230 likes | 315 Views
The Archivists’ Toolkit. ECURE Presentation 28 Feb. 2006 Bradley Westbrook & Lee Mandell. Overview. Project objectives and overview Summary of application features Description of functional modules Application architecture and technology Demonstration example. Project Objectives.
E N D
The Archivists’ Toolkit ECURE Presentation 28 Feb. 2006 Bradley Westbrook & Lee Mandell Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Overview • Project objectives and overview • Summary of application features • Description of functional modules • Application architecture and technology • Demonstration example Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Project Objectives To build digital tools that will: • Support archival processing in a manner that promotes efficiency and standardization • Integrate key functions in the archival lifecycle: • Accessioning • Description • Subjects and name management • Location management • Produce outputs such as EAD, EAC, METS, MARCXML and various administrative outputs • Be deployable in a range of archival settings Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Project Team • Brian Schottlaender, UCSD, Co-Principal Investigator • Carol Mandel, NYU, Co-Principal Investigator • Brad Westbrook, UCSD, Proj. Mgr & Spec Team Leader • Lee Mandell, NYU, Design Team Mgr • Jason Varghese, NYU, Programmer • Kelcy Shepherd, FC, Analyst • Brian Stevens, NYU, Analyst • Luc Declerck, UCSD, and David Ackerman, NYU, Administrative Oversight Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Project Advisory Board • Robin Chandler, CDL • Michael Fox, MHS • Merrilee Proffitt, RLG • Richard Szary, Yale • Guenter Waibel, RLG • Beth Yakel, U Mich Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
First Year Accomplishments • Functional Requirements Identified • Application Specification Composed (http://archiviststoolkit.org/ATspecification/index.html) Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 (est. Nov. 2006) Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Application Features • Output neutral data • Modular • Customizable • Easy to use • Secure • Stand-alone or network • Context-sensitive help • Open source Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Design Overview • Administration/Project Management • Ingest • Accession • Description (Resources, Surrogates) • Names • Subjects • Location • Search Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Application/Project Management • Establish repository record • Manage users • Customize default fields, required fields, input forms • Create project definitions • Record Management / Tracking Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Ingest Module • EAD version 2002 • MARC XML parent records • MARC XML controlled headings • Accession data in delimited format Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Accession Module • Preliminary descriptive information • Some collection management fields • Descriptive and administrative outputs: • Accession record • Accession receipt • Acquisitions report • Processing reports • More… Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Description Module • Archival resources and surrogates • Inputs based on DA:CS, ISAD(G) • Outputs: • MARC XML • MODS • Printed finding aids • More… • EAD • METS • Dublin Core • Collections guide Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
Subject Module • Basic authority control for subjects • Can create records in advance or on an as-needed basis • Outputs: • Repository subject guide Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
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 - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
A Live Demonstration Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006
http://archiviststoolkit.org/ Archivists' Toolkit - ECURE Presentation, 28 Feb. 2006