities. If dates of existence are included in the authorized form or are otherwise necessary, refer to the documentation for Persons.

Name Forms sub-records denote different forms (e.g., authorized, display, etc.) of an agent that can be recorded. For the most part, agents will have only one name form that will serve as both the authorized and display form of the name.  If there have been any updates or changes to the authorized form of a name, consult with the Assistant Director for Collections Management.

• Source: Refers to the authorized source of the agent. Choose the appropriate source of the agent term from the dropdown menu (e.g., LCNAF).

• Rules: Specify DACS as the rule used to form an agent record when the agent is not derived from an authorized source.

• Primary Part of Name: Used to record the primary part of a Corporate Entity's name. Many Corporate Entities (e.g. "University of Michigan.") will only have a primary part of name, whereas Corporate Entities that have subordinate parts (e.g., "University of Michigan. Law School.") have a primary name and one or more subordinate names. 

• Subordinate Name 1: Used to record the first subordinate name of a Corporate Entity with a hierarchical structure (e.g., "Law School." in "University of Michigan. Law School.")

• Subordinate Name 2: Used to record the second and any subsequent subordinate names in a Corporate Entity with a hierarchical structure (e.g. "Adult Education Program." in "University of Michigan. Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Adult Education Program.").

• Qualifier: A term of phrase used to distinguish two otherwise identical agent names. For example, "2003-2011 : Granholm" is used as a qualifier in the following agent record: "Michigan. Governor (2003-2011 : Granholm)." Do not add parentheses to the qualifier; ArchivesSpace automatically takes care of formatting and punctuation.

An example of a completed Corporate Entity agent can be seen here (public link).

The following represent a non-exhaustive list of agent records that are commonly added to resource records:

• A collection's creator is also typically listed as an agent with a status of "Subject." 

• University of Michigan -- Faculty. Use when the creator or a major subject of the collection is a faculty member of the University of Michigan.

• University of Michigan -- Research.

• University of Michigan -- Students.

• University of Michigan -- Students -- Social life and customs. Used particularly with college student organizations, and often with a temporal subdivision.

• University of Michigan -- Students -- Societies, etc. Used particularly with college student organizations.

NOTE:  If the processor needs to add the "University of Michigan" agent, search for n79021846 (which is the unique portion of the University of Michigan Corporate Entity's authority ID).

If there are two or more agents that represent the same person, family, or corporate body, these records should be merged. Merging has the benefit of:

• Retaining all of the associated metadata from the original record;

•  Deleting the duplicate record(s); and

• Linking the records originally associated with the deleted record to the retained record.

To merge a record:

• Navigate to the record that you want to retain.

• Click on the "Merge" drop-down menu (public link) and search for the duplicate record(s).

• After identifying the duplicate record, click on it to select it (and repeat as necessary to add to this list, in the event that there is more than one duplicate agent to merge).

• Click on the "Merge" button when ready to merge the records.

Merging is permanent and cannot be undone.

To associate a Subject Heading, the processor will need to do the following:

• Review the collection's material to identify possible headings. During this stage, the processor should consider what specific and general:

  • Geographic locations are associated with the material.

  • Time periods are associated with the material.

  • Genres or formats are associated with the material.

  • Topics or subjects are associated with the material.

  • Other things to consider when thinking of subject headings include whether topics related to accessibility and disability; age; gender, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation; national identity; race and/or ethnicity; religion; and/or socioeconomic status are prominently represented in the material and would therefore make good subject headings. 

• The processor will then need to consider which source(s) is or are the most appropriate. For example:

  • The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH (public link) is a general, go-to resource that is useful in most processing situations.

  • The Getty's Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT (public link) is particularly useful for format/genre subject headings.

  • The Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic Materials (LCTGM (public link) is preferred over LCSH when the subject of the material being described consists heavily or entirely of visual material.

  • The Homosaurus (public link) is preferred over LCSH when the subjects of the material being described are from the LGBTQIA+ community.

• Once this initial list is assembled, the processor should try to locate the authorized version of the subjects(s) they want to add as subject headings by searching ArchivesSpace and the University of Michigan Library's Online Catalog. For the most accurate results, limit the initial search to materials at the Bentley Historical Library before searching all UM libraries.  

  • If the search is unsuccessful, search one of the above sources and, after finding the appropriate subject headings, try to associate those headings with the resource record to confirm the subject heading exists in ArchivesSpace. If that fails because the subject heading has not yet been created, note the name and link subject heading that needs to be created by the Assistant Director for Collections Management.

  • If the search is successful, proceed to the next step.

• Once ready to add the desired agent(s), either click the "Add Subject" (public link) or plus (+) sign on the bottom border of the Subjects section (public link).

• In the "Subjects" field, either type a name into the search field for the subject heading(s) (public links) to add the subject to the finding aid or click on the arrow and select "Browse" from the drop-down list (public link). After identifying the appropriate subject, click the appropriate radio button and then "Link to Subjects".

It is also important to note the following:

• When determining what subjects to add, the processor should review topically similar collections in ArchivesSpace for inspiration about subjects to add to the collection they're currently processing. However, the processor should make sure that the potential subject is actually well represented in the material they're working on.

• When browsing for subject headings in ArchivesSpace, some subject terms may appear to be duplicated. In reality, the same term may have been derived from different sources (e.g., LCSH or LCTGM, to describe textual and visual materials, respectively).  This difference will be denoted in the "Source" of the term.

• When trying to find subject headings in ArchivesSpace, it is highly recommended that the processor use the browse feature and focus their search by using both keywords and filters. For example, if the processor only tries to search for the subject heading "Photographs" (as a format subject heading), they will have to sift through hundreds of results. But by using filters to narrow their search to only Genre/Format terms from the AAT, they will only have to review approximately 14 terms (as demonstrated in this example (public link).

• When selecting subject terms, be sure to use those that are most appropriate. For example, "African Americans -- Michigan -- Detroit" and "African Americans -- United States" use the same main heading, but provide very different geographic coverages (local vs. national).

• If the processor needs to remove a subject term, click the small "x" next to the term.

Subject records should only be created by the Assistant Director for Collections Management.

To create a new subject record, do the following:

• Navigate to the resource that you want to associate the newly created subject heading with.

• Select the downward pointing arrow next to the search bar and click the "Create" option (public link).

At this point, a blank form will pop up. Complete several different fields:

• Authority ID: The Authority ID field can be used to record the unique identifier of a subject within the source from which it was acquired. When possible, add an Authority ID to newly created subjects by locating the agent's URI in its source record. For example, the Authority ID URI for LCSH subjects found in the LC Authorities and Vocabularies resource can be found at the top of the record under the URI(s) section (public link). 

• Source: Refers to the authorized source of the subject term. Choose the appropriate source of the agent term from the dropdown menu (e.g., LCNAF).

• Term: A part of a subject heading. For example, the subject heading "Academic freedom -- Michigan -- Ann Arbor." contains three terms, each of which are subdivided by double dashes. All subjects in ArchivesSpace must have at least one term.

• Type: This element refers to the type of subject terms: cultural context, genre, geographic, topical, etc.  These correspond to different kinds of MARC 6XX subject subdivisions. Each term must have a type.

When finished, make sure to click the "Create and Link to Subject" button.

An example of a completed subject heading can be seen here (public link).

The following represent a non-exhaustive list of subject headings that are commonly added to resource records:

Chronological

• N/A.

Geographic

• Michigan and/or one of its cities or other geographic regions (e.g., Ann Arbor).

• United States, particularly with the History topical subdivision (and a chronological subdivision). 

Form 

• Architectural drawings.

• Audiocassettes.

• Digital file formats. Used to denote the presence of any kind of digital or born-digital material.

• Diaries.

• Interviews.

• Negatives.

• Oral histories.

• Photograph albums.

• Photographs.

• Scores.

• Scrapbooks.

• Sheet music.

• Slides.

• Sound recordings.

• Video recordings.

• Web sites.

Please note that the Bentley does not use "manuscripts" and "correspondence" as access points. Additionally, form subjects can be used for digital versions of physical materials (e.g., the "Photographs" subject heading for physical as well as digital photographs).

Topical

• Terms that directly refer to members of specific groups (e.g., "African American fraternal organizations" or "African American College Students").

• Terms that focus on Architects, different kinds of Architecture, and/or Architectural firms. 

• Terms that focus on college students.

• Terms that include Fraternities and Sororities, Greek letter societies, Societies, and/or Student organizations are often used for college student organizations.

• Terms that include women, particularly for different groups of people (e.g. "African American women college students") or women involved in various professions (e.g., "Women in engineering").

Please note that the Bentley does not use "Students -- Ann Arbor -- Michigan" when referring to University of Michigan students.

If there are two or more subjects that truly represent the same topic and are from the same source, these records should be merged. Merging has the benefit of:

• Retaining all of the associated metadata from the original record;

• Deleting the duplicate record(s); and

• Linking the records originally associated with the deleted record to the retained record.

To merge a record:

• Navigate to the record that you want to retain.

• Click on the "Merge" drop-down menu (public link) and search for the duplicate record(s).

• After identifying the duplicate record, click on it to select it (and repeat as necessary to add to this list, in the event that there is more than one duplicate agent to merge).

• Click on the "Merge" button when ready to merge the records.

Merging is permanent and cannot be undone.