Arkivmetadata

Arkivmetadata is metadata that describes archival materials in a structured way to support discovery, access, use, and long-term preservation. It encompasses descriptions of fonds, records, series and items, and records the context of creation, provenance and original order, as well as the physical and digital condition of materials, access restrictions, and rights. By documenting these attributes, arkivmetadata enables researchers, staff and systems to identify, locate and interpret archival holdings.

Descriptive, administrative and preservation metadata are commonly encoded using multiple standards and schemas. Core descriptive work often follows ISAD(G) for archival description at fonds, series and item levels, while ISAAR(CPF) provides authority data about creators. For machine-readable finding aids, EAD is widely used; Dublin Core may appear for simple discovery layers. Digital objects are packaged with METS, while preservation metadata is captured with PREMIS to document preservation events, integrity checks and format migrations. In practice, arkivmetadata combines these layers to support discovery, access management and long-term integrity, including notes on provenance, original order, accession numbers and custody history.

Effective arkivmetadata supports interoperable catalogs, shared discovery interfaces and digital preservation workflows across institutions. It requires clear governance, cataloging rules, quality control, and ongoing alignment with national or international standards. Through metadata exchange formats and protocols such as OAI-PMH, institutions can collaborate, exchange descriptions and re-use metadata, while maintaining authority control and consistent access rights information. The result is improved access to archival material and more robust preservation of digital and physical records.