The Simon Fraser University Archives and Records Management Department acquires and preserves records of long-term value created by the university and by private individuals and organizations. Archival finding aids provide descriptions of these holdings. The purpose of the finding aid is to communicate to researchers what records we have acquired, who created the records and in what context, and the nature and scope of the material. The actual documents are not themselves available on-line in an electronic format.
Archival materials are organized into separate groupings based on provenance - that is, the person, family or organization that accumulated the documents in the course of that creator's activities and functions. These groupings are called fonds. A fonds may include records in any format - textual records, sound recordings, photographs and other graphics, moving images (film, video), architectural drawings, databases; and in any medium - paper, electronic, microform.
For university records, a fonds is identified with the university department which maintained the records (e.g. The Department of History fonds). For non-university (private) records, a fonds is identified with the organization, family or person who accumulated the records (e.g. The East Enders Society fonds, The Halpern family fonds, The Kate Braid fonds).
Although the bulk of our holdings consists of fonds (86%), we also acquire collections. A collection is an artificial accumulation of documents brought together for reference purposes to support research into a particular topic, theme or event. A collection typically includes documents of various provenance and often includes publications. Collection titles reflect either the name of the collector or the subject matter of the collection (e.g. The Anne Roberts collection; The Apiculture collection).
Archival arrangement identifies the internal hierarchy of a fonds, organizing it into a number of distinct records series. A series is a grouping of records which is maintained as a unit because of some relation between the records: e.g. they relate to the same subject or function, they result from the same kind of activity, they share the same form, or they were kept together by the records creator for some other purpose. For example, the Department of History fonds includes the following series: Policies and procedures; Departmental committees; Course outlines.
Archival description proceeds down the hierarchy of arrangement, from the general to the specific. Information is given at the highest appropriate level and is generally not repeated at lower levels.
File lists are prepared for each series. Item lists are prepared only for series containing over-sized or non-textual material, such as sound or moving image formats. Both file and item lists contain only minimal descriptive elements (e.g. title and dates). Where fuller descriptions are available these will eventually be integrated into the on-line finding aids.
SFU's archival numbering system follows the hierarchy of arrangement. Each fonds is assigned a unique fonds number consisting of "F-" + number (e.g. F-54, The Campus Community Services fonds). Series, sub-series, sub-sub-series and files are numbered according to their position in the hierarchy. For example, file number F-54-1-4-3-7 is read as follows:
| Fonds | F-54 | The Campus Community Services fonds |
| Series | F-54-1 | Vice-President, University Services |
| Sub-series | F-54-1-4 | Vice-President's records on individual offices within University Services |
| Sub-sub-series | F-54-1-4-3 | Reading and Study Centre |
| File | F-54-1-4-3-7 | External Review |
Note that items are numbered differently. Each registered item is given a sequential number in relation to the fonds, but its position within the overall arrangement of the fonds cannot be read-off from the reference number. For example, item F-10-item80 is read as follows:
When reviewing archival finding aids, users should keep in mind the hierarchical nature of arrangement and description. Navigating up and down the hierarchy helps to determine the relevance of the records to your research inquiry. For example, working with the finding aid for the Department of History fonds (F-26), the fonds-level description will give a brief administrative history of the department and a listing of its component series. Under the series description for "Course outlines" (F-26-6) you will find information about the types of records included in the course files. In order to determine whether outlines exist for a specific course (e.g. HIST 146), you will have to consult the file list.
The project to digitize our finding aids was undertaken in 2002. We acknowledge the financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Program, the National Archives of Canada and the Canadian Council of Archives.
November 14, 2002