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Archives & Special Collections (ASC)

CONTENTdm Cookbook: Creator

Recipes for metadata entry for UofL Digital Initiatives

2. Creator

This field is mandatory if available. It should be used whenever name(s) associated with the creation of the resource are known. If no names are known, leave the field blank.

field elements
Repeatable Yes. Enter each creator in the same field, separated by a semicolon and a space.
Field Name Creator
DC Mapping Creator
Search Yes
Hide No
Vocabulary Yes (Choose “Use a controlled vocabulary from another field or collection” and select “People”)
Definition An entity primarily responsible for creating the intellectual content of the resource, such as authors of written documents; artists; photographers; collectors of natural specimens or artifacts; etc.
Usage

Do not use "Unknown"--just leave the field blank.

Use the correct form of the name when available in Library of Congress Authorities. Visual Resources Center will use Getty’s Union List of Artist Names (see Appendix 2 for this and other exceptions specific to the VRC).

If an authoritative version of a name is not available, create one:

  • Invert personal names (as much as is known of Last name, First name, Middle name or initial, Birth and/or death date(s)).
  • Do not use honorifics, titles, or nicknames unless it is necessary to disambiguate (e.g., the first name of the person is unknown). Otherwise, these alternate forms of names (such as “Buddy” Jones; Reverend Murrell; Dr. Reed) may be used in the Description field but not as the authoritative version in this or the People Pictured or Contributor fields.
  • Enter corporate names in full, direct form.
  • Add these new names, plus those you have researched in the established authority files, to the shared controlled vocabulary file “People.”

The function of a creator may be included in parentheses after the name. Use the Relator Terms.

Examples

Webb, Todd (photographer)

Thomas, Jean, 1881-1982 (collector)

Potter, R. G. (Richard Gilbert) (collector)

Template Yes. If the same creator was responsible for the entire collection, use the Template Creator to input the data once for all records.
Nickname creato