Describing Archives: A Content Standard DACS

Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) is a set of guidelines maintained by the Society of American Archivists' Technical Subcommittee on DACS for organizing and presenting information about archival materials. The standard provides a comprehensive framework covering identity elements, content and structure, access and use conditions, acquisition details, and related materials, applicable across repositories of varying sizes and sophistication.

Currently in version 2022.0.3.3, DACS serves archivists, librarians, and cultural heritage institutions worldwide as the primary descriptive standard for creating consistent, discoverable archival records that support access to historical collections and institutional documentation. It is the US counterpart to ICA's ISAD(G) and ISAAR(CPF) and is widely deployed alongside EAD encoding for finding aids.