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Re: Cataloging archival materials: Title field added entries?



Hi Marsha -

The USGS Field Records Library collections focus on the earth sciences.
The cataloging developed from library-style cataloging of published
materials, and in the past 12 years or so has gone over to using APPM as a
main guideline.
Materials cover the range from field notebooks to correspondence, field and
compilation maps of different kinds, unpublished manuscripts, stratigraphic
logs, aerial photographs, and thin sections.  Project materials vary from
one notebook and a map to many linear feet of material.
A scientist may deposit a life's work at one time, or we may get things in
dribbles, related to specific investigations which have been completed.  A
scientist may work on numberous different projects during a career, or may
focus on one basic topic their entire career.
With all that said..... most of our materials are cataloged as those
individual projects, and a descriptive title is created for that project,
which is many times similar to the title of the publication (if there is
one).  For example, "Geologic studies in the Runamuck quadrangle, New
Mexico" (245 field);  I put the date(s) of the materials in the "f"
subfield of 245.
A few other examples of created titles for materials by specific
individuals:
 - "Geology, stratigraphy and vanadiferous phosphates in western Wyoming
and southeastern Wyoming."
 - "Files, including correspondence and reports"
 - "Correspondence, geologic studies and recollections."
 - "Review of the Diablo Canyon, California long term seismic program for
staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
 - "Geochemical and geobotanical exploration and prospecting, United
States."
 - "Uranium  notes on the Colorado Plateau and adjacaent areas. Arizona,
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming."

We have the papers of Waldemar Schaller, a world-reknowned mineralogist,
and that is one of the few instances in which I've used "Papers" as the
title.  The papers include a wide range of materials and "Papers" seemed
the best choice.

Having the more descriptive titles certainly helps me and others decide if
a given group of materials might be helpful for a particular request.

I hope this is helpful!

Carol Edwards

Carol A. Edwards
USGS Field Records Library
MS 914, Box 25046, Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225-0046
email: cedwards@usgs.gov
phone: 303-236-1005
fax: 303-236-0015

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