The Blackaeonium Project: Workspace/Keeping-Place - An Archival Continuum of Creative Practice

PhD by Research Project, Lisa Cianci, 2012


homepage & table of contents >> appendix 3

 

Blackaeonium Archive System Field Definitions

 

 

Inventory with related Fonds, Series, Group, Relationship, Tag, System and Other Elements - Field Definitions & Usage
category field description one(1)/many(m) Dublin Core ISAD(G) VMQ Other comments
tblinventory
Inventory		 objectID/itemID primary key
unique identifier for object/item inventory		   Term Name: identifier
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/identifier
Label: Identifier
Definition: An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.
Comment: Recommended best practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/identifier
Has Range: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#identifierT-001		 3.1.1 Reference code(s)
Purpose:
To identify uniquely the unit of description and to provide a link to the description that
represents it.
Rule:
Record, as necessary for unique identification, the following elements:
— the country code in accordance with the latest version of ISO 3166 Codes for the
representation of names of countries;
— the repository code in accordance with the national repository code standard or other
unique location identifier;
— a specific local reference code, control number, or other unique identifier.
All three elements must be present for the purpose of information exchange at the
international level.		    
  filename filename of the object/item uploaded to the web server that forms part of URI linking to the file in the archival system          
  title title of the object/item. Not filename of the digital file - rather it is a descriptive title of the content of the object, which may not be inscribed on a digital file, so may be attributed by the artist or archivist   Term Name: title
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/title
Label: Title
Definition: A name given to the resource.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/title
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#titleT-002
Has Range: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal		 3.1.2 Title
Purpose:
To name the unit of description.
Rules:
Provide either a formal title or a concise supplied title in accordance with the rules of
multilevel description and national conventions.
If appropriate, abridge a long formal title, but only if this can be done without loss of
essential information.
For supplied titles, at the higher level, include the name of the creator of the records. At
lower levels one may include, for example, the name of the author of the document and a
term indicating the form of the material comprising the unit of description and, where
appropriate, a phrase reflecting function, activity, subject, location, or theme.
Distinguish between formal and supplied titles according to national or language
conventions.		    
  subject/title2 subject (may use keywords), or title qualifier if required. This field may be used in a number of ways - depending on requirements for description.   Term Name: subject
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/subject
Label: Subject
Definition: The topic of the resource.
Comment: Typically, the subject will be represented using keywords, key phrases, or classification codes. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary. To describe the spatial or temporal topic of the resource, use the Coverage element.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/subject
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#subjectT-001
Note: This term is intended to be used with non-literal values as defined in the DCMI Abstract Model (http://dublincore.org/documents/abstract-model/). As of December 2007, the DCMI Usage Board is seeking a way to express this intention with a formal range declaration.

Term Name: alternative
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/alternative Label: Alternative Title Definition: An alternative name for the resource. Comment: The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Type of Term: Property Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/title Refines: http://purl.org/dc/terms/title Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#alternative-003 Has Range: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal		      
  descriptionContent free text description of the content of the digital object. May be used in a number of ways depending on documentation requirements. May be used to describe what a viewer may see or experience from the object/item. In the case of digital documentation of analogue work, may describe the original analogue work, and the digital representation of the work   Term Name: description
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/description
Label: Description
Definition: An account of the resource.
Comment: Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#descriptionT-001		 3.3.1 Scope and content
Purpose:
To enable users to judge the potential relevance of the unit of description.
Rule:
Give a summary of the scope (such as, time periods, geography) and content, (such as
documentary forms, subject matter, administrative processes) of the unit of description,
appropriate to the level of description.

3.1.4 Level of description
Purpose:
To identify the level of arrangement of the unit of description.
Rule:
Record the level of this unit of description.
Examples:3
Fonds
Sub-fonds
Series
Sub-series
File
Item		 Variable Media Questionnaire
http://forging-the-future.net/
A work is the group of common aspects of a piece that exist independent of any given showing. It is primarily the work of a stakeholder which may be either a single or a group of artists. The work is recorded by a user, who may be any account holder on the system with the proper permissions.

A work is made from parts. Parts are anything that are used in the construction or display of the work, and come in a variety of types, including:

Source: The content of a work. This is usually specific and unique; a program, a video, even a mood or concept to be portrayed.
Material: A generic component that is required to supplement the work's source elements; a video monitor, a display stand. Materials are fungible, though they may have to fit certain specified parameters.
Environment: The environment in which a work is shown; a display area, a network.
Interaction: Intended interaction between the piece and its consumers; touching, manipulating, passive viewing.

If no existing part in the database fits the needs of the work, an existing component may be branched and customized. Generic components will be provided to seed the database for future custom components. When a component is attached to a work the recorder can choose a number of questions which define the parameters of that component. Some questions are grouped into packages by an administrator so that common aspects of a component are easily and completely defined. Each package has a behaviour that describes the type of questions it contains. Other questions may be stand-alone or, if no satisfactory question has already been defined, added by the recorder of the work in question. When all components have been attached to a work and all questions attached to their components, a custom questionnaire is defined that describes all aspects of the work.		 <- This field would be best used in describing the "Source", which I'd rather rename "Content". There may be instances where Source may be described at the Series or Group level - especially the Group - where a new artwork is made through recombination of items. In this case the Group will require it's own statement of intent. The granularity for this kind of description is quite plastic - it may happen anywhere, and it's as yet, hard to determine, or create formula or algorithm for how to describe this content. The VMQ can do it because the central entity is the "artwork", but in this system, the artwork may or may not exist - may exist in the future at some point through recombination etc, so it's complex. Will I be able to draw any conclusions from testing this out?

is the VMQ something that I would document at the item or series level? The issue here is - what is the "work"? Obviously an image file could be a "work" and that is easy to define at the inventory level - only one part & the source/material is easy to describe, but more complex works, performed works, may be formed from many items in a series.

the blackaeonium system tries to fall somewhere between the two I think - trying to satisfy the archival and the curatorial. it's a difficult thing to straddle, and maybe there are problems that cannot be resolved in the current format. The structure I decided upon is largely due to the fact that the system needs to be an active space for play and experimentation, so the smallest parts need to be documented as works in their own right at inventory level, but the "group" is also potentially a "work" too.

One of the most important things about the VMQ is the ability to describe the artists' intent for their artworks' presentation in the future.

I think intent should be described at different granularities - because the "work" exists at different granularities - fonds, series, group and item. "works" exist all through the system, and outside it as well.

the thing about the VMQ that I don't subscribe to for this project is that it is really designed for finished artworks that have already been created and exhibited. it really is a curatorial tool (even though it has the preservation stuff in there too). you would not find an artist using it for creative content that is not complete, or content that is background material, and that's where blackaeonium fits into the gap. blackaeonium tries to deal with how artists work on a daily basis - any piece of ephemera may turn out to be something important, it may not necessarily have been a successful, exhibited artwork (or related to a finished artwork as support material) but it may have the potential to become one. I think "potential" is an important word here. the VMQ is still dealing with realised works that are done and dusted to some extent - even though there is potential for future exhibition and presentation, they don't really show a "collection" or "fonds" in the archival sense, it doesn't necessarily capture the way the artist works, not their processes in creating works.

this is another point of difference - trying to capture the way the artist works - in records management we might relate this to "corporate knowledge capture" or defining function and activity.

lots to think upon here...
  descriptionTechnical free text description of the technical nature of the object/item. This may include specific information for video codecs, image compression details, any specific software/hardware/installation requirements of the object. May describe virtual or physical characteristics of the object/item, and any information relevant to presentation of the object/item. In the case of digital documentation of analogue work, may describe the original technical requirements of the analogue work such as installation, and also the digital representation of the work.   Term Name: description
 3.3.1 Scope and content

3.1.4 Level of description

3.4.4 Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Purpose:
To provide information about any important physical characteristics or technical
requirements that affect use of the unit of description.
Rule:
Indicate any important physical conditions, such as preservation requirements, that affect
the use of the unit of description. Note any software and/or hardware required to access
the unit of description.		 see VMQ: Material/Environment/Interaction  
  descriptionOther free text description for any information not described in the descriptionContent or descriptionTechnical fields. For example, may include details of where the work was published or exhibited, may include specific code (text) used to generate the artwork, or any publications or finding aids relating to the object/item. May also be used for text related to or contained within the content object so that it may be searchable in the archival system.
May also be used to describe the intent for an artwork or item's presentation, publication, exhibition, re-presentation through time - if the previous description fields are not specific in describing the elements and nature of the piece. This information may be described here at item level where some items are as "artwork", or may be described at the Series or Group level where a whole series or group of items forms an "artwork".		   Term Name: description
 3.3.1 Scope and content

3.1.4 Level of description

3.4.5 Finding aids
Purpose:
To identify any finding aids to the unit of description.
Rule:
Give information about any finding aids that the repository or records creator may have
that provide information relating to the context and contents of the unit of description.
If appropriate, include information on where to obtain a copy.

3.5.4 Publication note
Purpose:
To identify any publications that are about or are based on the use, study, or analysis of the
unit of description.
Rule:
Record a citation to, and/or information about a publication that is about or based on the
use, study, or analysis of the unit of description. Include references to published facsimiles
or transcriptions.

3.6.1 Note
Purpose:
To provide information that cannot be accommodated in any of the other areas.
Rule:
Record specialized or other important information not accommodated by any of the
defined elements of description.		 Intent for the artwork's presentation, exhibition, re-presentation through time. Not a specific category in the VMQ, rather, what can be elucidated from the Source/Material/Environment/Interaction descriptions. But perhaps this needs to be more explicit with a "Statement of Intent"?

This information may be elucidated from the above four VMQ descriptive elements, and also from Rights (copyright, creative commons licence) but ideally an artistÕs ÒStatement of IntentÓ for an item, series or group could be added into the descriptive fields in any of the Inventory, Series, Group or even Fonds data tables. This field could also be used to list where a work has already been exhibited, published etc, and any rules or requirements that related to that ÒeventÓ.		  
  datecreated date the digital item uploaded to archival system was created, or optionally, the date the original artwork (analogue or digital) was created. The usage of this field should be described in the collection/fonds description so it is known what this date field means.   Term Name: created
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/created
Label: Date Created
Definition: Date of creation of the resource.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/terms/date
Has Range: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#created-003		 3.1.3 Date(s)
Purpose:
To identify and record the date(s) of the unit of description.
Rules:
Record at least one of the following types of dates for the unit of description, as
appropriate to the materials and the level of description.
Date(s) when records were accumulated in the transaction of business or the conduct of
affairs;
Date(s) when documents were created. This includes the dates of copies, editions, or
versions of, attachments to, or originals of items generated prior to their accumulation as
records.
Identify the type of date(s) given. Other dates may be supplied and identified in accordance
with national conventions.2
Record as a single date or a range of dates as appropriate. A range of dates should always
be inclusive unless the unit of description is a record-keeping system (or part thereof) in
active use.		    
  access restrictions open, closed, partial
access restrictions that affect whether the object/item is accessible in the archival system. Open items can be seen by public users that have not logged in. Closed or partial items can be accessed by users that have logged in to the system - both guests and administrators.

the usage of this field could be described in the collection/fonds description so it is known what this field means		   Term Name: access rights
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/accessRights Label: Access Rights Definition: Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Comment: Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies. Type of Term: Property Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights Refines: http://purl.org/dc/terms/rights Has Range: http://purl.org/dc/terms/RightsStatement Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#accessRights-002		 3.4.1 Conditions governing access
Purpose:
To provide information on the legal status or other regulations that restrict or affect access
to the unit of description.
Rule: Specify the law or legal status, contract, regulation or policy that affects access to the unit
of description. Indicate the extent of the period of closure and the date at which the
material will open when appropriate.		    
  access date open from (if closed)
if the objects/items are closed or partially closed, what is the date that they become "open" to public access? This should be reviewed regularly as it will not automatically open items that are closed.		   Term Name: available
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/available Label: Date Available Definition: Date (often a range) that the resource became or will become available. Type of Term: Property Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date Refines: http://purl.org/dc/terms/date Has Range: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#available-003		      
  location/coverage physical location or geographic location.
this field may be used for more than one purpose. It may be the physical location of the object/item in storage - shelf/container/storage media numbers, or may be used to describe a geographical location. 		  Term Name: coverage
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage
Label: Coverage
Definition: The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant.
Comment: Spatial topic and spatial applicability may be a named place or a location specified by its geographic coordinates. Temporal topic may be a named period, date, or date range. A jurisdiction may be a named administrative entity or a geographic place to which the resource applies. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Thesaurus of Geographic Names [TGN]. Where appropriate, named places or time periods can be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges.
References: [TGN] http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/index.html
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage
Has Range: http://purl.org/dc/terms/LocationPeriodOrJurisdiction
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#coverageT-001

Term Name: spatial
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/spatial
Label: Spatial Coverage
Definition: Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage
Has Range: http://purl.org/dc/terms/Location
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#spatial-003		      
  rights rights management
foreign key - link to joining table tblinvcopy, then to tblcopyright

copyright, copyleft, intellectual property statements. Any information relevant to access, reuse and reproduction of the object/item		 m URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage 3.4.2 Conditions governing reproduction
Purpose:
To identify any restrictions on reproduction of the unit of description.
Rule:
Give information about conditions, such as copyright, governing the reproduction of the
unit of description after access has been provided. If the existence of such conditions is
unknown, record this. If there are no conditions, no statement is necessary.		    
  placement embed, link, download

foreign key - link to joining table tblinvplace, then to tblPlacement
field specific to the archival system that described whether the object/item may be embedded in the web page, or whether it must be linked for download in the case of formats that cannot be viewed in the browser.		 m Label: Coverage superceded by Environment Field    
  retention foreign key - link to joining table tblinvretention, then to tblretention
description of any retention rules for the objects/items in the archival system. These may be defined in any number of ways depending on requirements and rules for retention/destruction.		 m Definition: The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant. 3.3.2 Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Purpose:
To provide information on any appraisal, destruction and scheduling action.
Rules:
Record appraisal, destruction and scheduling actions taken on or planned for the unit of
description, especially if they may affect the interpretation of the material.
Where appropriate, record the authority for the action.		    
  URL related URL
online resource outside of the archive - if such a resource exists.
For example, if the archival item is a compressed archive (zip) file of an entire website, the URL of the website homepage.		   Comment: Spatial topic and spatial applicability may be a named place or a location specified by its geographic coordinates. Temporal topic may be a named period, date, or date range. A jurisdiction may be a named administrative entity or a geographic place to which the resource applies. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Thesaurus of Geographic Names [TGN]. Where appropriate, named places or time periods can be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges.      
  dimensions media that has a width and height in pixels can be documented here. Allows for objects that are viewable in the web browser to be presented at the correct dimensions or scaled up/down.   References: [TGN] http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/index.html 3.1.5 Extent and medium of the unit of description (quantity, bulk, or size)
Purpose:
To identify and describe
a. the physical or logical extent and
b. the medium of the unit of description.
Rules: Record the extent of the unit of description by giving the number of physical or logical
units in arabic numerals and the unit of measurement. Give the specific medium (media)
of the unit of description.
Alternatively, give the linear shelf space or cubic storage space of the unit of description. If
the statement of extent for a unit of description is given in linear terms and additional
information is desirable, add the additional information in parentheses.		    
   size size of the digital object in kilobytes. To describe other kinds of virtual or physical size, use the description fields.   Type of Term: Property 3.1.5    
  format foreign key - link to joining table tblinvformat, then to tblFormat
format of the object/item - for example:
image
audio
text
animation
database
video
3D media
executable
archive (compressed)
other
not required
website
multimedia
document (text and image)
 m Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage 3.1.5    
  format conflicts foreign key - link to joining table tblinvconflict, then to tblFormatConflict

conflicts that may arise from presenting items in the web browser. For example: objects with audio may cause conflict if all presented together at the same time, or objects that are larger in pixel size than the browser window may cause problems with presentation.		 m Has Range: http://purl.org/dc/terms/LocationPeriodOrJurisdiction superceded by Interaction Field    
  mimetypes foreign key - link to joining table tblinvmime then to tblMimetype
standard mimetype (digital file format) for the digital file uploaded to the archival system		 m Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#coverageT-001 3.1.5    
  software used/required foreign key - link to joining table tblinvsw, then to tblsoftware
partially deprecated - use descriptionTechnical
any software used to create the digital file uploaded to the system, or any software required to access/open/view the digital file.		 m   3.4.4 Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Purpose:
To provide information about any important physical characteristics or technical
requirements that affect use of the unit of description.
Rule:
Indicate any important physical conditions, such as preservation requirements, that affect
the use of the unit of description. Note any software and/or hardware required to access
the unit of description.		    
  hardware used/required foreign key - link to joining table tblinvhw, then to tblhardware
deprecated - use descriptionTechnical
any hardware used to create the digital file uploaded to the system, or any hardware required to access/open/view the digital file.		 m Term Name: spatial 3.4.4
superceded by Language Field - use descriptionTechnical, or Environment/Interaction fields		    
  operating system used/required foreign key - link to joining table tblinvos, then to tbloperatingsystem
deprecated - use descriptionTechnical
any operating system used to create the digital file uploaded to the system, or any operating system required to access/open/view the digital file.		 m URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/spatial 3.4.4
superceded by Contributors Field - use descriptionTechnical, or Environment/Interaction fields		    
  language foreign key - link to joining table tblinvlanguage, then to tblLanguage
any languages used in the object/item whether text or audio.		 m Label: Spatial Coverage 3.4.3 Language/scripts of material
Purpose:
To identify the language(s), script(s) and symbol systems employed in the unit of
description.
Rule:
Record the language(s) and/or script(s) of the materials comprising the unit of description.
Note any distinctive alphabets, scripts, symbol systems or abbreviations employed.
Optionally, also include the appropriate ISO codes for language(s) (ISO 639-1 and ISO 639-
2: International Standards for Language Codes) or script(s), (ISO 15924: International Standard for
Names of Scripts).		    
  contributors foreign key - link to joining table tblinvcontributors, then to tblContributors
contributors or participants to the object/item. May be the creator and "non-creator" participants. For example, the creator of a performance artwork may be listed here, also the photographer that documented the performance artwork, and any participants that acted or took part in the performance. in the case of remixed work of third parties, the names of these unintentional contributors may be included here.		 m        
  environment foreign key - link to joining table tblinvEnvironment, then to tblEnvironment
environment/installation/physical requirements for the object/item. 		    see VMQ: Material/Environment    
  interaction foreign key - link to joining table tblinvInteraction, then to tblInteraction
interaction/user engagement for the object/item. 		    see VMQ: Interaction    
  fonds foreign key - link to table tblfonds
collection/fonds level description - see the fonds field descriptions for details		   Type of Term: Property 3.1.4 Level of description "The fonds, therefore, should be viewed primarily as 'an intellectual construct'". Terry Cook, 'The concept of the archival fonds in the post-custodial era : theory, problems and solutions' Archivaria 35 (Spring, 1993), p.33.  
  provenance foreign key - link to joining table tblinvprov
description of the creator/provenance of the object/item.
See the provenance field descriptions for details		 m Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage 3.2.1 Name of creator(s)
Purpose:
To identify the creator (or creators) of the unit of description.
Rule:
Record the name of the organization(s) or the individual(s) responsible for the creation,
accumulation and maintenance of the records in the unit of description. The name should
given in the standardized form as prescribed by international or national conventions in
accordance with the principles of ISAAR(CPF).		 provenance here conceptually is both the creator and custodian. This field was collapsed mainly because the system has been designed for artists to use themselves. The chain of custody issues faced by other types of archives are not relevant here - if the archive changed custody, new material added would be by new creator/provenance entities. for simplicity and minimal data entry, the provenance/creator is one type of information here. See contributors for more complex participant entity documentation.  
  series foreign key - link to table tblseries
Description of the series that the object/item is a part of. A series is an archival construct used to describe items at a higher level than inventory. Series descriptions may include details about the relationship between items - how then were created and used in the context of the artworks they form a part of or document. See the series field descriptions for details		   Refines: http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage 3.1.4 Level of description See information on the Australian Series System - the choice was made to implement series in the system because it suited the way that artists work - in fact artists often talk about groups of their artworks as "series" - in some ways similar if we define a series as some kind of logical grouping of items. it seemed logical to have series here because higher level descriptions of multiple items could be entered once and attached to many items - thus conforming to the multilevel description prescribed by ISAD(G) and many other standards for archival description. Also, from the perspective of accessing content in the archival system, using a series as a starting point for searching and accessing content, is also logical - so the series aids in the retrieval process as well as in an intellectual/archival understanding of how the objects were created, used and presented.  
  groups foreign key - link to joining table tblinvgroup
description of the groups that the object/item is a part of. Groups are "creative constructs" that may be generated at any time to make recombinant works, or groupings of items from any series or fonds. 		m Has Range: http://purl.org/dc/terms/Location 3.1.4 Level of description Whereas the series is established from the point of creation of the item, or from capture in the archival system, groups can be defined at any time from the point of capture, into the future. Thus it is an important part of the "potential" of the archival assemblage to become a recombinant machine, and to facilitate the generation of new works via remix and juxtaposition of content. The many-to-many relationships between items and groups allows for a multifaceted presentation of the archival content to the audience.
The group establishes a kind of creative relationship between items based on creative decision making		  
   tags foreign key - link to joining table tblinvtag
tags are free text words or terms that can be used to describe and link inventory objects/items to each other. There is no thesaurus or guide for the tag list, it may be controlled if the user requires it, but generally, open taxonomies are used to tag items and provide a descriptive way of accessing like items.		 m Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#spatial-003 3.1.4 Level of description folksonomies/taxonomies that assist in the preservation of meaning for the items in the archival assemblage are an important part of the system. Just like with the "group" construct, tags can be added from the point of capture, into the future - and can be added by administrators or guest users. the tags are important for being able to quickly generate a textual impression of the assemblage as a whole, and can facilitate quick and easy access to items in the archive. another important part of the recombinant machine, and the open and live nature of this archival system where the content is both fixed in time, and has the ability to be manipulated into something new.
the tag is another form of relationship based on descriptive text		  
  relationships foreign key - link to joining table tblinvrelated
relationships link inventory items (and FPSG entities) to each other with definition of the kind of relationship between items.
See relationships table for details of relationship types and granularity.		 m Term Name: relation
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation
Label: Relation
Definition: A related resource.
Comment: Recommended best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#relationT-001
Note: This term is intended to be used with non-literal values as defined in the DCMI Abstract Model (http://dublincore.org/documents/abstract-model/). As of December 2007, the DCMI Usage Board is seeking a way to express this intention with a formal range declaration.		 3.5.1 Existence and location of originals
Purpose:
To indicate the existence, location, availability and/or destruction of originals where the
unit of description consists of copies.
Rule:
If the original of the unit of description is available (either in the institution or elsewhere)
record its location, together with any significant control numbers. If the originals no longer
exist, or their location is unknown, give that information.

3.5.2 Existence and location of copies
Purpose:
To indicate the existence, location and availability of copies of the unit of description.
Rule:
If the copy of the unit of description is available (either in the institution or elsewhere)
record its location, together with any significant control numbers.

3.5.3 Related units of description
Purpose:
To identify related units of description.
Rule:
Record information about units of description in the same repository or elsewhere that are
related by provenance or other association(s). Use appropriate introductory wording and
explain the nature of the relationship . If the related unit of description is a finding aid, use
the finding aids element of description (3.4.5) to make the reference to it.		 relationships exist at all levels throughout the content and metadata/metacontent in the archival assemblage. The relationship linkages in the inventory allow for a fine level of relationship building that can define important archival contextual elements such as recognition of originals/copies, parts, controlling elements, temporal differences, versions, and metacontent.  
  date appended date the object/item was added to the archival system   Term Name: date
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/date
Label: Date
Definition: A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource.
Comment: Date may be used to express temporal information at any level of granularity. Recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as the W3CDTF profile of ISO 8601 [W3CDTF].
References: [W3CDTF] http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-datetime
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date
Has Range: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#dateT-001		 3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions
Purpose:
To indicate when this description was prepared and/or revised.
Rule:
Record the date(s) the entry was prepared and/or revised.		    
  date modified date the documentation (metadata)for an object/item was modified - not the date the object itself was modified - once uploaded to the archival system, the object cannot be modified. Other "versions" of the object can be added to the system as different objects.   Term Name: modified
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/modified
Label: Date Modified
Definition: Date on which the resource was changed.
Type of Term: Property
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date
Refines: http://purl.org/dc/terms/date
Has Range: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#modified-003		 3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions    
  entered by name of the administrator that created the inventory entry for the object/item.     3.7.1 Archivist's Note
Purpose:
To explain how the description was prepared and by whom.
Rule:
Record notes on sources consulted in preparing the description and who prepared it.		    
               
tblinvrelated
Inventory relationships		 relationshipID primary key          
  itemID foreign key - link to tblInventory          
  relitemID foreign key - link to tblInventory - itemID          
  relationshipID foreign key - link to tblRelationships
see relationships table for Inventory granularity relationships		          
               
tblfonds
Fonds		 fondsID primary key          
  fonds title attributed title of the fonds/collection     3.1.4 Level of description    
  fonds description fonds definition:

the fonds description should be the highest level description of the entire collection. The description may include a statement of intent for the artworks/objects in the collection, the purpose of creating the archive, history of how it came about, and recommendations (statement of intent) for how the objects/items should be presented or accessed over time - although the series may also be used for more specific statement of intent for different artworks if required.

The description may also include information about the scope of the collection - what types of media or format, the system of arrangement (general information on arrangement and attributes - more info on these areas should be in series descriptions).

The fonds description may also include any rules or conventions governing how the documentation or archival description was made. For example, the description may include how the archival system was used to document the contents - specific field usage and intent for documentation and presentation of content. Also, the fonds description may describe how the various entities have been documented and defined, may list any systems, standards or guidelines that have been used in documenting the contents.		   Term Name: MethodOfAccrual
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/MethodOfAccrual
Label: Method of Accrual
Definition: A method by which resources are added to a collection.
Type of Term: Class
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#MethodOfAccrual-001

Term Name: Policy
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/Policy
Label: Policy
Definition: A plan or course of action by an authority, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters.
Type of Term: Class
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#Policy-001		 3.3.1 Scope and content
Purpose:
To enable users to judge the potential relevance of the unit of description.
Rule:
Give a summary of the scope (such as, time periods, geography) and content, (such as
documentary forms, subject matter, administrative processes) of the unit of description,
appropriate to the level of description.

3.3.4 System of arrangement
Purpose:
To provide information on the internal structure, the order and/or the system of
classification of the unit of description.
Rule:
26
Specify the internal structure, order and/or the system of classification of the unit of
description. Note how these have been treated by the archivist. For electronic records,
record or reference information on system design.
Alternatively, include any of this information in the Scope and Content element (3.3.1)
according to national conventions.

3.7.2 Rules or Conventions
Purpose:
To identify the protocols on which the description is based.
Rule:
Record the international, national and/or local rules or conventions followed in preparing
the description.		    
  date appended       3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions    
  date modified       3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions    
  entered by       3.7.1 Archivist's Note    
               
tblfondsrelated
Fonds relationships		 frID primary key
unique identifier		          
  fondsID foreign key - link to the fondsID field in tblFonds          
  fondsrelatedID foreign key - link to the fondsID field in tblFonds          
  relationshipID foreign key - link to the tblrelationships table to the type of relationship between fonds.          
               

tblprovenance
Provenance

provenanceID

primary key
unique identifier
 
 
 
 
 

 

provenance title

title of the provenance entity whether person, organisation, group, or other recordkeeping/ambient entity. May be the same as "name" if a person
 

Term Name: provenance
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/provenance
Label: Provenance
Definition: A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation.
Comment: The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Type of Term: Property
Has Range: http://purl.org/dc/terms/ProvenanceStatement
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#provenance-002

3.2.1 Name of creator(s)
Purpose:
To identify the creator (or creators) of the unit of description.
Rule:
Record the name of the organization(s) or the individual(s) responsible for the creation,
accumulation and maintenance of the records in the unit of description. The name should
given in the standardized form as prescribed by international or national conventions in
accordance with the principles of ISAAR(CPF).
 
 

provenance description

the provenance description should include a statement about the provenance entity - a history of the entity, details of their function or activity as a creative individual or group. Artist statements and biographies, curricula vitae, etc may be included here, also lists of exhibitions or publications, or links to these details online.
 
 

3.2.2 Administrative/Biographical history
Purpose:
To provide an administrative history of, or biographical details on, the creator (or creators)
of the unit of description to place the material in context and make it better understood.
Rules:
Record concisely any significant information on the origin, progress, development and work
of the organization (or organizations) or on the life and work of the individual (or
individuals) responsible for the creation of the unit of description. If additional information
is available in a published source, cite the source.
The Information Areas of ISAAR(CPF) suggest specific informational elements that may
be included in this element.
For persons or families record information such as full names and titles, dates of birth and
death, place of birth, successive places of domicile, activities, occupation or offices, original
and any other names, significant accomplishments, and place of death.
For corporate bodies record information such as the official name, the dates of existence,
enabling legislation, functions, purpose and development of the body, its administrative
hierarchy, and earlier, variant or successive names.
 
 

type

type of entity: person, group, organisation, family, agency, institution, other
 
 
 
 
 

function

function of the entity - for example: artist; artistic collaboration; photographer; director; writer; etc.
 
 
 
 
 

name (if person)

name of the provenance entity if a person
 
 
 
 
 

date append

 
 

3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions
 
 

date modified

 
 

3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions
 
 

entered by

 
 

3.7.1 Archivist's Note
 
 
               

tblprovrelated
Provenance relationships

pdID

primary key

          

provenanceID

         

provrelatedID

         

relationshipID

         
               
tblseries
Series		 seriesID primary key          
  seriestitle inscribed or attributed title of the series     3.1.4 Level of description    
  seriesdescription definition of series: logical grouping of items that have the same format, or function, or were created for the same purpose - for example: in the creation of a specific artwork or series of artworks...

description of the series scope and content, summary of the formats, subject matter, date ranges, processes used, purpose of the items, how and why they were created and used, any details of arrangement, copies, versions, interpretation. Any information required to understand and access the series.

may include statements of intent by the artist for how artworks in the series should be preserved and presented in future.		   Term Name: MethodOfAccrual
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/MethodOfAccrual
Label: Method of Accrual
Definition: A method by which resources are added to a collection.
Type of Term: Class
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#MethodOfAccrual-001

Term Name: Policy
URI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/Policy
Label: Policy
Definition: A plan or course of action by an authority, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters.
Type of Term: Class
Version: http://dublincore.org/usage/terms/history/#Policy-001		 3.2.3 Archival history
Purpose:
To provide information on the history of the unit of description that is significant for its
authenticity, integrity and interpretation.
Rules:
Record the successive transfers of ownership, responsibility and/or custody of the unit of
description and indicate those actions, such as history of the arrangement, production of
contemporary finding aids, re-use of the records for other purposes or software migrations,
that have contributed to its present structure and arrangement. Give the dates of these
actions, insofar as they can be ascertained. If the archival history is unknown, record that
information.
Optionally, when the unit of description is acquired directly from the creator, do not record
an archival history but rather, record this information as the Immediate source of
acquisition. (See 3.2.4)

3.3.1 Scope and content
Purpose:
To enable users to judge the potential relevance of the unit of description.
Rule:
Give a summary of the scope (such as, time periods, geography) and content, (such as
documentary forms, subject matter, administrative processes) of the unit of description,
appropriate to the level of description.

3.3.4 System of arrangement
Purpose:
To provide information on the internal structure, the order and/or the system of
classification of the unit of description.
Rule:
26
Specify the internal structure, order and/or the system of classification of the unit of
description. Note how these have been treated by the archivist. For electronic records,
record or reference information on system design.
Alternatively, include any of this information in the Scope and Content element (3.3.1)
according to national conventions.		 Variable Media Questionnaire
http://forging-the-future.net/
see above for more details...

In some cases, the Series description may contain information about Source/Content, Material, Environment and Interaction - if the items in the series are components of a more complex work. 		 
  date appended       3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions    
  date modified       3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions    
  entered by       3.7.1 Archivist's Note    
               
tblseriesrelated
Series relationships		 srID primary key          
  seriesID            
  seriesrelatedID            
  relationshipID            
               
tblgroup
Group		 groupID primary key          
  grouptitle attributed title of the group, may be the title of a recombinant artwork created through grouping the items     3.1.4 Level of description    
  groupdescription definition of group:

the group description should contain information about the creation of the group, the purpose of combining the items in the group, and the intent for the group as a recombinant artwork if required.		     3.3.1 Scope and content
Purpose:
To enable users to judge the potential relevance of the unit of description.
Rule:
Give a summary of the scope (such as, time periods, geography) and content, (such as
documentary forms, subject matter, administrative processes) of the unit of description,
appropriate to the level of description.		 Variable Media Questionnaire
http://forging-the-future.net/
see above for more details...

In some cases, the Group description may contain information about Source/Content, Material, Environment and Interaction - if the items in the series are components of a more complex work. Especially as the Group is used to create new recombinant works, so description and intent can be documented here for the type of work that is created, or if it is simply a grouping of items for another purpose. As the possible usage of this entity is not completely know, there is scope to describe the types of information captured in the VMQ at Group level.		  
  date appended       3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions    
  date modified       3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions    
  entered by       3.7.1 Archivist's Note    
               
tblgrouprelated
Group relationships		 grID primary key          
  groupID            
  grouprelatedID            
  relationshipID            
               
tblrelationships
Relationships		                 
relationshipID relationship relatedID granularity        
1 previous 1 FPS        
2 subsequent 1 FPS        
3 concurrent 3 FPS        
4 parent 5 FPSI        
5 child 4 FPSI        
6 part of 7 FPSGI        
7 has part 6 FPSGI        
8 controlling 9 FPS        
9 controlled by 8 FPS        
10 copy of 11 I        
11 original of 10 I        
12 related 12 FPSGI        
13 metacontent for 14 I        
14 has metacontent 13 I        
15 has version 16 GI        
16 is version of 15 GI        
17 has format 18 I        
18 is format of 17 I        
19 has reference 20 GI        
20 is referenced by 19 GI        
21 is based on 22 GI        
22 is basis for 21 GI        
23 requires (dependency)  24 GI        
24 is requirement for (dependency)  23 GI        
               
  *blue = later additions   F=fonds        
      P=provenance        
      S=series        
      G=group        
      I=inventory        
               
               
               
Tables linked to Inventory              
               
tbltag tagID primary key          
Tags tag tag - single word or terms          
               
tblinvtag
inventory-tag link
 invtagID primary key          
  itemID foreign key          
  tagID foreign key          
               
tblrelationship
Relationships		 relationshipID primary key          
  relationship relationship type          
  relatedID ID of the related/paired relationship - e.g.: parent/child, or previous/subsequent          
  granularity FPSGI - what level of entity does it relate to?          
               
               
  *Other tables & field definitions and descriptions are in a separate document as they mostly relate back to the main tables already listed above.    
               

 

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this page produced by lisa cianci on her website www.blackaeonium.net
comments and queries to lisa's email address on scr.im (for humans only)
created 01/12/2011
last modified 30/07/2012