Opening up the archives: from basement to browser Amanda Hill

Overview Current situation with archive gateways in UK Archives Hub technology, methodology, ethos usage, engaging with audiences development plans, for Hub and beyond

Current situation with archive gateways in UK

Archives Hub

technology, methodology, ethos

usage, engaging with audiences

development plans, for Hub and beyond

Archives Online 1998 report by the National Council on Archives Vision of a single point of access to full catalogues of all archives in the UK http://www.ncaonline.org.uk/materials/archivesonline.pdf National Register of Archives available online in 1995, via web in 1998

1998 report by the National Council on Archives

Vision of a single point of access to full catalogues of all archives in the UK

http://www.ncaonline.org.uk/materials/archivesonline.pdf

National Register of Archives available online in 1995, via web in 1998

Progress since 1998 A time of rapid change A number of ‘strands’ of the UK National Archive Network have been developed, usually in response to the availability of funding Many individual repositories are also making their own catalogues available online

A time of rapid change

A number of ‘strands’ of the UK National Archive Network have been developed, usually in response to the availability of funding

Many individual repositories are also making their own catalogues available online

Existing archive networks A2A: full catalogues of English archives, often down to the level of individual items AIM25: collection-level descriptions of archives in HE and learned institutions in the London area ANW: collection-level descriptions of archives in Wales Archives Hub: collection-level and some full catalogues of archives in educational establishments JANUS: full catalogues of collections in Cambridge SCAN: collection-level descriptions of archives in Scotland

A2A: full catalogues of English archives, often down to the level of individual items

AIM25: collection-level descriptions of archives in HE and learned institutions in the London area

ANW: collection-level descriptions of archives in Wales

Archives Hub: collection-level and some full catalogues of archives in educational establishments

JANUS: full catalogues of collections in Cambridge

SCAN: collection-level descriptions of archives in Scotland

Collection-level vs. full catalogues 250 1,750 Janus 81,950 71,000 Total 20,000 Scottish Archive Network (SCAN) 6,000 Archives Network for Wales (ANW) 19,500 250 Archives Hub 6,200 AIM25 30,000 69,000 A2A Collection-level Full catalogues Resource

Archives Hub Aim: to provide a single point of access to information about archives held in the UK’s tertiary education sector Audience: academics and students (JISC-funded), but free to access for all One of a range of national services provided by MIMAS at the University of Manchester Development work done by a team at the University of Liverpool

Aim: to provide a single point of access to information about archives held in the UK’s tertiary education sector

Audience: academics and students (JISC-funded), but free to access for all

One of a range of national services provided by MIMAS at the University of Manchester

Development work done by a team at the University of Liverpool

History Began in 1999 as a one-year pilot project 15 HE archive repositories took part, contributing 3,000 (mainly) collection-level descriptions Became a JISC service in 2001 Now around 150 repositories, mainly in HE, but some beyond (e.g. Medical institutions)

Began in 1999 as a one-year pilot project

15 HE archive repositories took part, contributing 3,000 (mainly) collection-level descriptions

Became a JISC service in 2001

Now around 150 repositories, mainly in HE, but some beyond (e.g. Medical institutions)

Funding Service and development are funded by the JISC, in 3-yearly phases Content: universities and colleges have applied for £800,000 in response to JISC funding calls to create collection-level descriptions Additional content (including lower levels of description) is often created as part of day-to-day work of contributing archives Much content has been provided without JISC funding

Service and development are funded by the JISC, in 3-yearly phases

Content: universities and colleges have applied for £800,000 in response to JISC funding calls to create collection-level descriptions

Additional content (including lower levels of description) is often created as part of day-to-day work of contributing archives

Much content has been provided without JISC funding

What's in the Hub? Nearly 20,000 archival descriptions, covering a huge range of subjects Some catalogues down to item level: 150,000 archival 'units of description' in the system Much of the information in the Hub had not been available online before

Nearly 20,000 archival descriptions, covering a huge range of subjects

Some catalogues down to item level: 150,000 archival 'units of description' in the system

Much of the information in the Hub had not been available online before

Methodology Responsibility for creating descriptions has always been with the institutions Raw materials of the service are text files structured according to the international archival XML standard EAD. Online template

Responsibility for creating descriptions has always been with the institutions

Raw materials of the service are text files structured according to the international archival XML standard EAD.

Online template

Data quality Data Editor Data creation guidelines 'For Archivists' Contributors' training Indexing standards Subject finder

Data Editor

Data creation guidelines

'For Archivists'

Contributors' training

Indexing standards

Subject finder

Usage levels

Users

Searching styles

Search terms, August 2006 Tolkein papers london transport bangor cathedral ethnomethodology grave-robbing bee beetle middleeastcrises Teddy Boys Harry Potter ninja How many people were killed during Ida Amin's power

Tolkein papers

london transport

bangor cathedral

ethnomethodology

grave-robbing

bee beetle

middleeastcrises

Teddy Boys

Harry Potter

ninja

How many people were killed during Ida Amin's power

Getting feedback from users Virtual service: harder to reach users Online surveys Incentives needed Responses often skewed Impact analysis

Virtual service: harder to reach users

Online surveys

Incentives needed

Responses often skewed

Impact analysis

Impact Expected uses: Assisting researchers in finding collections Allowing users to make connections between different collections: browsing subject terms Saving wasted journeys Other uses As a tool for librarians and archivists answering queries from users Use in training sessions for students As a promotional tool for archives in general As a source of information for information professionals http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/tavistock2003.pdf and forthcoming report of JISC Review of Resource Discovery Services

Expected uses:

Assisting researchers in finding collections

Allowing users to make connections between different collections: browsing subject terms

Saving wasted journeys

Other uses

As a tool for librarians and archivists answering queries from users

Use in training sessions for students

As a promotional tool for archives in general

As a source of information for information professionals

http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/tavistock2003.pdf and forthcoming report of JISC Review of Resource Discovery Services

Beyond finding aids… September 2001: Collection of the Month July 2003: 'Guided Tour' January 2004: 'For Archivists' section February 2006: Archives Hub Blog

September 2001: Collection of the Month

July 2003: 'Guided Tour'

January 2004: 'For Archivists' section

February 2006: Archives Hub Blog

Architecture Originally, all data was held centrally, on a server in Manchester In July 2005, the service moved to a distributed model, where institutions can choose to host their own data, using a free version of the Hub's own software

Originally, all data was held centrally, on a server in Manchester

In July 2005, the service moved to a distributed model, where institutions can choose to host their own data, using a free version of the Hub's own software

Spokes Aim is to make it as easy as possible for contributors to put their EAD files on to the Archives Hub, and to keep them up-to-date Software provides a web search form for repository's own descriptions, plus SRU (Search and Retrieve by URL) and Z39.50 access

Aim is to make it as easy as possible for contributors to put their EAD files on to the Archives Hub, and to keep them up-to-date

Software provides a web search form for repository's own descriptions, plus SRU (Search and Retrieve by URL) and Z39.50 access

Test Spoke at MIMAS

How it all works…

Indexing Harvesting Searching Retrieval Combined indexes Archives Hub website Data (EAD files) Indexes Indexes Indexes of MC Data Leeds University Library Edinburgh University Library Key Local website Virtual databases Local website Distributed Archives Hub Data (EAD files) Data held at Manchester Computing (MC)

Losing control… Potential issues with data quality, reliability and security of remote servers Memorandum of understanding sets out expectations on both sides

Potential issues with data quality, reliability and security of remote servers

Memorandum of understanding sets out expectations on both sides

Future developments Archives Hub records have always been available through the web interface and the Z39.50 search and retrieval protocol New Cheshire3 version of the central Archives Hub will allow: further protocols to be supported, including SRW/U and OAI-PMH records to be exposed in different formats, including MARC XML and Dublin Core

Archives Hub records have always been available through the web interface and the Z39.50 search and retrieval protocol

New Cheshire3 version of the central Archives Hub will allow:

further protocols to be supported, including SRW/U and OAI-PMH

records to be exposed in different formats, including MARC XML and Dublin Core

Archives UK (aUK) Successor to Linking Arms Plan to use The National Archives' 'Global Search' technology to search data from all other archive networks Details yet to be sorted out, but Archives Hub will be involved

Successor to Linking Arms

Plan to use The National Archives' 'Global Search' technology to search data from all other archive networks

Details yet to be sorted out, but Archives Hub will be involved

More information On creating EAD with the tools on the Archives Hub and with XML software : http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/arch/dc.shtml Spokes software: http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/arch/spokes.shtml SRW/SRU protocols: http://www.loc.gov/standards/sru/ My e-mail address: [email_address]

On creating EAD with the tools on the Archives Hub and with XML software : http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/arch/dc.shtml

Spokes software: http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/arch/spokes.shtml

SRW/SRU protocols: http://www.loc.gov/standards/sru/

My e-mail address: [email_address]