Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
September 2, 2009
Converting Existing Electronic Finding Aids
Gary H. Stern (NPOL)
September 2, 2009
Background
Project introduced at 2005 ARC POC Conference
The upload process actually began in April 2006
Existing electronic finding aids are “broken up” into individual ARC file unit or item level descriptions
September 2, 2009
The Conversion From this…One document (Finding Aid)
September 2, 2009
The Conversion (continued) …to this – Individual Records (File Units)
September 2, 2009
The Numbers
As of August 31, 2009:6,832 finding aids have been
broken down into 2,473,032 file unit and item
descriptions
September 2, 2009
The Process The finding aid is “cleaned up” to ensure
consistency Units can review cleaned up file before
upload The cleaned up file is converted into XML The XML is uploaded into ARC The file units or items are synched and
appear on the web after the next denorm
September 2, 2009
ARC v. Online Resource In ARC, we represent the original order or
arrangement of the records. Finding aids representing the order of the
records will be uploaded into ARC (e.g. – a folder list from a subject series).
Finding aids containing information from the holdings (e.g. a name index for a chron file series) will be attached as an Online Resource.
September 2, 2009
What to send Folder lists, item lists, NL manuscript
registers, simple databases Finding aids in Word, Excel, Access, or
HTML
• Parent series description must be entered in ARC
• Creator and Dates get “inherited” down• “Manually” inherit use/access restriction,
physical occurrence information
September 2, 2009
Samples of what to send “Easy”
September 2, 2009
…more samples…. Web pages
September 2, 2009
…and another sample “Difficult”• Need to
replicate hierarchy
• Each line needs to stand on its own.
BUT – these four:
175 – Depredations Suits
175 – Depredations Suits – a) Sundry 1879 – 1892
175 – Depredations Suits – b) Willis and Fleming 1882 - 1883
175 – Depredations Suits – c) Kansas and N.M. Land and Cattle
Example:
Not these four:
175 – Depredations Suits
a) Sundry 1879 – 1892
b) Willis and Fleming 1882 - 1883
c) Kansas and N.M. Land and Cattle
September 2, 2009
…and yet one more sample “Difficult”• One name,
multiple cases
Example:
Case No. C131-19, U.S. v. Buscemi, Napoletano, Sade, Barra…..
Example:
Case No. C131-10, U.S. v. Daniels
Case No. C131-11, U.S. v. Daniels
• Many names for one case file
September 2, 2009
New Finding Aids We provide a customized Access database for
quick data entry of print finding aids or processing new file units
Generally, these consist of Title and Container ID.
These databases can include other fields, such as Container ID, Coverage Dates, General Records Type, Reproduction Count, etc.
Each database record is uploaded as an individual file unit or item level description.
September 2, 2009
ARC v. Online Resource Again, in ARC, we represent the original order or
arrangement of the records. Finding aids representing the order of the
records will be uploaded into ARC (e.g. – a folder list from a subject series).
Finding aids containing information from the holdings (e.g. a name index for a chron file series) will be attached as an Online Resource.
September 2, 2009
Online ResourcesExamples of Online Resource Notes: "The Navy Filing Manual," 4th Ed., 1941 can be used to
determine the file codes for specific files within this series. An index to the records in this series can be found at the
Bureau of Land Management General Land Office web site. Records in this series have been digitized and made available
online by our partner, Footnote.com, for a fee. The digitized records on Footnote.com are available free of charge in all NARA Research Rooms, including those in our regional archives and Presidential Libraries.
The electronic records in some of the files in this series can be searched online via the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) system.
Order Online! can be used to order copies of these records. This reference information paper, "The Dawes Rolls,"
provides tips for performing research in these records.
September 2, 2009
Original database sort is in alphabetical order. The records are actually in Case File Number order.
•The database records will be resorted and uploaded into ARC in the records’ original order.
September 2, 2009
Alphabetical List of Last Names on ARC Web Pages
•Not a one-to-one correspondence (most last names will link to multiple file units)
• A pop-up window will retrieve ARC file units for that search identifier, based on the last name (e.g. Abbott)
September 2, 2009
What not to send (at this point)
We are currently not focusing on data that falls outside of the ARC data model (series/file unit/item).
For example, a name index to a series or multiple series would not go into ARC during this portion of the project.
September 2, 2009
How to send in Finding Aids Email the finding aid as an attachment
to [email protected] In the Subject line, include the term: File
Units then the ARC ID and Series title. For example:
File Units: 731111 Subject Files Please send one finding aid per email
September 2, 2009
Contact
Email Gary H. Stern through the Lifecycle mailbox: [email protected]
Call Gary with questions at 301-837-3025
