IGeLU 2024

Conference

In this paper, I wish to discuss the cataloging of manuscripts and private archives in Alma. Some libraries with heritage collections choose Alma for their general collections and other systems for their special collections, but at the Royal Danish Library, we catalog both manuscripts and archives in MARC21 in Alma.
We want borrowers to be able to discover and request material in Alma. Moreover, in digitization projects, we want to be able to transfer metadata directly from Alma to our digital asset management system. We therefore enter metadata with the highest possible degree of detail. Whereas printed catalogs and finding aids are hierarchical, MARC records are relatively flat. To create hierarchies, we use “Collections” for the top level and related records for the bottom level. In analyzing our practice, I will draw upon recent experiences with the archives of Hans Christian Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, and Karen Blixen, as well as with our database of letters.

Conference theme: Beyond Limits and Differences: Data, Hidden Treasures and Mermaids...

Alma