Presentation by Joanna Rae of the British Antarctic Survey about using Modes Complete to record archive and collection information in a single program.

1. Recording Archives in
Modes
- the experience of British
Antarctic Survey Archives
Service
Joanna Rae
Archivist, British Antarctic Survey
10 Sep 2015

2. • BAS Archives
• Shared requirements
• Archive-specific requirements
• Tools & Help
• Concluding remarks
• Questions
Overview

3. • Research institute - world-leading,
interdisciplinary science in the polar
regions
• Provide leadership role in Antarctic affairs
• Origins - 1943 Operation Tabarin
• Component of Natural Environment
Research Council
• Funded from central Government via BIS
and by competitive grants
• About 450 staff, Cambridge building, 6
research stations, 2 ships, 5 aircraft
British Antarctic Survey

4. BAS Archives
• Medium-sized institutional archive – 1.2 linear km
physical records, 9Tb digital data
• 50% administrative records, 50% science data.
10% are gifts.
• Manage semi-current business records, art
collection and products of an oral history project
• Wide variety of formats – written, photographs,
printed maps/ books, film, sound recordings, digital
data, artefacts
• Database – for discovery & management; demand
for digitisation, online access, data sharing
• Move to Modes Complete - collaboration with Scott
Polar Research Institute & MUA

5. • Often curate the same ‘objects’ - ObjectName with appropriate attributes
• Descriptive standards – Spectrum, ISAD(G)
• Key components of descriptive standards eg Production, Description,
Content, Location
• Collections management processes eg Acquisition, Conservation
• Single data structure and related tools (eg views, indexes) that work across
the whole collection
• Discovery-level access to images & digital versions of documents, films -
Reproduction & References (multimedia)
• Share controlled vocabularies
• Ability to export data to external portals – Culture Grid / Archives Hub
• Essential to map mandatory information across standards for good data
exchange
Shared Requirements

7. • Original order
• how the creator chose to arrange the material
• preserve relationships between ‘objects’
• preserve relationships with creator (person, department, organisation)
• reveal this through intellectual arrangement
• Hierarchy of descriptions
• tool to record these relationships – ISAD(G) terms
• make explicit for users the context in which ‘objects’ were created
• Archive reference number
• Unique identifier
• Can be a short-hand code for both the above – very useful in Modes
• Differs from acquisition reference (entry number / accession number)
Archive-specific Requirements - 1

9. • Very long records
• Concepts not specifically catered for in the Object data structure. Use a
general Modes element with an attribute or Type to define specific use
• archival arrangement
• accruals
• digitisation
• public access
• records management
Archive-specific Requirements - 2

10. Administration (arrangement)
Type arrangement
SummaryText
Most of the records in this series were transferred to BAS Archives by Sir Vivian at various times following
his retirement and the completion of his book 'Of Ice and Men' in 1982. They were arranged in one sequence,
with a simple archive reference number in the pattern AD1/D1/(running number).
SummaryText
In 2003 the Archives were offered further records, found by Peter Fuchs in his father's garage following his death.
These were clearly official rather than personal records, and were compiled mainly by Fuchs' predecessor in the
role of Field Leader, FIDS-Surgeon-Commander Bingham. These have been maintained as a separate sub-sub-series
of Sir Vivian's records, numbered in the pattern AD1/D1/0/(running number).
SummaryText
SummaryText Sub-series:
SummaryText Records of Surgeon-Commander E.W. Bingham Inherited by Fuchs AD1/D1/0
• Need a place in the Modes record to describe the original order and how
that has been preserved or modified by the archivist, and how the
numbering system reflects this intellectual arrangement
• Only relevant in descriptions in the hierarchy above the physical ‘object’
Archival arrangement

11. Public access
• Need to record this information to comply with legislation (Freedom of
Information Act, Data Protection Act), conditions of donation
• Can apply to documents, films, oral history, even scientific data (period of
exclusivity)
Administration (public access)
Type public access
Part
ItemCategory not open to the public
Keyword (foI/EIR exemption) Freedom of Information Act, 2000, Section 40 (personal information)
Date (date due to open)
Keyword (conditions)
SummaryText
References
References Electronic filing system – Access Reviews - 2003
Authority Cox, Rachel Jane
Date 7.2003

12. Records Management
At BAS we also use Modes to manage the process of review and disposal of
semi-current records eg personal files
Process (records management - full)
Type records management
Part
DateRequested (action due date) 2006
Method (action required) destroy
Note (disposal period) + 6
References
Type retention schedule
Reference NERC retention schedule 7.5
Date (completion date)
Result
Authority
Date

13. • Guide records
• Templates
• Element help
• Specific views & reports
• Archives user group
• Hyperlinks to records of people, places and other entities,
within the object format – allows searching of these records
Tools & Help

15. • The expansion of the object data structure for Modes Complete has enabled archivists
to use it more straight-forwardly to meet the needs of our own descriptive standards
• Huge benefits in describing all aspects of our holdings in one data structure, with
common searches, views & reports
• Many excellent common functions as well as low costs for a powerful product
• The cooperative attitude and technical expertise of the MUA support team has
enabled add-on functionality for archivists, some rolled out to all users
• We see in-house customisation, within a standard framework, as the route to get best
out of Modes
• Essential to ensure archive use of the software remains within the main body of
Modes development to take advantage of future advances and to ensure reliable
onward migration
Concluding Remarks

16. Archives Service
British Antarctic Survey
High Cross, Madingley Road
Cambridge CB3 0ET
Email: basarchives@bas.ac.uk
Web:
https://www.bas.ac.uk/archives
Contact details: