Object levels are used by archives to indicate the nature of the records being described. For example, if the records were collected at auctions by someone, those records would be a "collection," as they had been collected. The same person may have a "fonds" as well. Fonds are records that are created by a person, society, company or government entity; things like letters, photographs, minutes, etc.
Definitions of the possible levels:
Fonds: A fonds consists of the whole of documents, regardless of form or medium, created and/or accumulated and used by a particular individual, family or corporate body in the course of that creator’s activities or functions. Sous-fonds: A sous-fonds is a subdivision of a fonds based on the structure of the creator or the organization of its activity. Collection: A collection is a grouping of documents of any origin intentionally assembled on the basis of some common characteristic. Series: A series shall consist of files or records within a fonds arranged systematically or maintained as a unit because they relate to a particular function or subject, result from the same activity, have a particular form, or because of some other relationship arising out of their creation or out of their receipt and use. Discrete item: A discrete item is an individual item that is without context and is not part of a fonds. File: A file is both a level of description, and an organized unit of documents, usually within a series, brought together because they relate to the same subject, activity or transaction. Item: An item is the lowest level of description and the smallest entity within a fonds useful for descriptive purposes.
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