Correspondence Guidelines

Guidelines to create metadata for letters and other correspondence.

Reminders:

These instructions are a sub-set of the full metadata guidelines but may not cover all options; be sure to look at help guides for individual fields to see additional examples and formatting guidelines
Occasionally, items may have project-specific exceptions to these rules
Institution and collection values will always be determined by administrators
Placeholder information is denoted by {{{3 brackets}}} which should be removed; other punctuation is intentional (examples show final formatting)

Title

Every letter should have one main title that describes known recipient(s)/sender(s) and date
Only include information that is known (e.g., some letters may not have a date, or may not use proper names)

Main Title

Guideline	Examples
Personal letter: [Letter from {{{{name}}} to {{{name}}} - {{{date}}}]
Leave out any unknown information Do not include salutations or nicknames (e.g., “My Dearest Mother”) A relationship may be used in place of a name Names may be abbreviated as initials, especially if the title is very long or the name is irregular Dates may be set off with a comma or dash, depending on which is clearer	[Letter from McCarty Moore to John E. Surratt - December 31, 1925] [Letter from Samuel B. Foster - December 18, 1865] [Letter from Paul Ossterhout to his Grandmother - October 24, 1874] [Letter from Sterling Houston to San Antonio Light Editor - August 15, 1990] [Letter fom T. L. James to D. W. Kempner - August 30, 1949]
When very little or no information is known, the title may include a reference to the content instead This also applies if no names are listed	[Letter from Raymond Cheung Regarding Internship] [Letter to Jesse Grimes About Personal Topics] [Letter Regarding Personal Updates, 1940s]
Business letters to a group: [Letter from {{{organization}}}, {{{date}}}]
This generally applies to letters addressed to “members” or “stockholders” or similar rather than an individual	[Letter from Galveston Artillery Club - May 24, 1955]
Multiple letters: [Correspondence Between {{{name}}} and {{{name}}}, {{{date-date}}}] (or title adjusted to “Letters”)
This applies when multiple letters are grouped together (e.g., because they are physically connected an cannot be separated, or a respondent answered on the same page) The title should reflect the whole content of the item (e.g., a date range/month covering all correspondence) In some cases, it may be more appropriate to describe the content	[Letters from Meyer Bodansky to J. Leont’ev, March 1936-September 1938] [Correspondence Between Alex Bradford & Kent Cooper - May 1944] [80 Letters in Support of Cannon Air Force Base]
Typed versions of handwritten letters: [Transcript of Letter from {{{{name}}} to {{{name}}} - {{{date}}}]
When we have a handwritten and typed version of the same letter, the titles will match, but the printed version should start with “Transcript of”	[Transcript of letter from Paul Osterhout to his Grandmother - October 24, 1874]
Other types of correspondence
Adjust title descriptors for specific types of items as appropriate, e.g.: E-mails Telegrams Postcards Memos/memoranda Invitations	[Telegram from Fred Chandler, Jr., to R. I . Mehan, December 8, 1956] [Air Force E-mails Regarding BRAC Analysis] [Postcard of Davis Home Sent to James Chambers] [Invitation to Groundbreaking Ceremony, 1987]
If the correspondence is primarily a solicitation rather than a “letter,” the title may be changed to something descriptive (but other fields may still reflect that it was mailed correspondence when relevant)	[Telecord Advertisement] [Flyer Advertising the Institute of International Relations - June 1946]

Added Title

Guideline	Examples
Most letters will not have added titles; here are some specific times when they might:
When there are (few) multiple letters, adding a normalized title for each letter will make that version searchable (optional)	[Letter from Alex Bradford to Kent Cooper - May 24, 1944] [Letter from Kent Cooper to Alex Bradford - May 25, 1944]
When a letter/e-mail includes a subject line (e.g., labeled “Re: “ or “Subject: “) include that text as a title	B-1 Bottling Company of Houston, Inc.

Other Titles

When in doubt, do not include additional titles (see other title documentation for more information)
For certain collections, records for letters may include appropriate series titles, e.g.:
- archival series titles
- fiscal year titles
- legislative session titles
If names include organizational acronyms, it may be appropriate to include an alternate title (though generally the name should just be written out elsewhere in the record)

Creator/Contributor

For original letters: creator = letter writer; contributor = letter recipient
Entries may only include a single name; for multiple names (e.g., two senders), you will need a separate entry for each name
Remember that a name can only be a creator or contributor (not both) so for multiple letters, all parties may be listed only as authors/creators

Guideline	Examples
Individual names (type = personal)
Format a personal name as: last, first middle Personal names must have a surname and should not be included when unavailable (e.g., signed “Aunt Jennie” with no additional information) Do not include titles (e.g., Rev.), degrees (e.g., Ph.D.), etc. unless necessary to distinguish the person; for married women, use the woman’s name, if known Use an authorized form of the name if available/relevant Other forms (e.g., abbreviations) can be added to “info”	Bouldin, H. M.
	Foster, Samuel B.
	Bodansky, Meyer, 1896-1941
	Carmean, E. A., Jr.
	Hunt, Mrs. Andrew
	Name: James, Thomas Leroy Info: Thos. L. James
Agency/organization names (type = organization)
Use an authorized form of the name if available/relevant Write out the name as it is written (e.g., in signature line or letterhead) For organizations with divisions, list each part largest to smallest, separated with periods	United States. Army.
	Galveston Artillery Club
	Committee for a National Trade Policy (U.S.)
	Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
	Colombia. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.

Creator/Contributor Roles

Note that any creator/contributor entry must have a name, type (person/organization), and role
Choose roles based on who made the specific item:

	Creator is:	Creator role:	Contributor is:	Contributor role:
Original letter (may be handwritten or typed)	Person/organization that wrote the letter	author	Recipient of letter (person or organization)	correspondent
Transcribed letter	Person/organization that created the transcription	transcriber	Writer of original/source letter	author
Transcribed letter	Person/organization that created the transcription	transcriber	Optionally, include recipient	correspondent
Telegram / card / invitation / etc.	Sender (person/organization)	author	Recipient, if named	correspondent
Postcards (with correspondence)	Person/organization that wrote the message	author	Recipient, if named	correspondent
			Person/organization responsible for the image, if named	photographer, illustrator, or artist
			Postcard printer, if named	printer

Creation Date

Check the date guidelines if you need more formatting options or examples

Guideline	Examples
Use the date written on letter in the form YYYY-MM-DD	1944-03-12
For multiple dates/letters, you can use a range (date/ date)	1936-03-01/1938-09-21
If there is no date on the item, leave this out, or add a date based on other known information (when relevant):
Add a tilde (~) to denote an approximate/”circa” date	1913-12~
Add a question mark (?) if the date is not completely certain	1868?
Use a less specific known date (e.g., YYYY only)	1833-04 1945
If part of the date is illegible, a missing digit may be replaced with “X”	184X-10-10
For transcriptions/translation, the creation date is when the transcript or translation was written If this is unknown, leave the creation date blank	2012-11-12

Language

Choose the appropriate language from the list that matches the text
Add multiple languages if needed

Content Description

Start the content description with “Letter … “ or other relevant descriptor (“E-mail …” / “Telegram … “ / etc.)
When important, other descriptive elements can be included at the start, e.g., “Photocopy of a letter …” or “Transcript of a letter …”
Most descriptions will be around 1-2 sentences
Adjust the description based on known information and type of content
Always mention/describe enclosures (when applicable)

Guideline	Examples
Personal letters
Use the rough format: Letter from {{{name}}} to {{{name}}} discussing … (((brief details summarizing whole letter and highlighting anything of importance}}}	Letter to Dr. Knickerbocker from Dr. Meyer Bodansky offering the position of chairman of the Texas Committee for Medical Refugees to Dr. Knickerbocker.
	Letter from the Congressional Delegation of California to Commissioner Sue Ellen Turner regarding Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar and Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego.
	Letter from J. Bouldin to her sister, Bettie Wade, discussing her health, an upcoming Sunday school celebration, and other news. She says that she has still been sick with the chills and Pa has a toothache. The recent rain made the rivers rise so high that the stages could not come in for about a week.
	Letter from Dr. Felix P. Miller to Dr. Chauncey D. Leake discussing the exhibition of an X-ray machine at a conference and the purchase of an electron microscope for University of Texas. A newspaper clipping from the El Paso Times is enclosed, featuring a piece on Dr. Miller and his work developing X-ray technology.
Business letters to a group
Use the rough format: Letter from {{{organization or person at organization}}} discussing … (((brief details summarizing whole letter and highlighting anything of importance}}}	Letter from the Committee for a National Trade Policy’s executive director referencing the political platform statements, which the Committee is sending to members, describing Republican and Democratic candidates’ positions in relation to trade.

Physical Description

Guideline	Examples
General format: # p. ; h cm.
List the number of pages and height rounded up to next whole centimeter (cm.) If pages are unnumbered, list the pages of content in [brackets]	[1] p. ; 28 cm.
For odd page sizes or folded pages: … ; h x w cm. OR … ; h x w cm., folded to h x w cm.
Add height x width rounded up to next whole centimeter (cm.) when size is disproportionate or important to item Include total (open) height x width and folded height x width when relevant	[2] p. ; 5 x 20 cm. 6 p. : ill. ; 40 x 22 cm., folded to 26 x 22 cm.
If there are illustrations (e.g., letterhead or doodles): # p. : ill. ; h cm.
When the content has illustrations, add a note between pages and dimensions, preceded by colon For color illustrations, use “col. ill.”	[1] p. : col. ill. ; 29 x 20 cm. 5 p. : ill. ; 18 x 11 cm.
If the letter includes an envelope or an enclosure: … + {{{# item type}}} (ill., h x w cm.)
For any items that “accompany” the main content, after the letter description add “+” and for each type of item list number and type of item, with details and dimensions in parentheses	2 p. ; 28 cm. + 1 envelope (11 x 24 cm.) [1] p. ; 28 cm. + 1 clipping (ill. ; 31 x 16 cm.) 12 p. ; 20 x 13 cm. + 1 envelope (9 x 14 cm.)
For cards: 1 {{{item}}} : {{{b&w or col.}}} ; h x w cm.
For postcards or greeting cards, change # p. to the item type: 1 postcard or 1 card Note whether the illustrations are black-and-white or color (rarely, a postcard is text-only and the middle segment would be omitted: 1 postcard ; h x w cm.) Dimensions should be h x w rounded up to next whole centimeter (cm.), but may include folded sizes for greeting cards (same as above)	1 postcard : col. ; 9 x 14 cm. 1 card : col. ill. ; 12 x 17 cm., folded to 12 x 9 cm. 1 card ; 8 x 11 cm.

Subject

2 subject values (any type) are required for every record
1 UNTL-BS term is required for all Portal records
Ideally, at least one subject should be added that is “more specific” to the individual item content

Guideline	Examples
University of North Texas Libraries Browse Subjects (UNTL-BS)
There is a “correspondence” term that applies for these	Social Life and Customs - Correspondence
Depending on the content, it may be appropriate to add one or two additional UNTL-BS terms	Education - Colleges and Universities Agriculture - Farming Social Life and Customs - Customs - Holidays - Christmas Business, Economics and Finance - Advertising
Keywords (KWD)
Depending on the content, add one or two keywords that are specific to the item Keywords should be lowercase and plural, unless they are proper names	medical research anecdotes Kiwanis Club
Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT)
When applicable, choose a more specific content type description Do not add terms that duplicate resource type (e.g., “Postcards”)	Business correspondence Personal correspondence Greeting cards
Named Person (named_person)
When the sender/recipient are individual people, add them as named persons if they are discussing themselves This may apply to any individual person who is important to the content (i.e., it is “about” them not just every person mentioned in passing) Named persons must have at least a surname Personal names may be added as keywords, instead, if there is no full name or it is not “about” them	Spies, John W. Turner, Susan Ellen Phillips Coker, Mrs.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
If authorized, relevant LCSH terms are available (e.g., business names or famous people) add them as subjects	King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968 Imperial Sugar Company

Primary Source

Original letters are considered primary sources
When in doubt, mark “N/A” (not applicable)

Coverage

Add information about the places/dates that the content is about
This may or may not match creation information

Guideline	Examples
Place Name
If relevant, add the place(s) that are discussed in the letter Places may include the location of the sender (i.e., “what is happening here”) and/or the recipient (i.e., “what is happening there, with you”)	United States - Texas India United States - Illinois - Cook County - Chicago
Coverage Date
Add a single coverage date entry for the date or date range described in the content Formatting follows the same rules as the date field Occasionally this will be the same as creation (e.g., “what’s happening today”) but will often be a range of time, or a less specific date (e.g., a month instead of a day) For transcripts, coverage date will represent the content of the original letter	1937/1970-01 2000-08-24 1866-12 1907-07~
Time Period
For Portal records, add relevant time period(s) that correspond to the date(s) covered	mod-tim (Modern Times (1939-Present) new-sou (New South, Populism, Progressivism, and the Great Depression, 1877-1939)

Relation

Relationships only apply when we have multiple items in the Digital Collections that should be connected
If you are unsure whether this applies, look at the relation field guidelines for a description of the types of appropriate relations
For each entry, choose the appropriate relation type and add {{{title, ARK}}} for the related item
Relationships are reciprocal, so A >> B and B >> A
Here are examples of relations that may be applicable to correspondence:

Handwritten letter & typed transcript

Original letter	Has Transcription	(points to typed version)	[Transcript of Letter from Josephus Moore to Charles Moore - February 16, 1865], ark:/67531/metapth203126
Typed version	Is Transcription of	(points to original letter)	[Letter from Josephus Moore to Charles Moore - February 16, 1865], ark:/67531/metapth203348

Letter with separate enclosures (these are sometimes together and sometimes separate)

Letter	References	(points to enclosure/s)	[Photograph of Kathleen Marie Bleu as a Baby], ark:/67531/metapth1329515
Enclosure item	Is Referenced By	(points to letter)	[Letter from Charlotte to Jeane and D. W. Kempner - February 5, 1948], ark:/67531/metapth1339795

“References/Is Referenced By” relationships can also be used when letters refer to one another, or refer to other non-enclosure items (e.g., content in a report that both people have read)
This may not always be appropriate, depending on the collection scope, e.g., if there are many letters that all reference one another back-and-forth, it may not be as helpful to include every reference and users can still sort them chronologically

A letter & a translated version

Original letter	Has Translation	(points to English version)	[Translation of Letter from H. Fehr, September 19, 1928], ark:/67531/metapth624275
English version	Is Translation of	(points to original letter)	[Letter from H. Fehr, September 19, 1928], ark:/67531/metapth606680

Resource Type

Original letters and transcripts should be labeled as “Letter” (text_letter)
For other correspondence that is primarily text/solely communication (e.g., telegrams), also use “Letter”
For postcards (with or without correspondence) use “Postcard” (image_postcard)
For other types of materials that have been mailed, the type may vary depending on the primary content, e.g.:
- flyers/advertising mailers: Pamphlet (text_pamphlet)
- greeting cards that are primarily correspondence: Letter (text_letter)
- greeting cards that are largely blank: Artwork (image_artwork)

Format

Generally “text” but will match type prefix (e.g., “image” for postcards)

Identifier

Correspondence may have partner-assigned identifiers (to match physical and digital items)
These are added (or left in records) as Local Control Numbers (LOCAL-CONT-NO), e.g.:
- DSMA_91-004-00008
- UTSA_MS218-01-02-027