Archivist's ToolkitPractical and Philosophical advice

Twila Rios | Caridad BojorquezLIS 663-03 | Metadata2012.10.06

Archivist's Toolkit | Agenda

● Archival Workflow● History/Currency of Archivist's Toolkit● Demo● Discussion and Questions● Planning● The Future of Archivist's Toolkit

Workflow

Archives and other institutions need a customizable, database-structured way of creating finding aids and administrative metadata about collections.

■ Word■ Excel■ Access■ Filemaker

● Hand-writtenPrevious methods:

● Not hand-written

Workflow: Handwritten

Source: Andrews, Liz and Jones, Carl. 2009. Archivists’ Toolkit Project. MIT Institute Archives

Workflow: Handwritten

Potential Issues:

○ Time consuming○ Legibility issues○ Lack of Transferability○ Multiple files to track○ Inaccuracies and Inconsistencies○ Impaired Findability and Usability of data○ XML? Not in this workflow!

Workflow: Microsoft Word

"Archivists who are creating EAD chiefly key their information into MSWord first, and then paste it into XMetal. We don't use a single template for XMetal, instead, we typically choose a similar collection or record group and copy the entire file, delete the particulars, and paste in the new details..."

-Harvard University Archives

Source: Glick, K and Yearl, S., 2007. Toward an implementation of the Archivist's Toolkit. Yale University Library.

Workflow: Microsoft Word

Potential Issues:

○ Lack of Transferability○ Multiple files to track○ Inaccuracies and Inconsistencies○ Impaired Findability and Usability of data○ Still have to render in XML for machine

processing■ an extra step in the process that can lead

to errors

Workflow: Microsoft Excel

Source: Yale University Library, 2012. http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/ua_inventory.html

Workflow: Microsoft Excel

Potential Issues:

○ Inaccuracies and Inconsistencies■ improved, but still high risk

○ Impaired Findability and Usability of data○ Still have to render in XML for machine

processing■ an extra step in the process that can

lead to errors

Workflow: Microsoft Access

Source: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue10/dublin

Workflow: Microsoft Access

Potential Issues:

○ Time consuming setup○ Only works on a Windows PC○ Still have to render in XML for machine

processing■ an extra step in the process that can

lead to errors

Workflow: Filemaker

Source: http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/media/DAMD_Online_Documentation.pdf

Workflow: Filemaker

Potential Issues:

○ Time consuming setup○ Still have to render in XML for machine

processing■ an extra step in the process that can

lead to errors

Workflow | Finding Aids & The Internet

source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/2380240208003.png

So what's the solution?

An application developed by Archivists, For Archivists...

Discussion and QuestionsWhat components would a good program have?

PBworks article:● Integrated● Supports importing legacy data● Enables easy exporting of data● Provides web-publishing capabilities● Simple yet powerful● Rigorous, standards-based● Provides collection management features● Portable● Aids in setting priorities for processing● Makes waffles.

Archivist's Toolkit!

Archivist's Toolkit: Workflow

How does AT accomplish all those expectations?

Let's look at some examples of workflows with AT integration...

source: http://images.library.amnh.org/hiddencollections/2012/02/the-journey-from-spreadsheets-to-the-web/

source: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue65/briston-estlund

History / Currency

○ Begun in 2004 by Five Colleges, Inc. Libraries; New York

University Libraries; and University of California, San Diego Libraries

○ Funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (currently 5 project staff)

○ Currently at version 2.0. Latest update released June 2012

○ Well adopted: see http://archiviststoolkit.org/support/ListofATUsers

“…designed for archivists by archivists" archiviststoolkit.org

DEMO | Agenda

○ Overview, navigation and search○ Accessions○ Resources○ Digital Objects○ Customizations and List Control

Discussion and Questions

What are your impressions?

Beyond what makes a good tool, what else should one consider in choosing tools?

● Strengths?● Weaknesses?

Archivist's Toolkit

"Of course, software itself cannot solve the problem of hidden collections; what matters is how software is used and incorporated into streamlined, effective workflows..."

-http://archivalsoftware.pbworks.com/w/page/13600262/Role%20of%20Tools

What did that quote MEAN??

Planning |

"We realized the difficulties of dealing with EAD's flexibility: namely its ability to accept a multitude of structures and data inputs."

-(2007, Creating the next generation of finding aids)

source: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/may07/yakel/05yakel.html

"...Standardizing terms using controlled vocabulary and authorities was necessary to do the data processing we required."

The Next Generation Finding Aids Research Group

Planning |

source: http://www.projectcomputing.com/resources/EADConversionNotes.html

Australian Literature Resource Project (AustLit)

○ Use styles consistently

○ Use different styles for different semantic elements

○ Position text consistently

○ Use text markers and use them consistently

Planning |

"The PLATTER (Planning Tool for Trusted Electronic Repositories) checklist... was used to help guide decisions for ingest, migration schedules, institutional support, technical infrastructure, staffing and responsibilities, and access conditions."

PLATTER is based on TRUST.

sources: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue65/briston-estlund, http://www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu/platter.pdf

University of Oregon: PLATTER & OAIS

Planning |

sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OAIS-.gif

University of Oregon: PLATTER & OAIS

"The OAIS (Open Archival Information System) model was also consulted to identify areas of workflow and storage with our makeshift system."

Planning |

"By transitioning from a passive receivership role to actively working with offices before records are created... a more streamlined and efficient process for ingesting electronic records into the Archives [is possible]."

-http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue65/briston-estlund

University of Oregon

● Find a model that works that best fits the organization's needs (here we have provided two!)

● Do not remain in the background; work with the organization to create a more active relationship between departments. Trust is important for Archives!

How do those Planning models apply to AT?

They don't. AT is a tool that is so embedded with methods surrounding the workflows that museums and archives use; it's easy to forget it still needs a structure to be effective.

The examples provided are only a fraction of the ways in which AT can be implemented.However, this might change...

Future of Archivist Toolkit

ArchivesSpace: a web-based tool for both archival data entry and web publication of archival finding aids.

○ Merger of Archivists Toolkit and Archon○ Collaboration of New York University Libraries, UC San Diego

Libraries, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Libraries

○ Funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation○ Lyrasis is to be the organizational home○ Due out in 3rd quarter 2013○ Committed to an upgrade path from both tools

http://www.archivesspace.org/

Why use EAD Tools?

Database Tools do not prevent messy metadata, but they certainly help!

Resources | http://bampfa.berkeley.edu/moac/http://www.projectcomputing.com/resources/EADConversionNotes.htmhttp://www.dlib.org/dlib/may07/yakel/05yakel.htmllhttp://archivalsoftware.pbworks.com/w/page/13600262/Role%20of%20Toolshttp://archivalsoftware.pbworks.com/w/page/13600238/Archivists%27%20Toolkit%20Matrixhttp://www.digitalz.pl/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/archtoo.pnhttp://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/media/DAMD_Online_Documentation.pdghttp://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue10/dublinhttp://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/ua_inventory.htmhttp://images.library.amnh.org/hiddencollections/tag/archivists-toolkit/l

Here's our messy data... Enjoy!

"Help me, Obi Wan clean-data. You're my only hope"