Archival description using UNIMARC: Presidential Library experience

Olga Zhlobinskaya
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The paper presents basic approaches to managing archival resources in the Presidential library (Saint-Petersburg, Russia). All resources in the collection are described using the RUSMARC format (national implementation of UNIMARC), which provides sufficient instruments to keep the hierarchical structure of archival description and to give detailed characteristics of the materials. The workflow of creating RUSMARC records for archives is presented in detail, including description from the general to the specific, using only level-appropriate data to avoid redundancy, creating name access points, indexing with Library Bibliographic Classification class numbers and subject headings according to the policy developed by the Presidential Library. Enhanced users' search interface is also presented; it includes both traditional library and archival resources with specific options for each type of resource. The conclusion is made that co-existence of both types of resources in the library catalogue using RUSMARC (UNIMARC) made the catalogue more efficient and user-friendly.

Keywords
access points | archival resources | bibliographic description | cataloguing | Presidential Library | RUSMARC | search interface | UNIMARC
https://doi.org/10.3359/oz2025001

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