1. Connecting Community to Collections with Online Finding Aids Utah Library Association Conference Layton, UT May 2011

2. THE NEED FOR “FINDABILITY” Utah Valley University Sutherland Archives

3. Utah Valley University Digital Collections started 2006. Campus Archives started 2004.

4. Processing Took Priority!!!

5. Basic means of access I created catalog records and inventory lists for each physical collection.

6. Sample Inventory List

7. UVU Sutherland Archives Finding Aids I eventually created in-depth print finding aids for each collection.

8. But there had to be a better way…

9. Added Links to Finding Aids in Catalog Records I inserted links to PDF copies into the catalog records of archival collections.

10. Access Finding Aid through Catalog

11. There STILL has to be a better way… My finding aids are not searchable They are not “found” by Google, etc. Only someone searching UVU Library’s catalog will find them and our collections I’ve heard of making finding aids searchable online with EAD…What is it? I need it, how do I get it, and how do I use it????

12. UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY How We Did It

13. Online Finding Aids Since 1996, the Fife Folklore Archives at USU Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives has hosted online finding aids. Before we hosted our guides, we made sure that each included well defined descriptive matter. Descriptive matter for our finding aids include: Collection Overview Creator Title Dates Collection Number Quantity (size) Summary Repository Information Biographical Note/Historical Note Content Description (Scope & Content) Collection Use (Restrictions/preferred citation, etc.) Administrative Information (Provenance) Subjects (This came later...when we moved to EAD.) Collection Inventory (Container lists) Box Folder Item information/description

14. Online Finding Aids First efforts were encoded in HTML/PHP This afforded content access by search engines, like Google Easy to print register (for both in-house and patron use) Unique look to brand us But no archival standards—although we followed in house/SAA guidelines (defined descriptive matter) Online presence led to increased visibility of collections Australian mother seeks lullabies for her developmentally challenged child Researcher seeks folk song/citation information for Bob Dylan biography Cowboy poetry enthusiasts seek poems In-house use ease for researchers and SCA staff Increased reference services—mostly via web HTML PHP

15. USU Move to EAD In 2007-8 USU (along with others in the Mountain West Digital Library) began to encode and host finding aids in EAD. Encoded Archival Description (EAD) is an XML standard (set of rules) used to encode archival finding aids. EAD is maintained by the Library of Congress in partnership with the Society of American Archivists. Many repositories in the US, England, Australia and other places have adopted and implemented EAD. EAD originated in 1993 (1.0 version was released in 1998) at the University of California at Berkeley. The project's goal was to create a standard for describing collections held by archives and special collections, similar to the MARC standards for describing regular books.

16. EAD file in XML Finding aid text is encoded using EAD and XML markup so the finding aids can be shared, searched and viewed electronically. XML is the markup language that allows EAD files to be read and exchanged electronically. At USU we use Oxygen XML editor.

17. USU Move to EAD Through funding from a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant, in partnership with the Utah Manuscripts Association (UMA), USU was able to migrate 550 existing online registers to EAD. Folklore Manuscript Photographs Archives The move was exciting, but not without growing pains…

18. Challenges Problems using CONTENTdm software Lack of permanent URLs Unable to keep same URL if need to update finding aid Could not replace finding aid, had to reload as new object New object given a new URL URL recorded in catalog records, online references, etc., became broken links Limits on number of characters in a record Had to split large finding aids into multiple parts CONTENTdm EAD upload option inadequate Had to upload one file at a time Did not allow links to digitized content Did not import some needed EAD fields (bioghist, accessrestrict, etc.) Had to create our own program (actually a script) for uploading EAD files into CONTENTdm Program crosswalked EAD data into Dublin Core fields before uploading Made EAD data searchable in a Dublin Core metadata record Allowed us to link to a digitized content Allowed us to import batches of files rather than one file at a time Now working with NWDA to host EAD files, but will be harvested by MWDL Search engine (Google) issues Conversion Challenges For some partners, inconsistent descriptive matter complicated conversion into EAD and made outsourcing difficult

19. EAD Benefits Help standardize how archival information are represented & or presented in an electronic environment Enable effective searching & retrieval Display & exchange of the information contained in an archival aid Future migration potential/ease Participation in a regional/topical consortium Allows for more robust searching options (for directed researchers) Professional networking and collegial support William Osei-Poku, “Encoded Archival Description: EAD– INFO 653 Short Paper 2.” Selected Works: Bepress. http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=raspino&sei-redir=1#search=%22encoded+archival+description%22 http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=raspino&sei-redir=1#search=%22encoded+archival+description%22

20. USU EAD Portal digital.lib.usu.edu/ead.php

21. UTAH STATE ARCHIVES How We Did It

22. The Beginning EAD 1.0 (2000)  Conversion of hundreds of existing files  Software: XMetal, transformation to HTML pages and PDF for printing EAD 2002 (2008)  LSTA grant + development of new software

23. Processed Containers module Workspace for linking containers to location and describing contents “Automagical”

24. Output One-button generation Strange Characters Validation

25. Finding Aid Review According to Best Practice Guidelines  Adding o abstracts o browsing terms  Notes in right fields  Imported container lists

26. Uploading to MWDL Successes  Extraction script automating process  Sharing collections Challenges  Importing o File management – New and Replace  Updating o Avoiding duplicates

27. Online Everywhere Utah State Archives Website  Pages in Research sectionResearch section  Government Agency information Government Agency information Mountain West Digital Library Web/Google Searching

29. Digital Too Container list data digital metadata Links in container lists to digital objects

30. Being Analyzed ArchivesZ Project: Visualizing Archival Collections - What is in all those boxes? Data analysis in 2009 Data analysis  Collection size http://archivesz.org/

31. Outcomes 1,718 migrated  now 1,867 Most popular…  Top 5 rep. 10% of all views but there’s a “long tail…”

32. Take a Look! archives.utah.gov/research/inventories

33. COLLABORATING ON FINDING AIDS LSTA Project for creating EAD files and a statewide search portal

34. Utah Manuscripts Assn. LSTA Project Funding: Library Services and Technology Act grants program Timeframe: 2007-2008 Principal Investigator: Bradford Cole at Utah State University Library

35. Utah Manuscripts Assn. LSTA Project Brigham Young University Weber State University University of Utah Utah State University Utah State Archives Utah State History Six partners created EAD files:

36. Utah Manuscripts Assn. LSTA Project A local EAD collection

37. Utah Manuscripts Assn. LSTA Project Display of an EAD finding aid

38. Standardizing: EAD 2002 Schema See loc.gov/eadloc.gov/ead

39. Best Practice Guidelines See LSTA project wiki: lsta.lib.byu.edu lsta.lib.byu.edu

40. Encoding Tools Tool created by LSTA grant at U of U:  xEAD http:// lsta.lib.byu.edu http:// lsta.lib.byu.edu Other commercial tools:  Oxygen XML http://www.oxygenxml.com http://www.oxygenxml.com  Archivist’s Toolkit http://www.archiviststoolkit.org http://www.archiviststoolkit.org  AXAEM http://www.axaem.com http://www.axaem.com

41. xEAD Encoding tool from Univ. of Utah

42. EAD validation software BPGilyzer adapted by BYU

43. EAD uploading process for CONTENTdm Extraction of fields from EAD

44. XSL stylesheet for displaying EAD files

45. An EAD file in XML

46. Same file rendered for the Web with XSL

47. Training materials Procedures developed by U of U trainers

48. Local searching Weber State – search on phrase

49. Local searching Weber State

50. Local searching Weber State

51. Mountain West Digital Library Utah State University Brigham Young University Weber State University Utah State Archives Utah State History University of Utah Statewide search portal Harvest of metadata to central portal

52. Statewide search portal

55. Links back to local repository

56. Statewide search portal Portlet

57. Statewide search portal

60. New EAD collections Utah Valley University Library Westminster College, Giovale Library Salt Lake County Archives Open to you, too!

61. Mountain West Digital Library Repository hubs that are supporting EAD:  University of Utah, Marriott Library  Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library  Brigham Young University, Lee Library  Weber State University, Stewart Library  Utah Valley University Library  Utah State Archives To set up a partnership, contact Sandra McIntyre, sandra.mcintyre@utah.edusandra.mcintyre@utah.edu

62. Collaborating for the future Grant project was too short Need is expanding to many others More training needed Need economies of scale for tools and processes

63. New collaborative project proposed IMLS planning grant proposal, 01/2011  Principal investigator: Greg Thompson, U of U  Three multi-state EAD programs: o Mountain West Digital Library o Northwest Digital Archives o Rocky Mountain Online Archive  Planning for combined search capability and one set of tools (probably NWDA’s system)

64. WHAT HAVE I LEARNED? Utah Valley University

65. Most Important Points Finding aids, whether print or online, are essential for archival collection usability; Online finding aids will increase the visibility and “findability” of collections; Encoded Archival Description (EAD) is the accepted standard by which to put finding aids online; There are resources available for help and support!

66. Challenges Do I have the time to commit to learning and implemeting EAD?

67. Challenges EAD Software--Everyone uses something different!  xEAD?  XMetaL?  Archivist’s Toolkit?  oXygen?  AXAEM

68. Resources for Help Brigham Young University Weber State University University of Utah Utah State University Utah State Archives Utah State History Cooperative Effort among institutions, with help from LSTA Grant and Utah Manuscripts Assn., may help me also!

69. Resources For Help The Society of American Archivists has an EAD Help Page http://www.archivists. org/saagroups/ead/

70. Resources for Help So does the Library of Congress! http://www.loc.gov/ ead http://www.loc.gov/ ead

71. Resources for Help The Utah Manuscripts Association has a wiki http://lsta.lib.byu.edu

72. Resources for Help Utah Manuscripts Association EAD “Triage Team” Melissa Ferguson, current UMA President, mferguson@utah.gov  Gina Strack gmstrack@utah.govgmstrack@utah.gov  Cory Nimer cory.nimer@byu.educory.nimer@byu.edu  Gordon Daines gordon.daines@byu.edugordon.daines@byu.edu

73. Resources for Help Mountain West Digital Library digitization hubs at www.mwdl.org www.mwdl.org Repository hub managers can help answer basic questions and put you in touch with trainers

74. Is It Worth It? YES!!!

75. Presenters Catherine McIntyre, Utah Valley University (801) 863-8821 mcintyca@uvu.edumcintyca@uvu.edu Sandra McIntyre, Mountain West Digital Library (801) 585-0969 sandra.mcintyre@utah.edusandra.mcintyre@utah.edu Gina Strack, Utah State Archives (801) 531-3843 gmstrack@utah.govgmstrack@utah.gov Randy Williams, Utah State University (435) 797-3493 randy.williams@usu.edurandy.williams@usu.edu Endorsed & sponsored by: Archives, Manuscripts, and Special Collections (AMSC) Roundtable and Technical Services Roundtable