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Streamlining Archival Workflows: Archivists' Toolkit Overview

Explore the project objectives, software specifications, and application architecture for efficient archival processing. The toolkit supports EAD, METS, and EAC outputs with a focus on standardization and efficiency.

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Streamlining Archival Workflows: Archivists' Toolkit Overview

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  1. Archivists’ Toolkit Towards Streamlined Archival Workflow Lee Mandell Kelcy Shepherd Brian Stevens Brad Westbrook Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  2. Overview • Project Update • Project Objective and Staff • First year efforts • Goals for second year • Prospects beyond the grant period • AT Software Specification • Specification Framework • Specification Modules • Application architecture and technology • Demonstration example Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  3. Project Objectives • Digital tools to support archival processing in a manner that promotes efficiency and standardization • Focus on core archives functions of accessioning, resource description, subject and name management and application, and resource location • Support outputs such as EAD, EAC, METS, and various administrative reports Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  4. Project Team • Brian Schottlaender, UCSD, Co-Principal Investigator • Carol Mandel, NYU, Co-Principal Investigator • Brad Westbrook, Proj. Mgr & Spec Team Leader • Lee Mandell, NYU, Design Team Mgr • Kelcy Shepherd, Analyst • Brian Stevens, Analyst • Luc Declerck, UCSD, and David Ackerman, NYU, Administrative Oversight Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  5. Project Advisory Board • Robin Chandler, CDL • Michael Fox, MHS • Merrilee Proffitt, RLG • Richard Szary, Yale • Guenter Waibel, RLG • Beth Yakel, U Mich Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  6. Project Partners • Bates College • Five Colleges: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Hampshire College Archives, Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections, Smith College Archives & Sophia Smith Collection, & UMass-Amherst, Special Collections and Archives • NYC: The American Museum of Natural History, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, The Center for Jewish History, & Manhattan College • NYU: Fales Library, Tamiment Library, University Archives • UCSD: Mandeville Special Collections & SIO Archives Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  7. First Year Accomplishments • Functional Requirements Identified • Application Specification Composed • Design Team Manager Hired Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  8. Goals for Second Year • Build Prototype from AT Specification • Interface Design • Compose User Documentation • User Manual • Application Help Module • Installation Scripts • Test Application and Documentation • Functional Testing • Usability Testing • Formulate Business Plan • Release Tested Application Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  9. Prospects Beyond the Grant Period • Modular Design Architecture in Open Source Software • Possible Extensions include • More Robust Collection Management Module • Additional Tools to Support Ingest of Local Data • Extended Digital Object (Surrogate) Module • User Registration / Resource Use Module • Shared Development Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  10. Application Overview Brian StevensNew York University Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  11. Pieces Included in the Specification Overview • General Description • Product context • Software system • Context diagram • Application diagram • Software system attributes • Installation requirements • Performance requirements • Design constraints • Other requirements • User characteristics • Task list • Data flow diagram • Data dictionary Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  12. General Description • Problem Statement • Purpose of the Software Specification • Scope of the Archivists’ Toolkit • Glossary • Data Dictionary • References • Acknowledgements Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  13. The Toolkit Functions • integrate key functions in the archival descriptive cycle • ingest extant metadata about collections in the form of EAD finding aids and MARC records • use a relational database management system with Java Swing client user interface • be deployable in a range of archival repositories Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  14. Design Overview • Administration/Project Management • Ingest • Accession • Location • Names • Subjects • Audit • Search • Description Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  15. Task List • Prerequisites • Installation • Application / Project Management • Manage Records • Audit Trail • Record Navigation • Generate Report • Search Database Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  16. Application Software System • Software system attributes • Installation requirements • Performance requirements • Design constraints • Other requirements Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  17. Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  18. Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  19. Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  20. Functional Modules Kelcy Shepherd Five Colleges Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  21. Application/Project Management • Establish repository record • Manage users • Customize default fields, required fields, input forms • Create project definitions Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  22. Ingest Module • EAD version 1.0 and 2002 (XML) • MARC XML Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  23. Accession Module • Preliminary descriptive information • Some collection management fields • Descriptive and administrative outputs: • Accession record • Accession receipt • Acquisitions report • Processing reports • More… Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  24. Description Module • Archival resources and surrogates • Inputs based on DACS, ISAD(G) • Outputs: • MARC XML • MODS • Printed finding aids • More… • EAD • METS • Dublin Core • Collections guide Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  25. Location Module • For tracking “permanent” locations • Accommodate a range of practice • Outputs: • Location record • Shelf list • List of all locations for a resource Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  26. Names Module • Authority control for names (personal, family, and corporate/conference) • Includes fields for contact information, biographical/historical note • Supports see also and see references • Outputs: • Source record • Sources list • EAC record Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  27. Subject Module • Basic authority control for subjects • Can create records in advance or on an as-needed basis • Outputs: • Repository subject guide Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  28. Audit Tracking • Uniquely identifies each record • Allows repository to track creation and editing of records Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  29. Search Module • For moderated use in reference setting • Features: • Search for resource by resource ID, title, creator, or subject • Search for resources, resource components, surrogates, and surrogate components by keywords in title • Search for locations by resource ID Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  30. Archivists’ Toolkit: Application Architecture and Technology Lee Mandell, Design Team Manager Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  31. Back End (database) • Developed with mySQL • Will work with many SQL databases both open source and commercial • Partial list: DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, Informix, Ingres ... • Why SQL and not other technologies like xml and object databases? • Maturity of SQL databases • Likelihood of local IT departments having SQL expertise • Many existing open source projects to integrate into the projects. Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  32. Front End (Client) • Needs: Cross platform (Mac OSX, Windows 98+, Linux), open source, sophisticated user interface capabilities • Solution: Java desktop client • Many more user interface options than a web based client • Will run on any computer with Java 5 (1.5) installed • Client and database can be installed on the same computer or on different computers. • Single machine configuration • Local network configuration • Wide area network configuration Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  33. Open Source • SourceForge • Project will be listed by the end of the year. • Source code will be available in an early alpha version early next year for viewing only • When we enter beta testing we will be open to other developers joining the effort • Anyone will be able to download the source code and use it as they wish. • We hope a developer community will grow out of the project Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  34. The Great Divideor in technical termsThe Paradigm Mismatch Java Object Oriented Programming Language SQL Relational Database Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  35. HibernateA persistence layer • An open source project to bridge the differences between Java and relational databases • Saves us from rolling our own • Allows easy swapping of back end databases Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  36. A Live Demonstration Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

  37. http://archiviststoolkit.org/ Archivists' Toolkit - SAA Annual Meeting, August 20, 2005

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