Perhaps you've had private communications that have straightened out this issue for you--and maybe better ones--but just briefly so as not to bore the experts on the list: DACS (which I have on the shelf next to me) replaces APPM (*Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts*) as the US standard for description of archival materials. It sets out the changes made in professional standards through 2004, along with those elements of description that remain the same, including (from the Table of Contents): Levels of Description, Identity Elements, Content and Structure Elements, Conditions of Access and Use Elements, Acquisition and Appraisal Elements, Note Elements, Description and Control Elements, Identifying Creators, Administrative/Biographical History, Authority Records, and Forms of Names. Each element and form has copious examples and a clear set of examples written for MARC 21 and EAD. The appendices include a glossary, "companion standards" (such as AACR and FIAF Cataloging Rules), crosswalks (to and from EAD, MARC21, ISAD(G), ISAAR, and APPM), and truly "Full EAD and MARC 21 Examples." This standard is available from the Society of American Archivists (SAA) at www.archivists.org. I highly recommend that, if you are in the US or using US rules, you purchase and use this really well-written manual. As you can see, yes, it is compatible with EAD (Encoded Archival Description). EAD, however, is just a Web encoding tool that was shaped out of the formatting language XML. XML in turn was evolved from IBM's old formatting language SGML, still in use in some places. XML has the advantage of encoding a great deal of metadata, as well as being compatible with archival description standards. It is a way of presenting your description, not (like DACS) a way of describing. Explanations of EAD and XML are available on the Web at (among many other places) http://www.loc.gov/ead/ and http://www.w3.org/XML/ There is a helpful EAD listserv available through the Library of Congress. (XML, by the way, has many other good uses, including TEI or Text Encoding Initiative, and RSS--Really Simple Syndication or other interpretations.) DACS classes are available through the SAA and many local and other professional groups. EAD classes are similarly available. Check the SAA or your local or other group continuing education listings if you are interested. Unless you are prepared to adopt or your institution has adopted EAD, though, I cannot recommend classes in this subject. It is highly specific and very much like learning a programming language. Hope that helps. Arel (the usual disclaimers) Arel Lucas, C.A. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott Campus -----Original Message----- From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Taylor, Evelyn Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 5:58 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: EAD and DACS - It's Greek to me! Hello and Help! (Boy - you guys have sure come in handy, lately!) I am not a cataloger and am a complete newbie (totally!) in the world of cataloging and its descriptive world, so I am in need of a non-Greek, in the simplest terms possible, explanation of what DACS (Descriptive Archives, a Content Standard) is - as compared to EAD (which I thought I knew) - ah, do they work together or not?? If not, which would you recommend as a course of study? Thanks! Evelyn Evelyn Taylor, University Archivist Cal. State Univ., Channel Islands A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>