Paromita Biswas, Metadata Librarian, Western Carolina University, [email protected] Skene, Digital Initiatives Librarian, Western Carolina University, [email protected]
Charleston Conference, November 6, 2014
Project:
Move 700 legacy finding aids online via ArchivesSpace
• Finding aids overview• Past efforts • Choosing ArchivesSpace• Workflow decisions
• Showcase Appalachian life and natural history, especially of Western North Carolina
• Notable collections:Horace Kephart; George Masa; Nantahala Power & Light Company Records
Some collections digitized and available through CONTENTdm:
11 collections/5k+ items
• Most Special Collections’ materials accessible through finding aids
• 700 finding aids in MS Word
The problem:
• No online presence of finding aids
• Findings aids available only to patrons who visit or contact the library
• Finding aids/Special Collections remain hiddenand inaccessible to the larger audience
• 2010: NC ECHO* provides Hunter Library with templates for creating EAD encoded finding aids
• Two librarians work in Notepad Pro: time consuming process
• Lack of technical knowledge to modify generictemplates or publish the finding aids online
• 35 finding aids published as HTML documents via a widget available online
*North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online
• Lack of resources: No server space
No IT support
Limited staff time
• ArchivesSpace offered to Hunter Library:
Option for a hosted server space by LYRASIS
Technical assistance provided by LYRASIS
Training and relative ease of use
Interdepartmental collaboration
Special Collections—review and map finding aids to ArchivesSpace
Digital, Access, and Technology—training and aligning ArchivesSpace finding aids with digital collections
Content Organization & Management—provide catalogers to do the major work of migration to ArchivesSpace
Involved:
• Copying and pasting the Word document finding aids
• Adding controlled vocabularies—names and subjects to the finding aids
• No training required in adding controlled vocabularies
• Familiar with content management systems (CONTENTdm) other than traditional ILS
• Familiarity with the area and local history
• Summer can provide the opportunity to do majority of the migration work
• The process• Challenges• The future• Take aways
1. Project team2. Priorities
3. Training manual4. Testing 5. Training
Flickr user kenfagerdotcom, BY-NC-SA
Metadata LibrarianContent Organization & Management department
Digital Initiatives LibrarianDigital, Access, and Technology Services department
Library Technical AssistantSpecial Collections department
+ Frequently requested
+ Items in CONTENTdm
- Access restrictions
- Errors in description
MapFinding aid template
showing the corresponding field in
ArchivesSpace
Step by step guideA how-to for adding data
to ArchivesSpace
GlossaryEntries with definitions and
examples
Testing
By the project team
By a cataloger
Arents Cigarette Cards, NYPL
Training
What is it?
How does it work?
Work in pairs
Regroup, revise
Flickr user thelotuscarroll, BY-NC-SA
New software
Inconsistency of finding aids
Catalogers vs archival vocabulary
Where does ArchivesSpace live?
Word finding aidsHunter Library, Western Carolina University
Update the manual
Go live!
500 finding aids by 2016
Link to CONTENTdm
Explore regional consortium
NASA, First Lady Astronaut Trainee Jerrie Cobb
What is the end goal?
Who has the knowledge?
Progress or perfection?
Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection, BY-NC-ND
Thank you!