The National Archives Catalog

Dates of Records Start Date

 
Mandatory Repeatable Data Type Authority Entity Public Element Label
Yes* No Date None Product No** Coverage Start Date

*Dates of Records Start Date is mandatory at the Series Level only.

**The data in this field will be used for searching; dates appear in the Microform Product Title field.

 

Definition:

The beginning of the time period the records themselves were created. In some many, but not all cases, this end date may be the same as the end date of the Dates of Recordkeeping and/or is  In many, but not all cases, this start date is the same as the start date of the time period covered by the subject(s) of the archival materials.

 

Purpose: Enables users to retrieve and sort microform products according to the time period of the creation of the records that are reproduced on the microform product.

 

Relationship: This element and Dates of Records End Date are dependent on each other. If Dates of Records Start Date is specified, then Dates of Records End Date must be created.

 

Guidance:

 

Dates of Records Start Date should match the date given in the formal title of the publication.

When the Date Span is Only One Specific Date
If the date is a specific day (02/11/1969), month (02/1969), or year (1969), enter the date in Dates of Records Start Date and then repeat the same specific date in Dates of Records End Date.

When the Date Span is Several Years
If the dates fall between several years (1826-1835), then enter the earliest possible date (1826) in Dates of Records Start Date, enter the latest possible date (1835) in Dates of Records End Date.

Date Form
Enter the date in MM/DD/YYYY form.
If the day is unknown, enter the date in the MM/YYYY form.
If the month is unknown, enter the date in the YYYY form.
Do not use 00 as a month or day.

 

 

Examples:

 

Dates of Records Start Date - 1939
Dates of Records End Date - 1979

 

Dates of Records Start Date - 1860
Dates of Records End Date - 1865


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