Presentation for Archives Hub EAD Editor Training for the Hub.

1. Jane Stevenson and Lisa Jeskins
Archives Hub
2012

2. By the end of today’s session you will have
learnt about:
• The Archives Hub service
• Using the EAD Editor to create and edit content
• Embedding images and adding links to digital
content

3.  An aggregator for UK archives
 A JISC-funded service based at Mimas, The University of
Manchester
 In service since 2000
 Over 25,000 collection descriptions
 100,000’s of lower-level entries
 Over 200 repositories contribute
 Management and service team at Manchester
 Development team at Liverpool
 Cheshire software

4.  Higher/Further Education
 Specialist repositories
 Charities
 Learned institutions
 Local authorities
 Museum archives
 We encourage institutions to contact us
John Rylands Library, Manchester

6. Flickr cc licence: soylentgreen23’s photostream
 Originally funded for collection-level but always multi-level
 Software/searches effective with both
 Collection descriptions can be updated at any time
 Researchers ask for detail, but also ask for descriptions to be
available at any level rather than not

7.  EAD: XML for archives
 ISAD(G) compliant
 ISO standard for language
 Thesauri for index terms
 We provide guidelines for best practice

8.  It is XML, which is an international standard
 It is the most sustainable and future-proof option we
have
 It is a simple and effective way of structuring content
and providing meaning
 Machines can manipulate the content in all sorts of
ways

9.  Enable different kind of access to the data
 We support the principles of open data
◦ SRU
◦ OAI-PMH
◦ Z39.50

10.  Effective cross-searching requires:
◦ Interoperability
 which requires
◦ Common standards

11.  All Hub descriptions have their own identifiers – a unique
reference
 An identifier is effectively a web address (http URI)
 Enables bookmarking of content
 Facilitates linking
 Enables exposure to Google

12. Hub
Data
Flow

13.  Google (SEO)
 Blog
 Twitter
 Links from NRA
 Links to/from Copac
 Marketing strategy
 Networking, conferences and events
 More work on measuring impact

14.  UKAD: UK Archives Discovery Network
 Genesis: subject portal using our API
 AIM25: collaboration to improve interoperability
 TNA: links from the NRA
 Copac: have links from the Hub to Copac records
 CALM/Adlib

15.  Continuing to increase awareness and use
 Building images and links to content
 Utilising technology to best advantage
 Remaining relevant and sustainable
 Understanding Impact
 Understanding our users
Flickr cc licence: hoodwink’s photostream

16.  Increasing content and contributors
 Enhancing our user interface
 Automated data ingest
 Making the data ‘work harder’
 Innovation through use of technology and understanding of
user needs

17.  Export
descriptions from other sytems to
the Archives Hub
◦ CALM
◦ AdLib
◦ Archivists Toolkit
◦ ICA AtoM
◦ Excel

18.  You do not need to re-create
descriptions
 Benefit from being part of the Hub –
cross-searching, SEO, innovative projects
 Your descriptions are backed-up as EAD

19.  ProjectHeadway: export routines for
different data formats
◦ scripts to convert data
◦ requires mapping and an iterative
process of development
◦ testing out the process with a few
contributors before rolling-out

20.  Get in touch
 Still in testing phase
 Need ‘guinea pigs’, especially if
willing to work with us to help us
hone our scripts

21.  Run file -> reports -> archiveshub EAD 2002
 Make the required edits in the Hub EAD Editor

22.  Contact Adlib to ask for an XSLT for your
institution
 Export description as xml, and apply the
XSLT
 Make required edits in the Hub EAD
Editor

23.  Have a template for Excel
 Ensures your descriptions will
convert to EAD
 May not be feasible to convert other
Excel content – too diverse

24.  See the website
http://archiveshub.ac.uk/exporting/
 Contact us:
archiveshub@mimas.ac.uk