The set of structured attributes (title, creator, date, format, etc.) generated by archivists to map physical or digital objects to a persistent catalog, where the mechanism of persistence is the continuous maintenance of relational links between the metadata schema and the stored object, ensuring the object remains identifiable and retrievable regardless of physical degradation or media obsolescence.
Accepted ontology entry
archival-metadata
The set of structured attributes (title, creator, date, format, etc.) generated by archivists to map physical or digital objects to a persistent catalog, where the mechanism of persistence is the continuous maintenance of relational links…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A structured system of descriptive data created by human agents to persist the identity, provenance, and context of records within an archive, ensuring discoverability and integrity over time.
Names and aliases
- archival-metadataen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrcnqbfn00tg13vzsaquk3isSERVES →
Archival metadata exists to serve records — it documents their existence, location, and relationships, making preservation and retrieval possible. Per Law 8d.
- cmri7hrku00au6olqv6ycwct0INSTANCE_OF →
Archival metadata IS a specific kind of metadata (Law 9). It is metadata about archival materials — their provenance, arrangement, and preservation history. A competent speaker would call archival metadata 'a type of metadata.'
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 27, 2026, 7:27 PM UTC
- Content hash
- 8a80b7a1f03b274624aa3551fb956e2b0e7a8aa76d718278db9ba443c96b722e