I hesitate to raise a question about a professional standard on a Friday, a
day usually reserved for other matters, but I hope colleagues will indulge
me.
We have been looking at the new edition of ISAD(G)and we are puzzled. The
glossary (p10) describes the series as "Documents arranged in accordance
with a filing system or maintained as a unit because they result from the
same accumulation or filing process, or the same activity; have a particular
form; or because of some other relationship arising out of their creation,
receipt, or use." The definition is the same as in the first edition.
Turning to the examples in Appendix B, we find that of the Methodist Church
(Canada) Missionary Society fonds. The series level example is "Records re
foreign missions. Series consists of records re the following missions..."
The sub-series is "the West China Mission collection" and consists of
"correspondence of the General Secretaries..; copybook of...;minutes of..;
reports, financial records, property registers, manuscripts of historical
and biographical studies...etc etc."
We cannot see how this can be an example of a sub-series unless one applies
the most generous interpretation to the last clause of the definition of a
series. The West China Mission appears to be a sub-fonds according to the
glossary definition with a number of series - and quite possibly sub-series
- within it. Indeed it is remarkable that none of the examples includes a
sub-fonds level.
It would be disappointing if a valuable and worthy project such as ISAD is
to be undermined by what appear to be profound differences in interprtation.
Are we missing something obvious?
Jonathan Pepler
County Archivist
Cheshire County Council
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