General description:

The description of records and the creation of finding aids are the method for providing access to your archival holdings. The Rules for Archival Description (RAD) is the Canadian standard which guides our descriptive work. This 2-day workshop introduces and explains the rules in RAD. It focuses on the practical uses of RAD and its integration into Nova Scotia’s shared archival database, MemoryNS. This includes online activities and uploading content to MemoryNS.

Digital copies of RAD (2008 version) can be downloaded from the Canadian Council of Archives website. We will also have hard copies on hand for reference.

Please also bring laptop and a top-level description for uploading, if you have one ready to be uploaded. If you cannot bring a laptop with you, but please let us know ahead of time.

This workshop is part of the CNSA Archival Certificate Program.

Learning Method:

Learning is done through a combination of lecture, personal reading, and practical MemoryNS based exercises over a 2-day period in an informal, friendly atmosphere.

Prior knowledge required:

Arrangement & Description workshop OR working knowledge of archival fonds arrangement.

Registration:

Registration is open to CNSA members in good standing.

A travel subsidy is available to CNSA members. Click here for Expense Claim Form for travel subsidy.

Contact our Archives Advisor for more information.

Pre-workshop Reading:

Wendy M. McDuff and Marlene van Ballegooie, RAD Revealed: A Basic Primer on the Rules for Archival Description (Canadian Council of Archives, 2001), Chapters 1 and 2.