The Elmer D. Johnson Photographic collection from the University of
North Carolina is a good example of an enriched collection level
description. The abstract gives a complete description, giving the
researcher a good idea of what the collection entails without looking
at the item level descriptions. The item level descriptions are also
complete. They identify the views with names of buildings and
locations instead of just stating "interior view" or "exterior view". If
that information is available it is important to include it.
The William Gedney Photographs and Writings Collection from Duke
University is also a good example of a comprehensive collection level
description. It gives an idea of the time frame, places, and subjects
of the photographs without going into a item level description. This
collection is also a good example of how computers have made
intellectually arranging collections more flexible. The Subject,
Genre, Date, and Title tabs allow for researchers to search the
collection is a number of ways and relieves the archivist of having to
choose only one way to arrange them.
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