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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A Unified Platform for Archival Description and Access. Christopher J. Prom, Christopher A. Rishel, Scott W. Schwartz, Kyle J. Fox Joint Conference on Digital Libraries Vancouver, BC, June 21, 2007 Presenter: Chris Prom ( prom@uiuc.edu ) Assistant University Archivist

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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  1. A Unified Platform for Archival Description and Access Christopher J. Prom, Christopher A. Rishel, Scott W. Schwartz, Kyle J. Fox Joint Conference on Digital Libraries Vancouver, BC, June 21, 2007 Presenter: Chris Prom (prom@uiuc.edu) Assistant University Archivist University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign www.archon.org University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2. Overview • Why does this software exist? • What does it do—what is new about it? • How do I implement it? (semi-technical) • What have we learned/what are our next steps? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  3. Why Archon?—The Problem • To meet a need: unified platform for description and access—A ‘good enough’ tool. • To implement idea of archival provenance—grouping by function or creator • To reduce or eliminate training • Typical EAD implementations undermine workflows, exacerbate backlogs, and frustrate users • Our EAD/XML experience . . . • The target market University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  4. Web-based Access from any computer Integrated access system staff editing fully integrated with public website Output flexibility Search Browse (creator, title, subject/function, record group, digital object title) EAD MARC Other formats can be defined (OAI, METS) in archon/styles folder Requires no knowledge of XML; integrated help system But supports all relevant archival descriptive standards (EAD, DACS) Basic Characteristics University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  5. Browse • Search • Description • Link to finding aid • Subject links • Digital object access • Creator authorities Provenance/breadcrumb trail University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  6. Provenance-Based Browsing Browse by creating office, function, or other ‘classification’ defined by repository University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  7. Digital Archives/Library Link to collection Links to creator, subjects not shown (below fold) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  8. Authenticated (staff) view of public website (edit pencils) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  9. Staff users Logging in Editing Modify collection record Filtering/ adding subject term Defining new creator Content manger Linking/uploading digital object User permissions Setting a new style University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  10. Collection Manager—for ‘collection level’ description University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  11. Filtering and linking creator authorities, subject files, etc ‘Filter and link’ method used for creators, subjects, genres, languages University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  12. Content Manager Used to create finding aids/box and folder lists University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  13. Other areas of description available in collection manager Listing Locations University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  14. Implementation • Requirements, Installation • Uses widely-supported web technologies: • Any web server with PHP 5.0 or higher • A blank MySQL or MSSQL database with network connection • Optimized for LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) • Visual Basic install packet; define database name, login, pswd, webserver address, upload directory or FTP site; can also install manually. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  15. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  16. Documentation and API • Illustrated System Administrator and User Manuals • API fully documented via php documentor • Object-oriented, correspondence between database and class/object/variable names • Class ARCHON has system-level functions, to process arrays, etc. • BUT. . . most customizations never touch the Archon API itself; few implementing institutions or developers will need to be aware of it beyond calling functions University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  17. Database Server (MySQL & MSSQL currently supported) queries responses Database Module (translates queries to specific syntax) Application Programming Interface (PHP 5.0 scripts, objects, functions, SQL queries) Administrative Interface (collects data) Public Interface (output templates) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  18. Basic system administration • takes place in web client • User/usergroup manager • Data import/export (SQL script, MARC, EAD) • ‘Archon Configuration’ • Select default style, template set • Set messages • Enable provenance browsing • Session killer University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  19. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  20. Output customization • Takes place on web server • Customize output via Styles folder (will be Themes in next release) • Templates: for more complex changes • Database admin takes place via standard client such as phpMyAdmin University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  21. Template modification (output customization) Use standard php and html, referencing archon objects Sample objects: $objCollection->Scope $objCollection->Extent $objCollection-> LocationEntries $_ARCHON->Security ->isAuthenticated() University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  22. Future Directions, 1 • Archon 2.0 (Summer 2007) • ‘Languages manager’/ interface customization • Cart function • New output templates, accessibility guidelines and better usability • Modularization; code divided into ‘core’ area and packages for extensibility University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  23. Future directions, 2 • Research issues • User annotation system for collections and digital objects, ‘web 2.0’ type features • UI improvements, based on analytics study and evaluation phases • Digital preservation/curation features • Other features • Integrate OAI data provider • Expand digital library • Libraries to enable access to external digital libraries • Building an implementer community

  24. A Unified Platform for Archival Description and Access Christopher J. Prom, Christopher A. Rishel, Scott W. Schwartz, Kyle J. Fox Joint Conference on Digital Libraries Vancouver, BC, June 21, 2007 Presenter: Chris Prom (prom@uiuc.edu) Assistant University Archivist University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign www.archon.org University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  25. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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