Here is an example catalogue to compare to your own cataloguing.
You have accessioned a new collection from Helen Smith, a local photographer, historian and artist who has been documenting the village of Market Langthwaite for over thirty years. She has donated a collection of her photographs, artwork and research.
Helen has provided you with information about the collection: she started photographing and sketching the village in the 1980s, which led her to take an interest in its history. She has compiled several handwritten notebooks and printed notes of historical research that she made while visiting local libraries and archives. More recently, she has also made video recordings of local events and interviews with parishioners.
You give the collection the reference code 'HS' to indicate this is the collection received from Helen Smith, and enter a collection level description, eg:
Then you arrange the collection into the following series of records and give a number to each one:
Next you look at each file level and repeat the process again. Within the local history research notes series, there are four notebooks dated 1992, 1993, 1994-5 and 1996, and a set of typed notes dating from 1997-2003. You give them the numbers ‘HS/1/1’, ‘HS/1/2’, ‘HS/1/3’, ‘HS/1/4’ and ‘HS/1/5’ respectively, to reflect this chronological order. Now each file has the same set of catalogue fields, so that a researcher can assess each one individually and see how they each fit in the collection.
For each file or item you catalogue, you pencil in the reference number (for example ‘HS/1/3’) onto the top corner of the item itself and the folder or box it is stored in. This will make parts of the collection easier to locate in future.
You repeat this process with the other series, box up the items, label the boxes and store them in your storage area, making a note of locations.
Collection level:
Series level:
File level: