Presented at CILIP's Metadata and Discovery Group Conference, September 6th-8th 2023, Birmingham, UK Metadata plays a key role in describing and enhancing archival collections. This presentation covers the standards, metadata elements and tools chosen to describe two unique archival collections at Solent University Library. Using the International Standard Archival Description (General) (ISAD (G)), as a framework for the creation and management of archival descriptions, EAD as a serialisation format and the Jisc’s Archives Hub Editor as an application, the archival works of Philip Mackie and Ken Russell were described. A decision was made to comply with ISAD(G)’s mandatory elements such as Reference code, Title, Name of Creator, Dates of Creation, Extent of the Unit of Description and Level of description. Other metadata elements were also identified to record context, provenance, and access points. Because of this work, the library saw noticeable increase in the interest of its archival collections both within and outside the university. This presentation includes a step-by-step explanation of how the Archives Hub Editor was used to describe the works of Philip Mackie and the works of Ken Russell which includes scripts, photographs, scripts, correspondence, and other documents.

1. METADATA & ARCHIVAL
DISCOVERABILITY
Getaneh Alemu (PhD)
Cataloguing & Metadata Librarian, Solent University
CILIP Metadata & Discovery Group Conference,
Birmingham, September 6th - 8th, 2023

2. Solent University
ARCHIVE DEFINITION
• “Any records with long-term continuing value that have been kept either
because they may be necessary for ongoing organisational purposes to their
creating body or because they have additional research value.” (Williams,
2006)
• “Records preserved for their enduring value and informative content.”
(Miller, 2017)
• Qualities of archival content: static, permanence, uniqueness and
authentic. (Miller, 2017)

3. Solent University
FROM DATA – EVIDENCE - ARCHIVE
Millar, L. (2017). Archives: Principles and practices. Facet
Publishing.

4. Solent University
Library Materials:
•Standardised genres and formats (e.g., books,
journals, etc.).
•Follows known bibliographic elements (ISBD).
•Often a copy is available in another library.
•Flat structure.
Archival Materials:
No standardised format; can include letters,
diaries, photographs, etc.
Does not follow a bibliographic standard/control.
Materials are unique and available at a single
location.
Hierarchical structure.

5. Solent University
LIBRARY VS ARCHIVAL MATERIALS
Library Books Archival Materials
Purpose Study, research, leisure, reference Research, historical sources, cultural memory
Availability Published, widely available, common holdings
Unique records, often found only at a single
place
Arrangement Classification by subject/author/title (DDC, LC) Organised by provenance or original order
Circulation/use
Generally circulated and can be checked out.
Replaceable
Special access, often locked securely.
Irreplaceable
Durability
Printed for multiple uses but may wear over
time
Continuum of care, fragile, requiring special
care and storage for long-term preservation
(Brown, 2019; Miller, 2017; Williams,
2006)

6. Solent University
Principle of Provenance (or
Respect des Fonds)
ORIGIN/SOURCE AUTHENTICITY CONTEXT OWNER/CREATOR CREDIBILITY
(Douglas, 2018; Miller, 2017; Williams, 2006)

7. Solent University
Principle of Original Order
ARRANGEMENT SEQUENCE CREATOR'S INTENT CONTEXTUAL
INFORMATION
(Miller, 2017; Williams,
2006)

8. Solent University
ARCHIVAL
METADATA
Structure and granularity; rich, dense, varied
and multi-layered (Gracy, 2014; ISO 23081-1:2006; 2017)
Accuracy and consistency (Alemu, 2022; Qin & Zeng,
2016)
Finding aids enhancement (Francisco-Revilla, et al.
2014)
User support – improve access and usage
(Williams, 2006)
Interoperability and data sharing (Qin & Zeng, 2016)

9. Solent University
METADATA FOR ARCHIVES
9
Organising and
managing
records.
1
Maintaining
original
archival order.
2
Enhancing
findability and
discoverability.
3
Validating
records’
authenticity.
4
Facilitating
long-term
preservation.
5
( ISO 23081-1:2006; 2017)

10. Solent University
ARCHIVAL METADATA STANDARDS: ISAD(G)
Source: (ICA, 2000)
As defined by ICA (2000), ISAD(G),
the General International Standard
Archival Description is a globally
recognised metadata standard.
Used in numerous countries
worldwide.
Consists of 26 main data elements
focusing on description.
Primarily utilised with finding-
tools.

11. Solent University
ISAD(G) - LEVELS OF ARRANGEMENT

12. Solent University
Descriptions
Ensure the creation of
accurate, complete and
consistent descriptions.
Finding aids
Allow users search, identify,
select, obtain and explore
archival content.
Data sharing
Facilitate the sharing of data
across various archives.
Interoperability
Allow integration of varied
descriptions into a cohesive
information system.
ISAD(G) – PURPOSES
Source: (Francisco-Revilla et al., 2014; ICA, 2000; Scifleet, 2001)

13. Solent University
Multi-level descriptions
Emphasis on "respect des fonds“
Describes from general to specific
Connects descriptions
Avoids duplication
ISAD(G) – STRUCTURE
Source: (ICA, 2000)

14. Solent University
 Mandatory Data Elements:
 Reference code: Unique identifier for the archival material.
 Example: GB 3600 MAC
 Title: The name given to the material or collection.
 Example: The Philip Mackie Collection
 Creator: The person, agency, or entity that produced the archival material.
 Example: Mackie, Philip 1918-1985
 Date(s): The time period during which the archival material was created or accumulated.
 Example: 1947 - 1999, predominant 1950 - 1985
 Extent of the unit of description: Measurement (in terms of quantity, bulk, or size) of the material.
 Example: 163 boxes (12.5 metres)
 Level of description: Defines the scope of the material being described, such as item, series, fonds, etc.
 Example: Series
ISAD(G) – MANDATORY METADATA ELEMENTS
Source: (ICA, 2000)

15. Solent University
ISAD(G) – STRUCTURE
Source: (ICA, 2000)
CONTENT AND
STRUCTURE AREA
Scope and content
Appraisal,
destruction, and
scheduling data
Accruals
System of
arrangement
CONDITIONS OF
ACCESS AND USE
AREA
Conditions
governing access
Conditions
governing
reproduction
Language/scripts
of material
Physical and
technical specifics
Finding aids
ALLIED
MATERIALS AREA
Info on originals
Info on copies
Linked units of
description
Publication note
NOTES AREA
Notes
DESCRIPTION
CONTROL AREA
Archivist's Note
Rules or
Conventions
Date(s) of
descriptions

16. Solent University
ENCODED ARCHIVAL DESCRIPTION (EAD)
Uses XML (eXtensible Markup Language) to denote
hierarchy, elements and relationships.
Archives use EAD to present structured, both human-
readable and machine-readable descriptions; hierarchical
archival structure
Interoperable format
Compatible with most modern systems that handle XML
data
(Pitti, 1999; Scifleet, 2001; Society of American Archivists, 2002))

17. Solent University
EAD KEY FEATURES
 Standardisation and consistency
 EAD standardises the presentation of archival descriptions across various institutions and platforms.
 Provides a consistent structure and encoding which enhances interaction with archival collections, irrespective of where
they are hosted.
 Hierarchical navigation
 EAD finding aids offer hierarchical navigation, enabling exploration of collections at different depths.
 This hierarchy reflects the physical arrangement of collections, assisting in navigating intricate holdings.
 Advantages
 Major improvement in archival discoverability.
 Presents descriptions in a standardised, structured and accessible online format.
 Perfectly melds traditional archival practices with digital advancements.
 Overall, makes archives more user-friendly and appealing to both researchers and the general public.
(Pitti, 1999; Scifleet, 2001; Society of American Archivists, 2002, Yakel & Kim, 2005)

18. Solent University
EAD

19. Solent University
EAD – SUBJECT HEADINGS & AUTHORITIES

20. Solent University
THE ARCHIVES HUB – FINDING AID

21. Solent University
FROM ARCHIVES HUB TO PRIMO
 Initial approach with OAI-PMH
 Archives Hub provides content via OAI-PMH.
 Initial idea: set-up an import profile using this data for automatic updates in
Primo.
 Challenges: Archives Hub treats each collection as a single record.
 This would result in only two collection level records in Primo due to Alma Import
Profile restrictions. This process would lose the number of records we want
(>100).
 So, this solution was not considered feasible.

22. Solent University
FROM ARCHIVES HUB TO PRIMO
 Second and pragmatic approach
 Aim to have approximately 100 records in total – all the entries in Archives Hub.
 Step 1: Download Archives Hub content as EAD (XML).
 Step 2: Write a script to convert each sub-series/work into a format compatible
with Alma.
 Step 3: EAD to MARC mapping, example: e.g., the first paragraph in the Scope and
Content field was intended as a summary, whereas further paragraphs would give
detailed content information. Therefore, the mapping sends the first paragraph to the
520 and subsequent paragraphs to the 505.

23. Solent University
F R O M A R C H I V E S H U B ( E A D ) TO P R I M O ( M A R C ) M A P P I N G

24. Solent University
MARC RECORD FORMAT ON PRIMO

25. Solent University
A RECORD ON PRIMO

26. Solent University
IMPACT OF
CATALOGUING
T H E P H I L I P M A C K I E
C O L L E C T I O N
Increased
discoverability
on the Archives
Hub, Google,
Library Catalogue
Improved
access and
usage
received external
scanning and
access requests
(from the United States,
Sweden and the UK -
including one who has used
the collection extensively in
their dissertation).

27. Solent University
KEY
TAKEAWAYS
Metadata is central for archival description,
context and structure.
Metadata ensures authenticity, reliability and
integrity of records.
Accurate and consistent descriptions and finding
aids pivotal for discovery, access and usage.
ISAD(G): supports multi-level and granular
descriptions – adhering to the principles of
provenance, respect des fonds and original order.)
EAD: uses XML for encoding finding aids, an
interoperable format but technically challenging.

28. Solent University
B I B L I O G R A P H Y
Alemu, G. (2022). The future of enriched, linked, open and filtered metadata: making sense of IFLA, LRM, RDA, Linked Data and BIBFRAME. Facet Publishing.
Brown (Ed.). (2019). Archival futures. Facet Publishing.
Douglas, J. (2018). A call to rethink archival creation: Exploring types of creation in personal archives. Archival Science, 18(1), 29-49. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10502-018-9285-
8
Francisco-Revilla, L., Trace, C. B., Li, H., & Buchanan, S. A. (2014). Encoded Archival Description: Data Quality and Analysis. American Society for Information Science and
Technology. Meeting. Proceedings of the ... ASIST Annual Meeting, 51(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/meet.2014.14505101043
Gracy, K. F. (2015). Archival description and Linked Data: a preliminary study of opportunities and implementation challenges. Archival Science, 15(3), 239–294.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10502-014-9216-2
Haynes, D. (2018) Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval: understanding metadata and its use. Facet Publishing.
Hider, P. (2018) Information Resource Description: creating and managing metadata. Facet Publishing.
ICA (2000). ISAD(G) : General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD (G), (2nd ed.). ICA. Retrieved from
https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/14140/ISAD%28G%29.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
Millar, L. (2017). Archives: Principles and practices. Facet Publishing.
Pitti D. V. (1999). Encoded archival description an introduction and overview. D-Lib Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.dlib.org/dlib/november99/11pitti.html
Scifleet, P. (2001). International Standard Archival Description ISAD(G). Archival Science, 1(4), 397–402. A book review. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016058816263
Society of American Archivists. (2002). Encoded Archival Description tag library version 2002 ; prepared by the Encoded Archival Description Working Group of the Society Of
American Archivists and the Network Development And Marc Standards Office of The Library of Congress. Retrieved from
https://www2.archivists.org/sites/all/files/EAD2002TL_5-03-V2.pdf
Williams. (2006). Managing archives : foundations, principles and practice. Chandos.
Yakel, E. and Kim, J. (2005), Adoption and diffusion of Encoded Archival Description. J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci., 56: 1427-1437. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20236. Chandos.
Zeng, M. L., & Qin, J. (2016). Metadata (2nd ed.). Facet Publishing.

29. Solent University
THANK YOU!