A Brief Introduction to Encoded Archival Description Kevin Schlottmann Queens College Archives and Special Collections April 7, 2010

EAD: What is it? XML standard for encoding finding aids

EAD: What is it? XML standard for encoding finding aids XML = eXtensible Markup Language Set of rules for structuring data Example: What is 2010?

XML: What is it? 2010

XML: What is it? Tag: 2010 Element: 2010 Attribute: 2010

EAD: What is it? XML standard for encoding finding aids Standard (uniform criteria) for encoding archival finding aids

EAD: What is it? XML standard for encoding finding aids Other encoding standards: –MARC (books) –Dublin Core (electronic objects) Content standards: –DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard) –AACR2

EAD: Why Use It? EAD easily maps to other standards such as MARC or Dublin Core EAD allows more consistent output EAD can provide much more sophisticated searches EAD sets you up nicely for current and future data re-use From Archivists listserv message from Michele R Combs Tuesday, December 01, :49 PM

EAD: Why Use It? If we want our finding aids and collections to play in the larger electronic universe, we need structured, shareable descriptive metadata.

EAD: Why Use It? “This model of wide and unrestricted sharing is relatively new for archivists, who are accustomed to mediating access to archival collections.” Riley/Shepard, 94

Baraka Finding Aid (Display) Creator: Baraka, Imamu Amiri, Title: Amiri Baraka Collection Inclusive Dates: Bulk Dates: 1968 Quantity: 1 folder (SC) Abstract: Amiri Baraka (born Everett LeRoi Jones on October 7, 1934, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American writer of poetry, drama, essays, and music criticism. The collection consists of correspondence and clippings, most relating to Baraka's 1967 arrest in Newark, New Jersey; there is one letter from Baraka (1974). Language: English, one item in Russian

Baraka Finding Aid (Unstructured) Creator: Baraka, Imamu Amiri, Title: Amiri Baraka Collection Inclusive Dates: Bulk Dates: 1968 Quantity: 1 folder (SC) Abstract: Amiri Baraka (born Everett LeRoi Jones on October 7, 1934, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American writer of poetry, drama, essays, and music criticism. The collection consists of correspondence and clippings, most relating to Baraka's 1967 arrest in Newark, New Jersey; there is one letter from Baraka (1974). Language: English, one item in Russian

Baraka Finding Aid (EAD) Baraka, Imamu Amiri, Amiri Baraka Collection folder Amiri Baraka (born Everett LeRoi Jones on October 7, 1934, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American writer of poetry, drama, essays, and music criticism. The collection consists of correspondence and clippings, most relating to Baraka's 1967 arrest in Newark, New Jersey; there is one letter from Baraka (1974) English, one item in Russian

Baraka Finding Aid XML HTML Printer-friendly

EAD: How to Use It “To implement EAD fully requires completing a multistep path. The steps include establishing a workflow, establishing coding standards, encoding finding aids, developing Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) style sheets to translate EAD’s XML, setting up an EAD server, and finally publishing the encoded EAD finding aids to the Web.” Yaco 457

EAD: How to Use It It’s like records management: Make friends with IT.

EAD: Resources EAD templates Web-based forms for EAD EAD listserv EAD Toolkit XML editors Content management software Combs, Michele, Mark A. Matienzo, Merrilee Proffitt, and Lisa Spiro Over, Under, Around, and Through: Getting Around Barriers to EAD Implementation.

EAD: Resources marac.html marac.html Just dive in!

Archivists’ Toolkit: What is it? “The Archivists’ Toolkit™, or the AT, is the first open source archival data management system to provide broad, integrated support for the management of archives.” 19

AT: What Does It Do? Accessioning and describing archival materials (including location) Establishing names and subjects associated with archival materials (authority records) Exporting EAD finding aids, MARCXML records, and METS, MODS and Dublin Core records 20

Accession and description 21

Authority records 22

Export INSERT EXAMPLE OF FINDING AID – MAYBE LINK? 23

AT: Strengths Software is free (like kittens, not like beer) Designed by archivists: interface is intuitive Manages most common archival processes Designed for metadata standards 24

AT: Drawbacks Work in progress; Archon-AT integration Importing is not fully developed Backend is technical: “To run the client it is necessary to install a database backend. Currently, the AT will fully support a MySQL 5.0, MS SQLServer 2005, or an Oracle 10g backend.” 25

AT: How to Use It It’s like records management: Make friends with IT.

Questions/Comments?