Standards Followed for the Correspondence Notes on the format, layout, and navigation of finding aids

Date format:

Dates are listed in the following format - year/month/day; or 4-digit year, month (name not numerical code), and day.  For example, December 13, 1961 would be 1961/December/13.  Items not dated are listed as "undated" and filed at the end of the sequence.  At times, some information is available but not all.  For example, if there is no year but there is a month and day listed, it could be undated/January/21.  Conversely, if there is a month and/or day missing, no-month and/or no-day will be used respectively.  For example, when only the year 1966 is known, it will be listed as 1966/no-month/no-day.

Type field from Container List:

This is the format for the abbreviations found under the "Type" column in the Container List found on each correspondent's Web page.

1st position - type of print

A

annotated (generally a typed letter with handwritten notes, corrections or notes by a different hand on any letter)

H

holograph, handwritten (bulk of letter is handwritten)

T

typed (typewriter generated, computer generated, printed, etc.)

TA

type letter with handwritten annotations, scribbling, etc.

2nd position - form of correspondence

C

card (greeting card, as opposed to post card)

E

e-mail (printed copy of an e-mail [not part of original correspondence, but an e-mail message of recent origin included in the file having explanatory value for the materials], should be proceeded by "T" or "TA")

L

letter

N

note

PC

postcard

Telegram

telegram

(no other letters)

3rd position - signature

S

signed (if there is no "S", it is not signed / marked as signed even if a copied signature / copied signatures will appear with "[c]" or "[x]", see below)

4th position - means of duplication

[c]

carbon copy

 

[d]

draft copy

[x]

Xerox copy / photocopy

transcript

This is used for a transcript of a letter, such as a letter in translation or a copy of a published letter.

other

"Other" is used for items included with the correspondence, but which are not part of the letter or message; e.g., an essay or news clipping included with letters.

EXAMPLES OF COMMON CORRESPONDENCE TYPES:

HCS

holographic (handwritten) card, signed

HLS

holographic letter, signed

HLS[x]

Xeroxed copy of holographic letter, signed

HPCS

holographic postcard, signed

TAL

typed annotated letter, not signed

TL[c]

carbon copy of a typed letter, not signed

TN

typed note, not signed

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