Archives: ISAD(G) /CALM

Cataloguing guidelines for Visual material held in archives are covered in the general Wellcome Archive Cataloguing Manual.

Visual Material refers to all 2D, 3D and born digital objects which communicate information in a predominately visual way, but excludes any time-based media.

Note: Visual material cataloguing adheres more strictly to ISAD(G) 2nd edition in mandating a creator name be added at all levels, if known. An exception may be made for mass re-cataloguing material within existing archive structures which would cause non-visual material without creator names to be significantly obscured by the catalogue API.

Visual material cataloguing also expands upon departing from the inheritance principle by ensuring that information for the core fields outlined above are included at every level, with the exception of the creator and creator role which should be added at every level only if known.

Specific guidance on Extent data for Visual material is outlined in Appendix 2 of the Archives manual.

Visual Material Metadata Framework

To make visual material cataloguing more consistent across the collection, we have created an in-house Visual Material Metadata Framework which meets the core requirements of Spectrum and is informed by the Cataloguing Cultural Objects (CCO) manual published by the Visual Resources Association (VRA).

In addition to the minimum ISAD(G) requirements, Spectrum requires:

• Object Name (broad type of object)

• Current Owner

• Current Location

• Recorder and recording date

Whilst CCO doesn't have any mandatory fields, it does recommend the use of these additions for a core record:

• Measurements display (number and size of the materials)

• Creator display (and creator role)

• Controlled Subject (subject term)

The metadata crosswalk shows how each element of the Metadata Framework can be mapped to ISAD(G), CCO, Spectrum and MARC standards.