The Archives Hub is a distributed digital archive system based in the UK that allows various archives and repositories to share their collection descriptions. It uses open standards to enable interoperability between systems. The Hub currently has over 23,000 collection descriptions from 170 contributing institutions. It provides a centralized search interface as well as machine-to-machine access through protocols like Z39.50, SRU, and OAI-PMH to allow flexible searching and access to descriptions. Individual archives can also participate as "Spokes" by hosting their own indexed descriptions that are exposed through the Hub's interfaces and protocols.

1. The Archives Hub ~ Interoperability, Spokes and the Distributed Model

2. The Hub in a Nutshell Based at Mimas, University of Manchester In service since 2000 Over 23,000 collection descriptions 170 repositories JISC funded Management and service team at Manchester Development team at Liverpool Cheshire software Cheshire for Archives – works with EAD descriptions Distributed system

3. Content and contributors Strategic aim: build and enhance content Meeting the needs of the UK research community Meeting the needs of the wider community Archives for education and research Hub Workshop 2009 Flickr cc licence: eileenaway's photostream The success of the Hub is a reflection of the rich content available from Hub contributors

4. Current contributors Higher/Further Education Consortium contributions Institutions with a research agenda Others on a case-by-case basis We encourage institutions to contact us Hub Workshop 2009 John Rylands Library, Manchester

5. Collection or lower-level…? Originally funded for collection-level Software/searches effective with both Complimentary approaches Researchers ask for detail Hub Workshop 2009 Flickr cc licence: Muffet’s photostream Flickr cc licence: soylentgreen23’s photostream Images useful at item level

6. JISC Information Environment … a vast and sometimes bewildering range of potential sources of electronic information. Each source of information has its own name, its own interface, features and search facilities. Little wonder, then, that many users remain unaware of their existence or fail to discover their value for their own learning, teaching or research. A key challenge is therefore to achieve a managed, coherent and shared information environment that will overcome these obstacles. Being able to cross-search and use customised, value added and other services will considerably simplify users’ interactions with online resources. This should encourage take-up and greatly improve means of accessing these resources. … these activities need to be based on standards for the creation, access, use, preservation and interoperability of networked resources. http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=ie_home

7. JISC Information Environment Most content providers will already offer a Web site through which end-users can access their content. To be a part of the JISC-IE, content providers also need to support machine oriented interfaces to their resources. Support searching using Z39.50/SRW Support metadata harvesting using OAI-PMH Andy Powell 5 step guide to becoming a content provider in the JISC Information Environment http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue33/info-environment Hub Workshop 2009

8. E-GIF, open source and open standards e-GIF version 6.1 (18 th March 2005) The e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) sets out the government’s technical policies and specifications for achieving interoperability… across the public sector. There is a strategic decision to adopt XML and XSL as the core standards for data integration and management. It is a pragmatic strategy that aims to reduce cost and risk for government systems while aligning them to the global Internet revolution. http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/documents/eGIF%20v6_1(1).pdf Open Source, Open Standards and Re–Use: Government Action Plan http://www.netvibes.com/cabinetoffice#Open_Source Hub Workshop 2009

9. Isn’t technology brilliant?!! Technical know-how Hub Workshop 2009 XML Data creation/editing template Web interface Machine interfaces Distributed model Web 2.0 Dissemination = Satisfying user experience + understanding users

10. Hub Data Flow Hub Workshop 2009 Sustainable model Data held as XML Efficient search mechanism Flexible access Easy to become a Spoke

11. The Distributed Hub Flickr cc licence : Thomas Hawk The main goal of a distributed computing system is to connect users and resources in a transparent , open, and scalable way. Ideally this arrangement is drastically more fault tolerant and more powerful than many combinations of stand-alone computer systems. [Wikipedia] Administration interface Customisable web front-end Machine-to-machine interfaces Data Creation Template Local control Technical support locally Hub team support

12. Spokes software Offers a means of storing and sharing archival descriptions in XML Provides machine-to-machine access to the descriptions through Z39.50 and SRU (Search and Retrieve via URL) & OAI-PMH for harvesting records Provides a customisable Web search interface Is open source and based on open standards Includes a data creation and editing template

13. Anatomy of a Spoke Hub Workshop 2009 EAD XML files Web search interface Direct searching access for other applications through standards-based machine-to-machine protocols … Including the central Hub! Z39.50 SRU Cheshire indexes of EAD data HTTP

14. Spokes indexes The database will provide indexes based on the following standards: Data standard Data field(s) cql.anywhere full text dc.description unittitle, controlaccess, and scopecontent fields dc.title collection title (titleproper) dc.creator creator of the collection dc.identifier eadid dc.date unitdate dc.subjects controlaccess fields bath.name personal, family, corporate and geographic names bath.personalName personal names bath.corporateName corporate names bath.geographicName geographic names bath.genreForm genre

15. Administration Interface Hub Workshop 2009 http://spoke.mimas.archiveshub.ac.uk/ead/admin/

17. Hub Workshop 2009

18. Liverpool Spoke Hub Workshop 2009

19. John Rylands Spoke Hub Workshop 2009

20. Agreement with Spokes Hub Workshop 2009

21. Hosted Spokes Spokes at Manchester Configuration Agreement between parties Manchester team undertake agreed level of support Institution still responsible for the data Hub Workshop 2009

22. Being an Archives Hub Spoke… Gives you control over your own EAD files Allows you to update and add new files when you need to Exposes your EAD to other applications which need to cross-search the descriptions Using standards-compliant methods Means you benefit from using software that has been developed with the Archives Hub community Hub Workshop 2009

23. Collaboration & Sharing Networks and communities – the National Archives Network Cross-service and cross-domain collaboration Copac Intute Digitisation Projects Expand and share content import/export/M2M Links to other archive services NRA Hub Workshop 2009

24. The National Archives Network ‘ Our vision of the future of British archives is of a flow of archival information which takes account of all the opportunities offered by digital networks and offers opportunity for exploration - historical, personal, social - to the broadest possible range of people wherever they can use it - in the home, the classroom or the office.’ Hub Workshop 2009 British Archives: The Way Forward (NCA, 2000) A comprehensive national resource discovery mechanism

25. The importance ‘ There can be no higher priority for archives than the creation of this collaborative electronic network, overcoming the limitations of geography, crossing the many archival sectors and creating a truly unified digital directory or encyclopaedia of British historical documents.’ Hub Workshop 2009 British Archives: The Way Forward (NCA, 2000)

26. National Archive Network Hub Workshop 2009

27. The opportunity ‘ Outreach has been a developing preoccupation for archives in recent years, but the arrival of the internet age provides the opportunities to take archives, as never before, to the doorstep of the community at large.’ British Archives: The Way Forward (2000) Hub Workshop 2009

28. Progress of the NAN Many archives took part in this drive towards a national archives network … many still are taking part The importance of recognised standards Intention to create collection level catalogues of all substantial collections within a defined timeframe Hub Workshop 2009

29. Success of the NAN Strands of the national archives network provide access to archives that were previously inaccessible The HLF has played a major role in enabling access and online discovery Users of archives have benefited enormously Data standards have become of central importance Hub Workshop 2009

30. Shortcomings of the NAN We don’t have a single national network Differences in data structure; content; search capabilities; look and feel Strands are not fully interoperable Politics, funding and willpower may not combine in favour of this approach The landscape has changed substantially since 2000 – maybe this solution is no longer appropriate? Hub Workshop 2009

31. The NAN today Many ‘strands’ Only a few use EAD (support EAD export) Lack of funding for a joint solution Key is interoperability and machine-to-machine interfaces: NAN as a community, sharing knowledge and experiences NAN as a promoter of standards and facilitator for data sharing NAN strands as promoters of flexible and open approaches Hub Workshop 2009

32. The Interoperable Hub Hub Workshop 2009 The ability of software and hardware on different machines to share data Content standards Structural standards Validation of content Data Editor Training and awareness Contributor responsibility Networking and community building

33. Hub Workshop 2009

34. Machine-to-machine interfaces Web access is just one means of access to the data Machine access provides flexible access, so people can set their own agendas Z39.50 SRU OAI-PMH (harvester) Need to provide semantic data – properly marked up, well-structured Hub Workshop 2009

35. Pilot project for SRU: Genesis portal for Women’s Studies Hub hosts data Genesis searches the Hub using SRU Implications for data – how search just for appropriate descriptions? Possible issues with search speeds Hub Workshop 2009

36. Persistent Identifiers All Hub descriptions have their own identifiers – a unique reference Gives them their own web address – can point to any description Facilitates linking, e.g. from National Register of Archives Enables bookmarking of content http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/arch/glossary.shtml#identifier Hub Workshop 2009

37. Challenges (of which there are many) Understanding our users Encouraging item-level descriptions Encouraging images/links to content Which technology? Perceptions of relevancy Understanding Impact Sustainability Hub Workshop 2009 Flickr cc licence: hoodwink’s photostream

38. Moving Forward Increasing content and contributors Branding and new Website More engagement with users / user generated content Continuing to be standards-based, open and interoperable Hub Workshop 2009