ARCHIVISTS' TOOLKIT > INSTRUCTIONS/TUTORIALS > NAME LINKS

The accession and description records include command buttons for assigning name terms to these records, and for removing a name term that was previously assigned to the record. Once a name term is assigned, it will appear in the accession or description record and in any accession or description reports that make use of name terms.

 Types of name relationships

There are three options for assigning a name to an accession or resource record. You may add the name as a source for the materials, as a creator of the materials, or as a subject documented in the materials. In addition to these functions, you may further refine information about the entity’s relationship to the materials by recording a role for a creator, source, or subject, and by adding a form subdivision to a subject. Neither of these two options is required.

The function, role, and form fields do not become part of the name record, but instead are part of the link between the name record and the description or accession record.

Name Link Function. The function of the name, either creator, source, or subject, in relation to this accession, description resource, description component record, digital object record, or digital object component record. The same name can be linked multiple times to an accession, description, or component record, as long as the function, role and form division is different.

 

Role. An indication of what role the name has in regard to its function as creator, source, or subject. Examples include identifying a source as a donor or a dealer, or identifying a creator as collector, a director, or an illustrator.

 

The content of this field is populated with a controlled list that is drawn from the list of MARC relator codes. You may not add other values to the field. The roles available for creator and subject are different than the roles available for source.

 

Form Subdivision. This field is for topical, geographical, chronological, or form descriptors, singly or in some combination, that modify a name assigned as a subject. The Toolkit does not enforce consistency in the use of separation devices where combinations of descriptors are used.

 Assigning Names

1. From the Names & Subjects tab of an accession or resource record, press the Add Name Link button. The Toolkit will display a list of names available.
2. To retrieve the desired name, scroll through the list or begin to type the desired name in the Filter box. As you type, the list will be filtered to include only those terms containing the character string entered into the Filter box.
   • If the desired name does not appear, and if you have the proper permissions, you may create a new name record. Press the Create Name button, which will cause the Toolkit to prompt you for the type of name record, and then open a blank name record.
   • Follow the instructions in Chapter 11 to create the new record. When you have saved the record, the Toolkit will return to the Name Lookup window, where the new name has been added to the list.
   • Select a Name Link Function for the name: Creator, Source, or Subject. This step is required.

 

3. If the desired name(s) appears in the list, select the name and then choose a Name Link Function for the name(s): Creator, Source, or Subject. This step is required.
4.  If you wish, select a more specific role for the creator from the Role field. The Role will be applied to all names, if more than one is selected.
5. For names as subjects, you may also choose to add a Form Subdivision. The Form Subdivision will be applied to all names if more than one is selected.
6. Once you have selected a name and a function, and have identified the role and subdivision (if so desired), press the button, or double-click the name in the list. The name(s) will be added to the open accession or resource record.
7. Repeat the process of selecting names as often as necessary, and then press the button to return to the accession or resource record.