Agent documentation and workflows

[Ashlyn Velte]

Hello, 

I am embarking on a project to create local documentation for Agent records in ArchivesSpace. I have a pretty solid draft based on others' processing manuals that I was able to find online, but am hoping to find a few institutions willing to either talk to me or send me their documentation about some more nuanced practices.  The things I am curious about are: 

1. How are others using the Record Control Information fields for agents created from local sources rather than an authority file? 
2. How are you using agents (or are you) in the bulk import spreadsheet for Archival Objects? I am curious about the success/challenges of this workflow. 
3. Is there a way to link agents to resource records in bulk using a spreadsheet or some other strategy? What is this workflow? 
4. How does your local lists interface with the use of controlled vocabularies for MARC cataloging? (Or do they?) 

Let me know if you just want to send along your own documentation or if you have time to meet! Thanks for your help. 

Best, 

Ashlyn

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Ashlyn Velte

Senior Processing Archivist/Interim Head

Archives & Metadata Processing

University of Colorado Boulder Libraries

Ph 303-735-6491

Email Ashlyn...@colorado.edu

Web archives.colorado.edu

Pronouns: she, her

 

I acknowledge that the university sits upon land within the territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. Further, I acknowledge that 48 contemporary tribal nations are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. 

 

I support undocumented students, staff, and their families.

 

[Ashlyn Velte]

Hi all, 

I just wanted to see if anyone missed this message as I sent on a Friday. If anyone meant to respond and forgot, I'm still looking for anyone who has ideas about these questions. Thank you! 

Best, 

Ashlyn

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Ashlyn Velte

Senior Processing Archivist/Interim Head

Archives & Metadata Processing

University of Colorado Boulder Libraries

Ph 303-735-6491

Email Ashlyn...@colorado.edu

Web archives.colorado.edu

Pronouns: she, her

 

I acknowledge that the university sits upon land within the territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. Further, I acknowledge that 48 contemporary tribal nations are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. 

 

I support undocumented students, staff, and their families.

 

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From: 'Ashlyn Velte' via Archivesspace_Users_Group <Archivesspac...@lyrasislists.org>
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2026 2:28 PM
To: archivesspac...@lyrasislists.org <archivesspac...@lyrasislists.org>
Subject: [ArchivesSpace Users Group] Agent documentation and workflows

 

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[Martha Tenney]

Hi Ashlyn,

I have a couple of thoughts (not really an answer) for your first question, but I’ll start with a caveat—I didn’t use the Agent Record Control Information fields when I worked as an archivist, so this is based on discussions I had with users as I wrote ArchivesSpace-ISAAR (CPF) mappings. 

The Record Control Information fields were added as part of an expansion of the Agents module to ensure more compliance with metadata standards for agents like MARCXML authority records and EAC-CPF and to facilitate better data exchange. So as I had questions about mapping ISAAR (CPF) elements to these fields, I looked to those external standards. The mappings to and from EAC and MARC Authority combined with the standards might help to provide baseline guidance on how to use those fields when you are creating agents from local sources (if you want your records to export in a way that will make them useful in other systems or import from those systems). 

Warmly,

Martha

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