Collections

CHO distinguishes between three types of collections: archival, library, and curated. All works must have a designated home collection that can only be an archival or library collection. Curated collections are aggregations of content.

Archival Collections

• Archival collections are content that is managed archivally. That is to say, they are managed as a collection, an aggregation of content that either share provenance, creation, or collecting context.
• Archival collections are typically described at an aggregate level, such as a series, box, or folder.
• Rights (access and use) are typically managed at the collection-level, though some works may have more granular access controls.
• Archival collections are described in ArchivesSpace.

Library Collections

• Library collections correspond to physical materials that are managed bibliographically. That is to say, they are managed as discrete items or sets of items.
• Library collections are typically described at an item level, such as a book or map.
• Rights (access and use) are typically defined by copyright law and status.
• Library collections are described in the Library Catalog.

Curated Collections

• Curated collections aggregate works from archival and library collections.
• Curated collections may never be the home collection for any work.
• Curated collections are typically collected around a theme, whether subject or creator.
• Curated collections may have additional metadata beyond the data dictionary.
• Curated collections are Spotlight exhibitions.