1. Standards and exchange formats in the UK:
The Role of Encoded Archival Description (EAD) in
promotion of Access to Archives in the UK
Bill Stockting: Standards and exchange formats for
interoperability among archival information systems:
Bologna
8 May 2008

2. Introduction
UK archivists started using beta version of EAD in 1997,
mainly at:
 The National Archives (TNA) (then the Public
Record Office (PRO)
 University manuscripts and archives departments
EAD implemented in online applications of individual
university repositories and programmes providing
federated access, such as:

3. Access to Archives (A2A) -
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a

4. Archives Hub - http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/

5. Introduction
Discussion will look at:
 Background to success of EAD - the right tool at the
right time
 Illustration of EAD as a flexible tool in the archival
description process:
 Capturing standardised metadata
 Editing and storing metadata
 Searching and presenting metadata
 Exchanging metadata

6. Background
Development of ICT and Internet in 1990’s:
 Archivists see potential of ICT tools for access to
archives and development of EAD in US
 UK strategic environment favourable and Government
policy argues for increased access to archives as part of
and electronic service delivery in public sector
 Need for data format standards to achieve presentation
of archival metadata online

7. Background
EAD - the right tool at the right
time:
 Based on open standards:
Initially SGML but early
compatibility with XML and
developing technologies
 Not tied to commercial software
and freely available
 Commitment to development
and maintenance by
international EAD Working
Group
 Great flexibility

8. Capturing Standardised Metadata
EAD a structure standard designed to work with
description standards such as
 MARC
 ISAD(G), especially in current version - EAD 2002
EAD tags allow representation of:
 finding aids conforming to rules of multi-level
description
 all ISAD(G) data elements

9. Capturing Standardised Metadata
EAD used to create new
finding aids:
 Text files easy to create
 Use of common
SGML/XML authoring
tools that allow validation
against EAD DTD
 Templates developed to
lessen routine tagging -
e.g. Archives Hub online
template -
http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/template/new/eadform2.html

10. Capturing Standardised Metadata
EAD used in process of retro-
conversion of legacy finding
aids:
 TNA conversion from
distributed finding aids system
to integrated standardised
multi-level catalogue
 A2A Programme - conversion
of paper and non-
standardised electronic finding
aids using EAD template
 Conversion services such as
RLG/APEX

11. Editing and Storing Metadata
Despite advantages of relational
databases for the storage and
editing of descriptive metadata
EAD also used:
 Smaller repositories - e.g.
Modern Records Centre, at
the University of Warwick
 Federated services such as
Archives Hub and A2A
Programme

12. Searching and Presenting Metadata
EAD used to present finding
aids online:
 Single finding aids by
transformation of EAD as XML
to HTML via XSL
 Federated services show
many strategies:
 Archives Hub: Cheshire
Search engine XML, Z39.50
and GRS1
 NAHSTE: perl, XML::Twig
and cgi
 A2A: XML, HTTP and XSL