--American Memory--

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1. Introduction

2. Substantive Writing
3. Mechanics of Writing
3.1 Abbreviations and Names
3.2 Illustrations: Captions and Legends
3.3 Notes and Bibliographies
3.4 Numbers and Dates
3.5 Punctuation
3.6 Spelling and Special Terms
 
4. Editorial Process
 
5. Editorial Support
 
6. Collection Framework
6.1 About the Collection
6.2 Acknowledgments
6.3 Building the Digital Collection
6.4 Cataloging the Collection
6.5 Copyright and Other Restrictions
6.6 Related Resources
6.7 Scope and Content Note
6.8 Selected Bibliography
6.9 Special Presentations
6.10 Other Components
 
7. Learning Page
 
8. Today in History
 
9. Glossary

6.7 Scope and Content Note

This framework element is mandatory.

The Scope and Content Note is the single most important element of the collection framework. Since it appears on the home page, it is often the only piece of the framework seen by users of American Memory collections and it provides a vital means of attracting users to the collection. It is used verbatim in the American Memory brochure distributed to NDLP guests and visitors and is the framework element most likely to be quoted as part of other descriptions of the collection, such as press releases or Web notices.

Scope and Content briefly describes the collection's content. It is probably best to open with a sentence that highlights the most interesting aspects of the collection, but any of the elements listed below can come first if that is most appropriate for the collection at hand. Further details of the overview presented in the Scope and Content Note can be elaborated in About the Collection.

Content elements (used as appropriate for the collection):

  • Types of items available:

    • California Gold specifies "sound recordings, still photographs, drawings, and written documents from a variety of European ethnic and English- and Spanish-speaking communities in Northern California."

    • An American Time Capsule includes "a variety of posters, notices, advertisements, proclamations, leaflets, propaganda, manifestos, and business cards."

  • Examples of topics or subjects included in the collection (may be hyperlinked):

  • LC Collection of origin.

    • California Gold states that "The WPA California Folk Music Project is a multiformat ethnographic field collection" and lists types of material.

  • Quantities of materials included in the online presentation. These will be estimated in various ways depending on the medium. The nature of the digitized materials should determine how digital or Library items are quantified.

  • Relevant dates or date range.

    • A Century of Lawmaking gives dates that pertain both to the complete collection and to materials currently online.

  • Geographic areas covered (if relevant):

    • An American Time Capsule notes that "This preview of the digitized Printed Ephemera Collection presents fifty items from fourteen American states, the District of Columbia, and London, England."

  • Future collection update plans, if any:

    • Built in America explains, "This first release adds digital images to the searchable online catalog records, including images of the pages of written histories for all HAER surveys and about 25% of HABS surveys, 17% of the HAER survey photographs and a small sampling of the HABS and HAER measured drawings. Additional digital images will be added monthly."

  • Acknowledgement of donor support according to donor's preference (coordinate with Development Office for the appropriate acknowledgment).

Organization elements:

  • Appears below links to search and browse pages;

  • Should be one paragraph (200 word maximum) of several sentences.

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September 1999