Holdings Measurement Count

The quantity of the archival materials in the series. For artifacts, it counts the number of artifacts in the series. For electronic data, it counts the number of logical data records in the series. For all other records, it counts the number of each type of physical container in which archival materials are stored.

Holdings Measurement Type and Holdings Measurement Count are related to Extent . Both aim to measure the intellectual bulk of the archival materials. Extent , being a narrative field, accommodates a wide range of units of measure, such as linear feet, pages, photographs, and so on. Extent is meant to communicate clearly to the user. For these reasons, however, the field cannot be automatically summed. By contrast, Holdings Measurement Type and Holdings Measurement Count, being controlled fields, can be combined to produce NARA-wide statistics about holdings.

Identifies the quantity of the physical entities or the physical containers in which the archival materials are stored. This field can be used by NARA to count the overall size of its holdings.

• The total cubic footage of the archival materials, except for artifacts and electronic records, can be determined by multiplying the quantity of containers by the cubic footage area of each type of container, as identified in the Holdings Measurement Type List.

• The total number of artifacts can be calculated by adding the counts for artifacts.

• The total number of electronic records can be calculated by adding the counts for logical data records.

For each physical occurrence (copy) of all archival materials except electronic records and artifacts, count and record the type of physical container in which the material is stored.

Partial Containers
If a container holds a single series, indicate that the holdings measurement is one full box, even if the archival materials for the series do not take up the entire box. If a container holds multiple series, indicate the amount of the container used to store the archival materials for the series you are describing. Enter this information as a decimal number, up to three decimal places. For example, an eighth of a box equals ".125," half a box equals ".5," a third of a box equals ".333," a quarter of a box equals ".25," etc.

• For electronic records, count the number of logical data records. A logical data record is a set of data processed as a unit by a computer system or application independently of its physical environment. Examples include: a word processing document, a spreadsheet, an email message, each row in each table of a relational database, each row in an independent logical file database.

• For artifacts, count the number of artifacts.

Count all material, but do not count the same material twice. For example, if artifacts are housed in boxes, count them only as artifacts. Do not record the type and amount of containers as well.