This document summarizes a collaborative project between nine institutions to improve the EMu archival records management system. The group held regular video conferences between 2016-2017 to identify issues and propose solutions to the software developer, Axiell. They initially aimed to overhaul the system design but realized a more incremental approach was needed. The group focused on improving fields for accessioning, location tracking, cross-mapping standards, and hierarchy in finding aid exports. Their recommendations were presented to Axiell, who is evaluating feasibility as part of their product roadmap. The collaborative group continues meeting to discuss feedback on the proposed changes.

1. Collaborative Project to Improve
EMu for Managing Archives
Update
KARA LEWIS
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN, SMITHSONIAN
INSTITUTION
@karamichelel

2. Conferencing in your hometown
 1. Dad wants to know where you are, who you are with, and are you safe?
 2. You confuse your colleagues with “yinz,” and “Stillers” and secret ways
to get Heinz ketchup out of glass bottles.
 3. You become the self–proclaimed tour guide…

3. Background
 Discussion groups for at least the past three years in US and
UK
 Online Google group formed three years ago
 Survey to understand needs of community
 Between July 2016 and June 2017: monthly collaboration
among eight institutions via videoconference

4. European conference 2017
 Gave update
from working group
 Gained new
members

5. Results
 Nine institutions worked together; seven were regulars
 Had 10 meetings between 2016 and 2017
 Videoconference across eight time zones
 Reviewed what have… demos, discussions of problems,
possible solutions

6. Starting plan
 Original plans were grandiose
 First review design
 Then review functionality
 Then move on to interoperability
 Like other projects, vision of starting from the ground up
 Determine a common design

7. Challenges
 Number of institutions involved
 Need agreement among more people
 Some have already customized EMu for archives
 How to not be too disruptive to what people already have?
 Others don’t have anything yet

8. Modified process
 We decided to focus on two or three major issues we’re all
facing and try to solve them
 Enable people already using a customized version to
incorporate if they want
 For those who don’t have anything, add to out of box tabs
 Come up with requirements for those changes
 Run by larger EMu client base
 Discuss with Axiell

9. Issues we tackled first
 Additional fields before and during accessioning
 Location tracking
 Cross-mapping standards across collections
 Level creation
 Caveats
 This is what we suggested to Axiell several months ago
 We presented problems with suggested solutions
 Axiell is evaluating for feasibility

10. Issue: Additional information at
accessioning
 Pre-accessioning information
 Document before processing
at the collection level
 Extra tab – can include if you
want
 Multiple lots
 Multiple extents related to
locations
 Other basic summary fields

11. Issue: Cross-mapping standards
 Ability to link Names to Parties
 Options for non-linking variants
 Custom fields in Parties for variant standard, additional fields in Sites.

12. Issue: Simplify workflow
 How to simplify the creation of levels in finding aid

13. Issue: Exporting Hierarchy in EAD
 How to improve EAD export to better handle hierarchical
relationships
 Current export is very basic with no hierarchical structure
 Don’t expect “one size fits all” solution
 Help institutions build own finding aids, bring further along

14. What now?
 Waiting for feedback from Axiell
 Axiell has been focused first on development efforts outlined
by the road map
 Group will meet again when we hear back

15.  If you want to stay informed after the conference, join Google
group
 It’s the first group we will share feedback with
 Related: larger EMu community discussion
Stay involved…

16. Questions?
Kara Lewis
Collections Information System Administrator/Analyst
lewiskm@si.edu
1-301-238-1471
@karamichelel