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Basic Encoded Archival Description. METRO New York Library Council Workshop. Presented by Lara Nicosia December 9, 2011 New York, NY. What is EAD?. Image Source: Syracuse University Special Collections Research Center. Timeline. 1993 – University of California, Berkeley
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Basic Encoded Archival Description METRO New York Library Council Workshop Presented by Lara Nicosia December 9, 2011 New York, NY
What is EAD? Image Source: Syracuse UniversitySpecial Collections Research Center
Timeline • 1993 – University of California, Berkeley • Started with SGML, FINDAID DTD (1995) • 1995 – Finding Aids Conference • 1996 – “Beta” version of EAD DTD (Sep) • 1998 – EAD DTD 1.0 released • 2002 – EAD DTD 2002 • 2013 – EAD DTD revision
What is EAD? • International standard • XML-based • Platform-neutral • Intellectual content, not presentation • Compatible with a variety of formats • Increased usability
Alphabet Soup Data Structure Data Content Data Values Prescribe specific terms… LCSH – subject headings LCNAF – personal and corporate names MeSH – subject headings AAT – genres and forms ISO-639.2 – languages ISO-8601 – nominalized dates How it is expressed or stored… EAD – finding aids EAC – persons, corporations, families MARC – OPAC records METS – metadata for digital library objects MODS – bibliographic metadata What to include… Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) International Standard for Archival Description (ISAD) FGDC-STD-001-199 (geospatial metadata) ISO-999 (content, organization, and presentation of indexes)
Markup Language Basic Encoded Archival Description Metro NY Library Council Lara Nicosia Rochester Institute of Technology ldnwml@rit.edu <title>Basic Encoded Archival Description</title> <sponsor>Metro NY Library Council</sponsor> <presenter> <name>Lara Nicosia</name> <institution>Rochester Institute of Technology</institution> <contact>ldnwml@rit.edu</contact> </presenter>
Markup Language • XML = Extensible Markup Language • Tag structure: Elements and attributes Element Attribute <persname role=“creator”>
Element Structure <persname role=“creator”>John Steinbeck</persname> Start Tag Element End Tag <lb></lb> OR <lb />
Nesting Elements <physdesc><extent>2 linear feet</extent><physdesc> <physdesc><extent>2 linear feet</physdesc></extent>
Basic Rules of XML • Elements must have a closing tag • <unittitle></unittitle> OR <lb /> • Tags are case sensitive • <persname> NOT <PersName> • Elements must be nested properly • <physdesc><extent></extent></physdesc> • Attribute values must be quoted • <unitdate type=“inclusive”>
Alphabet Soup Data Structure Data Content Data Values Prescribe specific terms… LCSH – subject headings LCNAF – personal and corporate names MeSH – subject headings AAT – genres and forms ISO-639.2 – languages ISO-8601 – nominalized dates How it is expressed or stored… EAD – finding aids EAC – persons, corporations, families MARC – OPAC records METS – metadata for digital library objects MODS – bibliographic metadata What to include… Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) International Standard for Archival Description (ISAD) FGDC-STD-001-199 (geospatial metadata) ISO-999 (content, organization, and presentation of indexes)
Alphabet Soup <unitdate normal=“1910/1940”>1910-1940</unitdate> • DACS Date • ISO-8601 Normalize (i.e. 1910/1940) • EAD unitdate <persname source=“lcnaf”>Smith, John</unitdate> • DACS Creator • LCNAF Controlled value (i.e. Smith, John) • EAD persname
Parts of an XML Document • Declaration • <?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8” ?> • Version of XML • Document Type Declaration • <!DOCTYPEead SYSTEM “ead.dtd”> • Constraints of the document • Root element • <ead>
Root Element - <ead> • Sole parent element of all other elements • Contains all other elements • Can only be one instance per document • Must be present
Sample Document Structure <?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8” ?> <!DOCTYPEead PUBLIC “+//ISBN 1-931666-00-8//DTD ead.dtd Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002//EN” “ead.dtd”> <ead> all other tags… </ead>
Parts of an EAD Document • <eadheader> - Information about the finding aid (e.g data encoded, title, etc.) • <archdesc> - Information about the collection (e.g. scope, inventory, etc.) • <did> - collection-level description • <dsc> - detailed inventory of the contents (i.e. box, folder, or item-level description)
EAD Structure <eadheader> (finding aid) <archdesc> (collection) <controlaccess> Access points such as subject headings <dsc> Inventorty list of collection materials
<eadheader> • <eadid> - unique code for EAD document (e.g. rit0001) • <filedesc> - wraps bibliographic information about finding aid • <titlestmt> - wraps information about finding aid title and author • <titleproper> - finding aid title (e.g. Guide to the Susan Bevier papers)
<archdesc> • <did> - wraps core information about materials • <head> - caption/title for the finding aid section • <origination> - party responsible for creation of collection • <unittitle> - title of described materials • <physdesc> - information about appearance of described materials (e.g. 2 linear feet) • <repository> - body providing intellectual access • <abstract> - brief summary of described materials
Style Sheets • Determine presentation • Enhance readability • Display/hide information Check out some of the free style sheets available on the web!
Inventory List • Component, level 1 (c01) • Level information (did) • Title of series (unittitle) • Component, level 2 (c02) • Level information (did) • Title of subseries (unittitle) • Component, level 3 (c03) • Level of information (did) • Title of box, folder, materials(unittitle) • Date of materials (unitdate) • Container number (i.e. box, folder) (container)
Inventory List <c01> <c02> <c03></c03> <c03> <c04></c04> </c03> </c02> </c01>
Getting Started • Develop a plan • Start with what you already have • Use resources that are already available • Recruit talent • Establish a workflow
Maintaining a Standard • Establish Best Practice Guidelines • Create a detailed manual • Develop a template • Use comments to add notes and document changes • Train other staff members • Professional staff, paraprofessionals, interns, students, volunteers…