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Create an Item Finding Aid

Use this tutorial to create and maintain the item-level finding-aid.md file for a DPLAB project. The finding aid records the item?s description, identifiers, technical summary, online links, and processing history in one staff-readable file.

Finding Aid Template

The DPLAB 1: Create Finding Aid action creates the working finding-aid.md file. Use the following current template when creating or repairing a finding aid manually. Replace bracketed placeholders and remove unused example text.

# Finding Aid: [TITLE]

*Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections*

## Collection

[Collection Name]

### Series

[[Series Name]]

## Identifiers

- **UUID:**
- **Collection ID:**
- **Acquisition ID:**
- **Item ID:**
- **Bag Filename:**

## Online Access

- **Vtext:**
- **ArchivesSpace:**
- **ArchivesSpace Digital Object:**
- **Access PDF Download Link:**

## Description

### Title

[TITLE]

### Creator

[Creator name, if known]

### Date

YYYY-MM-DD

### Scope and Contents

[Briefly describe what this item contains.]

### Extent (Objects)

- **Total Files:**
- **Total Size:**
- **Formats:**
- **Extent Statement:**

## Subjects

<!-- Use FAST by default unless LCSH is specifically required. One term per line. -->

- [Subject]
- [Subject]

### Names

- [Last name, First name]

## Rights and Access

**Rights Statement:** [Rights statement]

### Citation (APA Bibliography)

[Add the completed citation.]

## File Summary

For the full technical file inventory, see: `metadata/manifest.csv`

### Master Files

Located in: `metadata/objects/nearline`

[List master files if useful.]

### Access Files

Located in: `metadata/objects/online`

[List access files if useful.]

## Arrangement

- `objects/nearline`: Preservation-quality master copies, not for public access.
- `objects/online`: Access-quality copies optimized for public dissemination.
- `metadata`: Metadata files, processing logs, manifests, and supporting documentation.
- `sip-lock.zip`: Original untouched submitted electronic records, if present.

## Processing Notes

- **Processed By:**
- **Processing Date:**
- **Contact:**

### Notes

[Brief processing notes, conversion notes, problems, or exceptions.]

When to Create the Finding Aid

Create the finding aid early in local processing, after the UUID folder has been created and the scan record has been captured. At that point, the item identifiers and capture details are available, but the file remains a working record: update it as processing, access, and packaging work is completed.

Note

For the AIP workflow, this is the DPLAB 1: Create Finding Aid action in the local-item preparation stage. Select the local item folder before starting the action.

Create the File

DPLAB 1 custom FreeCommander button

  1. Select the local item folder in FreeCommander.
  2. Run DPLAB 1: Create Finding Aid.
  3. Confirm that finding-aid.md was created.
  4. Open finding-aid.md in a text editor and complete the fields that are known at this stage.

The completed Bag should retain the file in its metadata area as metadata/finding-aid.md.

Fill Out the Template

Begin with the supplied template. Replace bracketed placeholders and remove unused example text; do not leave placeholder values in a completed finding aid.

Complete at Creation

Fill in these fields as soon as the item folder and scan record exist:

Section What to record
Collection / Series The collection name and the applicable series.
Identifiers UUID, collection ID, acquisition ID, and full item ID. Enter N/A only when an acquisition ID truly does not apply.
Description Title, creator when known, date, and a concise scope-and-contents statement.
Subjects / Names Use FAST subject headings by default unless LCSH is specifically required. Enter one subject term per line and use the established name form.
Rights and Access The applicable rights statement.
Processing Notes Processor, processing date, contact, and any immediate capture or condition notes.

Complete as Work Progresses

Update these entries when the information becomes available:

Section When to update it
Bag Filename After the final Bag ZIP is created. Use the final ZIP filename, such as UUID_bag.zip.
Online Access After Vtext and ArchivesSpace work is complete. Record the Vtext handle, ArchivesSpace archival-object URL, ArchivesSpace digital-object URL, and access-PDF download URL.
Extent (Objects) After final filenames, derivatives, and file counts are known. Record total files, total size, formats, and a readable extent statement.
File Summary After technical manifests have been created. Keep the path to metadata/manifest.csv and list master or access files when that will help staff review the item.
Citation After the title, date, creator, collection, and Vtext handle are final.
Notes Add conversion decisions, errors, exceptions, and other processing history as they occur.

Tip

Update the finding aid immediately after each related task rather than leaving all fields until the end. This keeps identifiers, URLs, and technical details from being lost during handoffs.

Write the Extent Statement

The extent statement should summarize the access and preservation objects together with their total size. For example:

1 electronic record (PDF), and 8 page scans (PNG). 1.30 GB (1,403,526,758 bytes).

Use the full Windows file-size statement when available. To record sizes, select the applicable scan folder and final access or master files in FreeCommander or Windows Explorer, open Properties, and copy the displayed size information into the finding aid.

Before Packaging

Before creating the final Bag, review the finding aid for:

  • a completed UUID, collection ID, item ID, and descriptive title
  • current rights, subjects, names, and processing notes
  • accurate file counts, formats, and size information
  • final Vtext and ArchivesSpace links when applicable
  • a clear indication of any missing information, exceptions, or follow-up work

For the related AIP sequence, see Creating AIPs from In-House Scans. Community Archives projects can also use the detailed Digital Preservation Processing workflow.