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Archives & Special Collections (ASC)

CONTENTdm Cookbook: Date Original

Recipes for metadata entry for UofL Digital Initiatives

8. Date Original

This field is mandatory if available. If the date is not known and cannot be estimated, leave it blank.

sample of elements that show on each field page
Repeatable

Yes, if a qualifier is used.

Create a separate field mapped to Date.valid, Date.issued, or Date.modified as applicable.
Field Name Date Original
DC Mapping Date
Search No
Hide No
Vocabulary No
Definition Creation or modification dates for the original resource from which the digital object was derived or created.
Usage

Follow W3C-DTF standard (ISO 8601) of YYYY-MM-DD.

Use only as much of the date as is known.

  • If only the month and year is known, use YYYY-MM.
  • If only the year is known, use YYYY.

Use a question mark to show a date is approximate or a circa date.

Use dashes to indicate uncertainty within a decade or a century.

  • YYY-?
  • YY--?

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

For a range of dates, put a dash in between dates.
Examples

1930-06-12

1942-06

1946

1904?

191-?

19--?

1946-1948
Template Yes. If all items in a collection were created on the same date, use the Template Creator to input the data once for all records.
Nickname date