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Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description

Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description. CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN HCI-PSAR Project Surveyor. Item vs. Collection. Dear Chas: Yours, John. Dear John: Yours, Chas. Dear Chas: Yours, John. All images from http://openclipart.org.

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Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description

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  1. Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN HCI-PSAR Project Surveyor

  2. Item vs. Collection Dear Chas: Yours, John. Dear John: Yours, Chas. Dear Chas: Yours, John. All images from http://openclipart.org

  3. Key Concepts for Archival Description Provenance and Original Order Hierarchical Arrangement and Description Metadata Standards

  4. Provenance and Original Order • Provenance: keep documents grouped into collections by creator • Original order: respect original order established by creator [note: rule doesn’t extend to original DISorder] Dear Chas: Yours, John. Dear John: Yours, Chas. Dear Chas: Yours, John.

  5. Hierarchical Organization and Description • Series I. Correspondence • Subseries A. Personal correspondence [Note: Letters are arranged in chronological order] • Subseries B. Business correspondence [Note: Letters are arranged in alphabetical order by sender] • Series II. Photographs • Subseries A. Family photographs • Subseries B. Nature photographs • Folder 1. Wissahickon Creek photographs • Folder 2. Photographs of birds • Folder 3. Garden photographs

  6. Metadata: “Data About Data” Important for Archival Description Recommended Additional Metadata • Collection number/ID • Name of repository • Title of collection • Dates of collection • Extent (size) of collection • Name of creator • Scope and contents note • Conditions governing access • Language of materials • Source of acquisition • Biographical/historical note • Subjects (“access points" or keywords and names) • Shelf location • Related archival materials • Other finding aids • Cataloger • Condition (private)

  7. Using PastPerfect for Archival Description

  8. PastPerfect Pros and Cons Pros Cons • Good for museum/item description • Unified catalog • Loans, development, other modules built in • Widely used by small history orgs and approved by AASLH • Easy add-on digital exhibition module • Not ideal for archival description • Relatively inexpensive, but not free: $870 , or discounted to $696 for AASLH members ($115 to join AASLH)

  9. Item-level cataloging sometimes makes sense in archives, e.g. for photographs

  10. In archival description...Collection is King Start by creating a record for the COLLECTION as a whole! Adding lower-level description is optional depending on the complexity and importance of the collection

  11. Open Archives Catalog and Add New Record

  12. Basic Information and Identity Statement Tab

  13. Lower-Level Description Lower-level description is not necessary, but it is recommended for complex and/or important collections

  14. Lower-Level Description in PastPerfect Container List Linked Records • Simple to use • Printed report is more straightforward • Only allows one level of hierarchy • Limited metadata (description) options • More complicated • Printed report can be confusing • Unlimited hierarchy levels • As many metadata options as at collection level

  15. Nuclear Option Word-Processor Archivists’ Toolkit • You’re already an expert • Already set-up • Free to format however you would like • Unlimited hierarchy and metadata possible • Easy to post online but not on PACSCL website • Easy to use once you get the hang of it • Set-up may require IT assistance • Proper format built-in • Unlimited hierarchy and metadata possible • Generates file type for PACSCL website

  16. Container List Two hierarchy levels Minimal description at lower levels Comfortable, but not expert with PastPerfect

  17. Container List Step 1

  18. Container List Step 2

  19. Container List Report

  20. Linked Records More than two hierarchy levels Maximal description at lower levels Expert with PastPerfect

  21. General Pointers for Linked Records • Stay in the Archives Catalog • Recommend multi-part Object ID (collection=PM.01; series=PM.01.A; etc.) • Enter the unit level (e.g., "Series," "Sub-series," "File") as object name • Don’t repeat metadata info that already exists at higher level (such as Language, Creator, etc.) • Fill in the Collection name at the top of the screen; this will make it easier to use the browse view • You need to create lower level records and link UP through the hierarchy

  22. Example of Lower Level Record

  23. How to Link a Record 3. Click the “Create Link” button

  24. Linked Records Report

  25. External Finding Aid Format conducive to archival description Don’t mind juggling two programs

  26. Attach External Finding Aid to Collection Record in PastPerfect .

  27. Link to Online Finding Aid in PastPerfect Collection Record

  28. Word Processor

  29. Archivists’ Toolkit

  30. ArchivesSpace

  31. Resources

  32. Archival Description with PastPerfect • Witt, Betsy S., Jennifer C. Whitfield, and Adam J. Stepansky. PastPerfect Software for Museum Collections, Version 5 User’s Guide, 3rd edition. PastPerfect Software, Inc., 2011. http://www.museumsoftware.com/userguide.shtml. • University of Maryland, Baltimore County Special Collections, Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery. Archives Processing Manual: Description. 2010. https://wiki.umbc.edu/download/attachments/11437110/UMBCProcessing_Description.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1279567785000.

  33. General Archival Description • Kathleen D. Roe, Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts (Archival Fundamentals Series II; Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2005) • David W. Carmicheal, Organizing Archival Records: A Practical Method of Arrangement & Description for Small Archives (2nd edition; Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2004) • Yale University-Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Archival Processing Manual (1997; http://www.library.yale.edu/beinecke/manuscript/process/index.html).

  34. Archivists’ Toolkit • http://www.archiviststoolkit.org/ • Using AT: Holly Mengel and Courtney Smerz, Hidden Collections Processing Project Guide to the Archivists’ Toolkit (http://clir.pacscl.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/PACSCL_Archivists_Toolkit_Guide.pdf) • Installing AT: Holly Mengel and Courtney Smerz, Installing the Archivists’ Toolkit and MySQL and Connecting the Two (http://clir.pacscl.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/install_MySQL_AT.pdf • Stay tuned for ArchivesSpace: www.archivesspace.org

  35. Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN Project Surveyor Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories Historical Society of Pennsylvania ccaustellenbogen@hsp.org http://www.hsp.org/hcipsar

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