Cataloging, controlled access/search terms, and controlled vocabularies are an important part of access in the archives. Over the past month, Descriptive Notes has been publishing a series on Cataloging Description.
In "Coming Together: How Metadata Creates Communication between Archivists and Catalogers," Joanna Fuchs discusses the different approaches to metadata and cataloging collections at Brandeis University Library, outlining productive conservations between archivists and catalogers working to make collections accessible to researchers.
In "Standardizing Scientific Metadata at Los Alamos National Laboratory," Laura McGuiness and Mark Offtermatt discuss the scientific metadata standards used by the Los Alamos National Laboratory's National Security Research Center, including the ongoing creation and implementation of site-specific controlled vocabularies.
And in "Taking on the Challenge: PCC's Metadata Justice Work for Indigenous Communities," (cross-posted to our Inclusive Description series), Katherine Witzig (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) shares their involvement with the Program for Cooperative Cataloging's Task Group for Metadata Related to Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, and invites community feedback.
If you work with controlled vocabularies, crosswalk cataloging metadata, build MARC records for your archival collections, or are or work closely with catalogers yourself, please consider contributing to this ongoing series! Read about our submission guidelines here, or reach out to the editorial team at saadescription@gmail.com.
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Katherine Madison
Lead Editor, Descriptive Notes
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