Container Profiles allow the archivist to record information about a specific type of container, which is used by Alma in its Internal Note 2 field to record dimensions about a physical item (used by HC staff in space planning) and by ArchivesSpace to calculate the extent of a collection in linear feet. Examples of common Container Profiles (viewing requires a DU ArchivesSpace account):
When building a custom box to hold one or more items (textiles or material culture items, for example), the custom box should receive its own Container Profile. The naming scheme used for Container Profiles consists of its general type, followed by its dimensions measured to the nearest half-inch, largest to smallest–for example, “Flat box, 17 x 13 x 3 inches.”
Required fields will appear in bold.
| Name | |
| Description | The name of the container profiled; usually its generic product name. |
| Local Rules | When Top Container/Item synchronization is built into the Alma Integrations, the Container Profile name for each Top Container will map to its Item record's Internal Note 2. Include the dimensions when creating a Container Profile for a custom box or a box type whose size varies (such as a newspaper or pamphlet box). When creating a profile for a custom box, object, crate, or other container, refer to the profile naming conventions. |
| Examples | "Standard record box" "Letter document box" "Newspaper box, 24 x 16 x 3 inches" |
| ArchivesSpace Key | |
| URL | |
| Description | A link to the product home page or order form for the container profile being described. |
| Local Rules | |
| Examples | |
| ArchivesSpace Key | |
| Dimension Units | |
| Description | The unit of measurement for the Container Profile. |
| Local Rules | This should always be "feet" in order for the Extent Calculator to work properly. |
| Examples | |
| ArchivesSpace Key | |
| Extent Dimension | |
| Description | The axis the Extent Calculator should use when calculating linear foot extent for the described Container Profile. |
| Local Rules | Usually width, though varies depending on local practice for how the profiled container is stored in AAC or Hampden Center. |
| Examples | |
| ArchivesSpace Key | |
| Depth | |
| Description | The extent to which the profiled container sits back on a shelf. |
| Local Rules | Round up to the nearest quarter foot. Express in decimal form (e.g. "2.0", "0.5"). |
| Examples | |
| ArchivesSpace Key | |
In some cases you may need to create a “Custom Box,” i.e. if a blue-board container needed to be built to house the object you are cataloging, or if it is wrapped in Ethafoam. Our naming scheme for these consists of the label for the type of container being built (see the list below), followed by the dimensions (rounded up to the nearest half inch, largest to smallest).
The list of authorized Custom Labels and their definitions are provided in the table below. This table is not prescriptive, and can be extended if needed to account for new classes of custom container: