Repository Entity

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Overview

A Repository entity represents an institution, archive, library, or organization that holds genealogical sources. Repositories provide the physical or virtual location where evidence is housed and can be accessed.

Core Concepts

Repository Types

GENEALOGIX supports various repository types:

• Archive: Government or historical archive (national, regional, local)
• Library: Public, university, or specialty library
• Museum: Museum with genealogical collections
• Registry: Civil registration office or vital records office
• Database: Online genealogical database service
• Church: Church or religious organization archives
• Historical Society: Local historical society
• University: University special collections or archives
• Government Agency: Government record-keeping agency
• Other: Other institution type

See Vocabularies - Repository Types for:

• Complete list of standard repository types
• How to add custom repository types
• Vocabulary file structure and examples

Properties

Required Properties

Property	Type	Description
Entity ID (map key)	string	Unique identifier (alphanumeric/hyphens, 1-64 chars)
name	string	Name of the repository

Optional Properties

Property	Type	Description
type	string	Repository type (see types above)
address	string	Physical address
city	string	City/town
state_province	string	State or province
postal_code	string	Postal/zip code
country	string	Country
phone	string	Telephone number
email	string	Email address
website	string	URL to repository website
access_hours	string	Hours of operation/access
access_restrictions	string	Any restrictions on access
holding_types	array	Types of materials held (microfilm, digital, books, etc.)
notes	string	Free-form notes about repository

Usage Patterns

Simple Local Repository

# repositories/repository-leeds.glx
repositories:
  repository-leeds-library:
    name: "Leeds Library - Local Studies"
    type: library
    address: "Market Street"
    city: "Leeds"
    state_province: "Yorkshire"
    country: "England"
    phone: "+44 113 247 6000"
    website: "https://www.leeds.gov.uk/libraries"

National Archive

# repositories/repository-tna.glx
repositories:
  repository-tna:
    name: "The National Archives"
    type: archive
    address: "Kew, Richmond"
    city: "London"
    country: "England"
    phone: "+44 20 8876 3444"
    email: "enquiry@nationalarchives.gov.uk"
    website: "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk"
    access_hours: "Monday-Friday 9am-5pm"
    holding_types:
      - "government records"
      - "microfilm"
      - "digital images"
    access_restrictions: "Some records require appointment"

Online Database

# repositories/repository-ancestry.glx
repositories:
  repository-ancestry:
    name: "Ancestry.com"
    type: database
    website: "https://www.ancestry.com"
    access_hours: "24/7"
    holding_types:
      - "census records"
      - "vital records"
      - "military records"
      - "church records"
      - "newspapers"
    access_restrictions: "Subscription required"

Church Archive

# repositories/repository-church.glx
repositories:
  repository-stpauls:
    name: "St Paul's Cathedral Archive"
    type: church
    address: "St Paul's Churchyard"
    city: "London"
    country: "England"
    phone: "+44 20 7246 8348"
    email: "archive@stpauls.co.uk"
    holding_types:
      - "parish registers"
      - "marriage records"
      - "baptismal records"
      - "manuscripts"
    access_restrictions: "By appointment only"

Repository in Sources

Repositories are referenced from Source entities:

# sources/source-wills.glx
sources:
  source-tna-wills:
    title: "Wills and Probate Records"
    repository: repository-tna
    collection: "PROB 11"
    description: "Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury"

File Organization

Note: File organization is flexible. Entities can be in any .glx file with any directory structure. The example below shows one-entity-per-file organization, which is recommended for collaborative projects (better git diffs) but not required.

Repository files are typically stored in a repositories/ directory:

repositories/
├── archives/
│   ├── repository-tna.glx
│   ├── repository-spa.glx
│   └── repository-local.glx
├── libraries/
│   ├── repository-bm.glx
│   └── repository-leeds.glx
├── churches/
│   ├── repository-stpauls.glx
│   └── repository-westminster.glx
├── online/
│   ├── repository-ancestry.glx
│   ├── repository-familysearch.glx
│   └── repository-findmypast.glx
└── other/
    └── repository-custom.glx

GEDCOM Mapping

GLX Property	GEDCOM Element	Notes
id	(synthetic)	Not in GEDCOM
name	REPO.NAME	Repository name
address	REPO.ADDR	Repository address
phone	REPO.PHON	Phone number (non-standard)
email	REPO.EMAIL	Email (non-standard)
website	REPO.WWW	Website (non-standard)

Access Information

Best practices for recording repository access:

• Include both physical address and website URL if applicable
• Note any access restrictions or requirements (appointment, membership, subscription)
• Record hours of operation for physical repositories
• Include phone/email for inquiries
• Document required identification or credentials

Related Entities

• Source: References specific collections within repositories
• Citation: May reference repository location information via Source
• Holdings: Detailed inventory of materials within repository

See Also

• Source Entity - Collections held in repositories
• Citation Entity - References to specific materials in repositories