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Reminder: community feedback on DACS rights statement for archival description and authority records proposal

  • 1.  Reminder: community feedback on DACS rights statement for archival description and authority records proposal

    Posted Aug 07, 2020 08:52 AM

    Dear Colleagues,

     

    The Technical Subcommittee on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (TS-DACS) has endorsed the adoption of two new single-level minimum required DACS elements:

     

    8.2. Rights Statement for Archival Description: https://bit.ly/30be1A8

    13.10. Rights Statement for Archival Authority Records: https://bit.ly/3hb1B2b

     

    These elements were proposed by Alston Coburn (East Carolina University) and Patrick Galligan (Rockefeller Archive Center). They would require archival repositories to clearly and transparently state the copyright status of their descriptive and archival authority records, either on a record-by-record basis, or globally in a system-level rights statement (i.e. a single, all-encompassing statement posted on the main page of a searchable finding aid database, OPAC, institutional website, etc.). As researchers develop new ways to interact with archival collections and archival descriptions, cultural heritage institutions need standardized ways to tell researchers and future archivists the ways in which they can use archival description data. Stating these rights directly in the archival descriptions themselves affords repositories another way to fulfill their mission to help researchers use the archival collections with which they are entrusted. Additionally, encouraging repositories to allow use and reuse of descriptive and authority records aligns with our professional value to promote open and transparent cultural heritage, and brings DACS into better alignment with new DACS Principle 8, which calls for archival description to be easily used, reused, and shared.

     

    Although TS-DACS sincerely hopes that these proposed elements will encourage institutions to open their descriptive and authority records for use and reuse through the application of creative commons or other public copyright licenses, the proposed elements do not require them to do so. If an institution wishes to claim copyright on its archival descriptions, or otherwise prohibit their use and reuse, that is perfectly within their right. Similarly, a repository could simply state that the copyright status of its records is unknown or undetermined. What is most important is that the conditions governing the use and reuse of an institution's records are clearly, transparently, and consistently documented and communicated to users.

     

    As part of its efforts to achieve final approval and adoption of elements 8.2 and 13.10, TS-DACS seeks feedback on the proposal from the DACS user community. We hope you are able to take a few moments to answer a brief questionnaire (consisting of four questions) about the proposed elements, and about the institution at which you work.

     

    The questionnaire can be accessed here: https://forms.gle/2WvMuVkLZWYuzpsN7. TS-DACS will accept responses to the questionnaire until Tuesday, September 1.

     

    Thank you!

     

    Matthew Gorham (on behalf of TS-DACS)

     

    Matthew Gorham

    Assistant Head of the Manuscript Unit

    Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University

    P.O. Box 208330

    New Haven, CT 06520-8330

    203.432.7364

    www.library.yale.edu/beinecke

    Pronouns: he/him/his

     

    Along with all Yale University libraries, The Beinecke Library is closed until further notice as part of Yale's effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Along with Yale Library staff, I will be working remotely until libraries reopen. For more information see Yale Library's COVID-19 status page here: https://web.library.yale.edu/news/2020/03/covid-19-library-update