Taking care of your family archives - part 7

We have already discussed what family archives are, what to keep, safeguarding the physical condition, packaging, storage and arrangement of your family archives. In this section we will look at the format and layout of the inventory for your family archives.

Format and layout of the inventory for your family archives

Definition of description: Description is the act of establishing intellectual control over records by identifying their contents, structure, functions, key subjects, and historical significance. The information is then recorded in a standardised form, for example, in finding aids.

Definition of an inventory: An inventory is a list of materials with descriptive details usually arranged systematically. Inventories may take a number of formats such as electronic, a sheet, a book or a card. It is also a finding aid that describes the organisation and activities of the body/person who created the records and the physical extent, chronological scope, and subject content of the records. The inventory provides an essential link between archives and users, because they assist users in finding the records they need.

A distinctive feature of the inventory as a finding aid is that it gives a synopsis of the archives. The inventory gives a summary of the contents of the archives as a whole and not of the contents of each document as such. The purpose of the inventory is to determine and describe main constituent parts of each item in the archives. An item-by-item description in such inventories will enable you to find a document easily.

The inventory consists of the following parts

The title page: The title page contains the full title of the archives, e.g.: ‘Inventory of the Archives of the Els Family’ or ‘Inventory of the Archives of Johannes Els’. The starting date should also be indicated and if it is a closed collection, the end date. The title page can also include details of the inventory such as the name of the compiler, the completion date and the any additions made. See example 1.

The introduction is included as an integral part of the inventory, rather than as a separate document. The primary purpose of the introduction is to describe the archives in order to allow the inventory to be used easily. The introduction consists of two parts, a historical background and a discussion of the documents. See example 2.

In the historical-administrative section of the inventory, you should include concise biographical detail with the emphasis on those aspects of the person's life that are reflected in the documents. For example, if the person concerned had a great interest in the history of the district and collected such information over the years; this should be emphasized in the biography. If the documents were created by two or more family members, then each family member’s biographical details should be supplied if all of their records are provided in one inventory.

In the second part of the introduction, the documents have to be according to the main series which you provided. There is no fixed pattern, since documents in each collection are unique. You can give a group description or a thematic description. The physical condition of the documents should also be noted: Large gaps in the series should be mentioned. If any documents within a volume are missing, this must be indicated in the footnotes next to the relevant volume in the inventory.

The summary of the inventory (table of contents or synopsis) is extremely important, because it constitutes a bridge between the introduction and the rest of the inventory. It indicates the place in the inventory where the detailed descriptions of the individual volumes can be found. It is therefore more than just a table of contents. The summary is divided into two vertical columns. A column for Volume Numbers (the first and last numbers of the series, e.g. 1-61 or 1/1-1/61), and a column for Description, a description of the relevant main or sub-series is supplied. The description should be concise but precise, e.g. Diaries; Letters, etc. with the date of the earliest item in a series, (e.g. Diaries, 1909-). A third column for page numbers can be added but this is not recommended, since this will have to be changed every time additions to the inventory are made. The summary should be compiled after the inventory has been completed to ensure that all the details are correct. See example 3.

The inventory itself consists of three vertical columns. The headings of the columns are respectively Volume Number, Description and Period. The heading ‘Inventory’ appears at the top centre of the first page. To the left of the page about two to three lines below the heading, the reference letters are indicated. If you have more than one inventory (for example, for two different families or an inventory for each person), reference letters or source codes can be assigned to each group or inventory. For example ‘EL’ for the Els family records or ‘JE’ for Johannes Els. This source code(s) should be indicated in the inventory, as well as on every item to ensure that the archives of one group do not mix with other group(s). See example 4.

Footnotes are important to explain aspects of archival importance. Mistakes or gaps are indicated by means of footnotes, for example for a volume with a number of damaged or missing items, or in which the contents are incorrectly bound. A general rule is to avoid footnotes containing purely historical information, e.g. "Two letters signed by Paul Kruger", but in an inventory of a family archives, it can be valuable to note interesting facts in footnotes. Footnotes should be limited to a particular volume or a particular document in a volume. Generally, you should place the footnote reference number next to the date to which it refers, but it can also be placed next to the volume number, or the description of the volume to which it refers. Whichever way you choose to do this, it is important to be consistent. The footnotes have to be brief, precise and to the point. The best way to number footnotes is consecutively. See example 4.

Addendums can be added to show a person holding one position also served on another board or committee. It is handy to have these records separate from the other records. See example 5.

Annexures can be added at the end of the inventory for items such as books, maps and photographs, since these items can accumulate quickly and it is easier to list them in alphabetical or chronological order. See example 6.

Correct dating is extremely important. You rely upon the date indicated in the inventory in order to identify the correct volume to consult. The best way to provide the dates is in reverse, (i.e. first the year, then the month and then the day). The first and last dates appearing in a volume should be given (e.g. 1909 Jul 4 - 1914 Jan 7). The months may be abbreviated if necessary. In cases where the date is not known, it should be indicated by a question mark, (e.g. 1909 Jul ?). If you have to guess the date, provide c. (circa) between round brackets after the date, (e.g. 1909 (c.) Jul 9). The dates are separated by a short dash.

The format and layout of the inventory is vital, because if these descriptive standards are consistently applied in an accurate and intelligible manner, it will be of a high professional standard and easy to use. Next time, we will discuss the description of the documents in an inventory and the numbering system.