Design for an Archival Description System, Application of ISAD(G): A Study  Appendix 3 Peter Horsman  Example of a simplified Implementation Model  A 3.1 Entity Relationship Diagram  A 3.2 Table Descriptions  The next page contains an ERD of a simplified implementation model. The model supports description of Items, (Sub)Series and (Sub)Fonds. Each of these entities may be linked either directly to a record creating organization, or via its functions (business processes). As has been pointed out in the chapter on implementation, such links may be established at the highest possible level, but exceptions at the lower levels must be possible.  The table descriptions in section A 3.2 give examples of tables that support the required functionality.A 3.2  Simplified Implementation  Table Descriptions  Table: Actor  The table is optional. The highest level Organizational Unit (see below) may be considered to be the record creating agency.  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Actor_id integer  System generated key  Actor_name text  Name of the actor  Actor_type text  Type of actor (place in the political system; private organization)  Date_begin date  Start date (year)  Date_end date  End date (year)  Description long  Narrative, full description of the actor (administrative / biographical history)      Table: Archival Item  Table for description of the lowest level units. Relationships may be established to the record creator, and/or to the business process that generated them. These columns may be filled automatically via input at the higher levels (series), with the possibility to over-write them at the Item level.  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Item_id integer  Key. Hidden  Ref_code text  Reference code, given by the archival institution. In a hardcopy output report, such as an inventory, the materials may be renumbered, according to the preference of the archivist  Level of description text Application sets default value: item  Title text  Short title description of the unit. Usually at the item-level a short title description will be sufficient. Eventually description includes data and physical form. The fields date-begin and date_end may be used only for sorting and selecting. (see remarks in table records).  Date_begin number  Oldest year of material  Date_end number  Latest year  Extent text  Physical extension of the item  Contents long  Large description. Scope and content / abstract  Language text  Language of the material  Appraisal text  At the Item level information about disposal date may be given  Copy-right  Access condit.  Finding-aids  Legal status  Loc. originals  Exist. copies  Related units  Assoc. Mat  Publications  See ISAD. Mostly this information will be given at the higher levels.  Note text  Any kind of annotations  Org_id integer  Foreign key to Records Creator (Organization)  Process_id integer  Foreign key to Business Process  Arranged_in integer  Foreign key to Series      Table: Business Process (Function)  The table is optional.  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Process_id integer  system generated key  Proc_Name text  Short description of the business process  Date_begin date  First date (year) of carrying out the function  Date_end date  Last date (year)  Description long  full description of the function.  Org_id integer  Foreign key to the organizational unit responsible for the process      Table: Custodial Fonds  Highest unit of physical arrangement  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Cust_fonds_id integer  system generated key  Cust_fonds_ref text  Reference code assigned to by the archives  Cust_ref text  Reference code for the archival institution.  Level of Descr text  Default value set by application: Fonds  Title text  Short title description of the Custodial Fonds. Usually at the Fonds-level a short title description will be not sufficient. Eventually description includes data and physical form. The fields date-begin and date_end may be used only for sorting and selecting. (see remarks in table records).  Date_begin number  Oldest year of material. The field might be calculated, but in order to allow top-down description the field must be enterable.  Date_end number  Latest year. The field might be calculated, but in order to allow top-down description the field must be enterable.  Extent text  Physical extension of the Fonds. Theoretically the field might be calculated, but in order to justify, or to allow top-down description the field must be enterable.  Contents long  Large description. Scope and content.  Language text  Language of the material  Appraisal text  Information about appraisal, scheduling etc.  Copy-right  Access condit.  Finding-aids  Legal status  Loc. originals  Exist. copies  Related units  Assoc. Mat  Publications  See ISAD. Aggregation of information regarding lower levels..  Note text  Any kind of annotations  Org_id integer  Foreign key to the record creator  Part_of integer  Foreign key to higher fonds      Table: Keyword  Both descriptions both at the Item level, the Series level, and eventually the Fonds level, keywords may be assigned, for subject, and or name indexing. Eventually separate tables for names (personal, geographical, corporate), and subjects may be implemented. The keyword sub-system might be linked to a thesaurus.  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Keyword text  Term  Description text  full description of the keyword.  Type text  type of keyword      Table: Keyword Assignment  The table establishes the many-to-many relationship between keywords and the descriptions to be indexed.  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Keyword text  Foreign key to keyword  Unit_id integer  Foreign key to the unit to be indexed      Table: Organizational Unit  The actual body in which an Actor exists. In the case the table Actor (formal, legal body) is not implemented, the Organizational Unit is considered as the record creating agency.  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Org_id integer  System generated key  Org_name text  Name of the organizational unit  Date_begin date  Start date (year)  Date_end date  End date (year)  Description long  Narrative, full description of the organizational unit  Part_of integer  Foreign key to higher organization unit, eventually the Actor      Table: Series  Aggregation of (sub)series, records, or items  Column Name Format Size  Remarks Series_id integer  System generated key  Ref_code  (Class_id)  text Reference code, given by the archival institution. In a hardcopy output report, such as an inventory, the materials may be renumbered, according to the preference of the archivist  Level of descr text  Default value set by the application: Series  Title text  Short title description of the Series. Usually at the Series-level a short title description will be not sufficient. Eventually description includes data and physical form. The fields date-begin and date_end may be used only for sorting and selecting. (see remarks in table records).  Date_begin number  Oldest year of material. The field might be calculated, but in order to allow top-down description the field must be enterable.  Date_end number  Latest year. The field might be calculated, but in order to allow top-down description the field must be enterable.  Extent text  Physical extension of the item. Theoretically the field might be calculated, but in order to justify, or to allow top-down description the field must be enterable.  Contents long  Large description. Scope and content.  Language text  Language of the material  Appraisal text  Information about appraisal, scheduling etc.  Copy-right  Access condit.  Finding-aids  Legal status  Loc. originals  Exist. copies  Related units  Assoc. Mat  Publications  See ISAD. Aggregation of information regarding items..  Note text  Any kind of annotations  Org_id integer  Foreign key to record creator  Is_subseries_in integer  Foreign key to higher series  Sorter Algorithm for sorting Items within a (sub)series    back to pre-conference readings page

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Prepared by: Barbara Cytowicz and Lisa Cianci
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Date modified: 4 March 1998