Proofreaders: Note the Slip Color

During proofreading, please note on the XSL printout the color of each slip. In the left margin, mark either "p" for pink, "y" for yellow, "b" for blue, "w" for white, and "g" for goldenrod. This information will be included as a controlled attribute in the record ID tag.

AP Catalog featured in MHS eNewsletter

Check out the latest edition of @MHS, the eNewsletter of the Massachusetts Historical Society for an article on the new NHPRC-funded project to digitize the Adams Papers Catalog.

Update to Initialed and Post-Dated 1954

The resolution to the previous question about editors who had initialed and dated the slips they created has been updated. While in many cases, this added piece of information may ultimately not be used, several editors felt that it is worth keeping in the rare event that we would need to track the creation of a slip. This most likely would occur with a blue lead slip that was created from incomplete auction information. 

New Resolution: Since the information will all be transcribed by the data entry vendor, information that is pertinent or useful only to Adams editors will be retained in a note field that will not show up in the public online presentation.

Initialed and Dated Post-1954

Question: As the control file was created over the past 55 years, there have been a variety of editors who "signed" each slip with their initials and the date. For example, "LCF, 14 March 1958." Presumably, this measure was taken to track the work if questions arose at the time. Alas, we cannot follow up with Mr. LCF in 2009.

Resolution: This information, usually found at the bottom corner of a slip, will be omitted from the final records and should be marked for deletion in the proofreading process. The project manager will make the deletion to ensure that it is not pertinent to auction sales, etc.

Miscellaneous Proofreading Rules

During the first phase of work on the control file, XML files received by the vendor will be undergo a character-by-character proofread against the physical slips. In an effort to speed up our proofreading, please note the following rules. Issues of formatting bib records and transcription of lengthy handwritten material will be handled during Encoding Level 1.

• Ignore underlining and italics
• Ignore Arabic number following Roman numeral for series, II or III
• Insert post-it note on the XSL printout for a new slip, place a sticky flag the new paper slip in the chronological file
• Transcribe handwriting if under one line, otherwise flag on XSL printout