Descriptive Notes
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The Newsletter of the Description Section of the Society of American Archivists |
Summer 2004 |
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From the Chair Chris Prom
I'm thankful to the members of the section for the chance
to serve as chair over the past year, and especially to members of the steering
committee and section leadership—Kelcy Shepherd, John Rees, Diane Ducharme,
Tara Zachary Laver, Mary Lacy, and Ann Hodges.
Their work on behalf of the section has been a key to our success over
the past year.
In case you haven't looked at the description section
website, lately, Diane has redone it in fine fashion. Kelcy has been busy putting together a great finding aids fair
regarding approaches to describing unprocessed collections and making
information about them available to our users.
And John's steady leadership as newsletter editor is well worthy of
praise.
You won't want to miss the section meeting Friday
morning in Boston. We'll be receiving
updates from Kris Keisling on the publication of Describing Archives: A Content
Standard and on the Archivist Toolkit Project, as well as the progress of EAC.
These are all developments we need to follow closely. In addition, we can look forward to a program by Jerry Simmons
and Patti Williams describing their use of authority control in non-MARC
systems.
It is a very exciting time to be an archivist, and
description is where much of the action is happening. See you in Boston!
Section Meeting Agenda
Fri., Aug 6
8:30-10:30 am
I. Welcome from the Chair
II. Section Reports
Descriptive
Notes - John Rees
Section
Web Site - Diane Ducharme
Finding
Aids Fair - Kelcy Shepherd
II. Reports from SAA
Committees and Liaisons
EAD Working Group - Kris Kiesling
DACS - Kiesling
SAA Technical Subcommittee on Descriptive Standards (TSDS) - Brad Westbrook
Encoded Archival Context - Daniel Pitti
US MARC Advisory Board (MARBI) - Michael Fox
ICA Committee on Descriptive Standards - Fox
OCLC - Pam Kircher
RLG - Anne Van Camp/Merrilee Proffit
ALA Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access (CC:DA) - Susan Hamburger
Archivist Toolkit Project - Westbrook
ALEPH - Bob Sink
2005 Annual Meeting - Elizabeth
Kaplan/Kathy Marquis
2003 sessions sponsored by Description Section - Chris Prom
Ideas for 2004 program sessions - Kelcy Shepherd
VI. Election of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect (results announced at the end of
the program)
VII. Program
C. Jerry Simmons from NARA will describe how its ARC
system mixes topical subject thesauri and corporate name authority files drawn
from multiple sources. One major challenge is meshing controlled vocabularies
of differing formats and creators together in one system and in a single
catalog record. Other challenges for this indexing approach include training
the "description archivists," specificity and context issues without
pre-coordinated subject headings, and applying MARC21-style authority control
in a system that isn't MARC compliant.
Patricia Williams of the National Air and Space Museum
will then cover the evolution of non-LC subject headings used in cataloging
NASM’s archival collections. She will highlight the application of NASM's
recently published The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Directory
of Airplanes: Their Designers and Manufacturers and NASM's plans to convert
the vocabulary into a database appropriate for inclusion in the Smithsonian's
SIRIS database of archival holdings.
Section Endorsed
Sessions
12. MARC and EAD: Making Archival Surrogates Usable
and Accessible
Thurs., Aug. 5
3:45-5:125 pm
The Internet has increased
publicly available information concerning archival collections. But has this made
them more accessible? “Accessibility” refers to cognitive accessibility and the
knowledge researchers require for utilizing Web-based archival information
effectively. This session presents the results of usability tests on the
ability of undergraduates, genealogists, academic scholars, and librarians to
make use of MARC records and EAD finding aids. Findings discussed will include
search patterns, interface design, archival terminology, and navigation.
13. Facilitating Description:
Developing Standard Series
Thursday, August 5
3:45-5:15 pm
Developing standard series
description helps solve a variety of challenges faced by the modern archivist.
Effective resource allocation, streamlining processing, assisting appraisal,
and translating technical language to various researcher audiences are but a
few. One archivist will discuss the successful application of the standard
series paradigm and how it can be applied across the archival enterprise. Two
archivists will then explore their experiences developing common series
description for engineering, science faculty, and biomedical scientist papers.
31. The Perfect Is the Enemy of the Good: Re-thinking
the Problem of Backlogs
Fri. Aug., 6
2:00-3:30 pm
Almost every archives faces
the never-ending problem of backlogs of unprocessed and under-processed
materials. The presenters will describe initiatives that address the backlog
problem by reporting on a survey methodology used to set processing priorities
and develop processing plans; a strategy used to determine appropriate levels
of arrangement and description for backlogged collections; and the Association
of Research Libraries’ “Exposing Hidden Collections” initiative, a
profession-wide effort to develop new approaches to reducing backlogs.
40. EAD Outsourcing: The Nitty Gritty of Working with
Encoding Vendors
Fri., Aug. 6
4:00-5:30 pm
Many repositories are finding
the use of vendors for the EAD encoding of finding aids a financially viable
proposition. Balancing limited resources for in-house encoding can be daunting.
Panelists in this session—through brief presentations and round-robin
discussion—will address topics such as vendor encoding processes; factors that
influence quality and pricing; implementing encoding specifications; and pre-
and post-vendor processes, such as in-house quality control. Audience questions
and participation are encouraged.
41. Pursuing Our Own Pasts: Archives and
History
Fri., Aug. 6
4:00-5:30 pm
In the late 20th century the archival profession in America developed an identity increasingly distant from its roots in the academic history discipline. How, in the 21st century, do we understand the intersections between archives and history? Are archives historical? What are the implications of the technical turn in archival work? This session will address these questions, probe our professional past, and provide historical perspective on what it means to be an archivist today.
Also Of Interest …
59. All for
One and One for All? Cataloging All Kinds of Collections in One System
Sat., Aug. 7
1:00-2:30 pm
Historically libraries, archives, and museums (even within one institution) had their own cataloging systems and some level of standards. Material was often thought to be unique and different and was, therefore, cataloged differently. With the Web, there is a growing trend to have all kinds of collections, collectively viewed as “cultural resources,” housed in one catalog. The speakers will look at the pros and cons of “unified” cataloging and consider relevant questions.
Technical Subcommittee on Descriptive Standards
Wed., August 4
1:00 PM-4:00 pm
Standards
Committee
Wed., Aug. 4
10:00-12:00 pm
Sat., Aug. 6
8:00-9:30 am
EAD Working
Group
Sun., Aug. 7
9:00-12:00 am
Finding Aids Fair 2004
Backlog on
the Front Burner
Join us in Boston for the annual Description Section
Finding Aids Fair, "Backlog on the Front Burner: Arrangement and
Description Strategies for Unprocessed Collections." The Finding Aids Fair
will be open in the Exposition Hall Friday, August 6, 2004, from 7:30 a.m. to
7:30 p.m. Members of the Description Section will be available at the Fair
periodically throughout the day.
This year's theme focuses on a variety of approaches
for dealing with processing backlogs. Strategies include improving access to
information about unprocessed collections, redefining processing to include the
concepts of partial or minimal processing, and implementing arrangement and
description at varying levels as appropriate to the collection. Finding aids
will include accession lists, collection level catalog records for unprocessed
materials, and examples of collection and series level description.
Archivists have faced the problem of processing
backlogs for decades. Recent research and collaborative initiatives have once
again drawn attention to so-called "hidden collections" in archives
and special collections. The Fair will highlight these efforts and the day to
day strategies of a diversity of repositories.
If you're one of the lucky few with no unprocessed
collections, take the day off! But if you're among the majority of archivists
dealing with a backlog, stop by the Finding Aids Fair to learn practical approaches
for addressing these issues. If you've developed a strategy of your own, please
submit a sample finding aid and a brief description of your methods.
To submit entries, please contact:
Kelcy Shepherd
Vice Chair, Description Section
Five College Project Archivist
University of Massachusetts Amherst
kshepher@library.umass.edu
413-545-6844
Metadata Minute
John Rees, Newsletter Editor
Rather than write a
full-blown article for this issue, I have cobbled together some topics that crossed
my desk in the past few months that had a direct impact on my day-to-day work.
First, NLM’s Web Archives
went live in May, in co-ordination with the launch of our web redesign (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/archives.html).
All new pages display document category and permanence level information in the
footer. Also, users of the Search the Site function now have an “Archives”
results folder that contains previous versions of updated pages that fit our
permanence selection criteria. Metadata-generated links take users between
current and older versions of the document. Finally, our Technical Services
Division is creating MARC records for all permanent resources and adding
extended cataloging metadata, such as authorized name versions and controlled
subject terms, back into the HTML headers. The process is very labor intensive
so don’t let anyone convince you (esp. vendors) they have a turnkey solution to
your electronic resource management and preservation!
As part of our future plans
for archiving non-HTML documents, I have learned a lot about JPEG 2000. The
future replacement for the JPEG image standard, it completely changes the
way images are produced, described, processed and stored. At the heart of
the technology are the 7 information “boxes” that comprise the total file.
Two of the three optional boxes are of particular interest to us: IPR and
XML boxes. Using the IPR option, creators can imbed intellectual property
controls within the file. Likewise with the XML box, creators can imbed XML
schemes within the image file, such as an EAD instance. The University of
Connecticut is currently engaged in an application wherein EAD DAO groups
link to a JPEG2000 file that contains the <c0x>-level encoding within
the XML box (http://charlesolson.uconn.edu/Works_in_the_Collection/Melville_Project/IST_Paper3.pdf).
Not only is the image better described from a technological standpoint, but
it now carries the entire context of the EAD instance with it! Who said EAD
is a dead horse….
Second, the recently released report for the
ERPANET/CODATA seminar on the Selection, Appraisal and Retention of Digital
Scientific Data (http://www.erpanet.org/www/products/lisbon/LisbonReportFinal.pdf)
has some interesting things to say about the reusability of electronic data.
Most of us understand the difficulties associated with selection and
preservation of these resources, but others are now becoming concerned that the
data is unusable outside the creating disciplines. Throughout the meeting
participants urged the need to better capture the contexts in which data is
created. We may not know the future uses to which the data will be put and it
is essential to capture contextual details to maximize future value. It is
great to see two disparate communities, scientists and archivists, come
together and discover they have a common interest.
Finally,
I am sure many of us read Herbert von de Sompel’s announcement of the mod_oai
Apache software module project (http://www.modoai.org/). The project’s
exciting goal is to expose content accessible in Apache Web servers via the
Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). The
unfortunate part of the announcement is its brevity. The web site does not offer any more
details, so I guess we will have to wait.
News Notes
ALEPH ILS Archival Accessioning Module
Robert Sink,
Center for Jewish History
The Center is
implementing its first ILS and Ex Libris has created an accessioning module for
us. It’s not perfect, but it may be the
only major ILS vendor that offers such functionality.
The module was
not constructed from scratch, but rather takes the existing acquisitions
functionality and adjusts it to archival needs. Since this Archival GUI (as
it’s called) tweaks existing tables, it is not ideal but seems to meet 70-80%
of our needs for accessioning archival collections. Some refer to it as the
Donor GUI since the adjustments were made to accommodate donations rather than
fit archival gifts into the Vendor/Price model used for acquiring books.
Although some of it is designed to handle tasks specific to the Center, they
tried to keep the needs of other archives in mind as development progresses. Ex
Libris promises to make the Archival GUI “supportable” (i.e., provide support
for it out of the Chicago office), “reproducible” (make it available to other
clients), and “upgradeable” (provide an upgrade path going forward). The
Archival GUI is nearing its final form, and more information will be shared
when it is completed. For those of you attending the North American ALEPH Users
Group (NAAUG), Sink will show the current version of the Archival GUI at a
session at 1:45 PM on Tuesday June 15th.
Also, several
colleagues expressed an interest in creating an ALEPH Users Round Table within
SAA. Sink drew up a mission statement for such a group and is collecting the
names of 20 members as required by SAA for forming such groups. He hopes to
have the group established in time to meet at this year’s conference.
Archives of American
Mathematics Finding Aids
The AAM at the Center for American History on The
University of Texas at Austin campus has placed over 60 of its finding aids on
the Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO) web site (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/index.html).
The Center for American History is a special collections
library, archive, and museum that facilitates research and sponsors programs
on the history of the United States. The Center supports research and education
by acquiring, preserving, and making available research collections and by
sponsoring exhibitions, conferences, symposia, oral
Persons interested in conducting research or donating materials or who
have general questions about the AAM should contact Kristy Sorensen, Archivist,
k.sorensen@mail.utexas.edu, (512) 495-4539. More information about the AAM,
including links to our finding aids can be found here:
http://www.cah.utexas.edu/collectioncomponents/math.html
Old is New Again at PSU
Sue Hamburger, Manuscripts
Cataloging Librarian
The recently processed
Mortlake Collection of English Life and Letters, 1591-1963, is described using
the calendar method.
Because Harold Mortlake
collected signatures, letters, and documents on a piecemeal basis, rather than
describing it only to the series level, Hamburger decided to revert to
manuscripts tradition and do a calendared folder listing by name with brief
descriptions of the contents. She’s
already had one researcher ask for the letters mentioning Charles Dickens.
The finding aid is available
online at
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/FindingAids/mortlake.html.
EAD at University of Minnesota
Leslie Czechowski, Archivist
The University of Minnesota
Special Collections and Archives has embarked on an EAD implementation project.
The
project will run from March 2004-June 2005.
The project has three main parts: Train staff to implement EAD as part of
their regular descriptive practice; Encode legacy finding aids; Selection and
implementation of delivery mechanism.
Visit http://wiki.lib.umn.edu/Staff/FindingAidsInEADfor project details, helper files, progress reports and links to completed finding aids, of course!
Describing Archives: A Content
Standard (DACS)
The much anticipated release of the new content standard for describing archival materials will occur at this year’s annual meeting. Kris Kiesling will spend some time during the Description Section meeting discussing the work and its application. DACS is the result of several years’ work that originated as the joint US-Canadian CUSTARD project. Irreconcilable differences led to the dissolution of that project, however the US team continued its work towards this new content standard with fruitful accomplishments.
CUSTARD U.S. members:
Michael Fox
Steve Hensen
Lynn Holdzkom
Margit Kerwin
Kris Kiesling
Bill Landis
Lydia Reid
The manual will be on sale for the first time at the SAA Publications booth.
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Vice-Chair/Chair Elect Candidate
At press, the one reluctant nominee to come forward is John Rees. Other nominations will be heard at the Section meeting.
Brief bio: Since 2000, John has been Associate Curator of Modern Manuscripts at the National Library of Medicine where he supervises all processing, description and cataloging activities. He is also a member of the NLM’s Electronic Archive Working Group and Metadata Committee. He previously worked at the Library of Virginia (1993-1995; 1997-1999) as an archivist and manuscripts cataloger, at the Center for American History, University of Texas-Austin, and for a private antiquarian book dealer in Austin. He has a MLIS from UT-Austin, a MA in Southern Studies from Ole Miss and a BA in American History from Mary Washington College. A member of SAA since 1995, he has edited the Description Section newsletter since 2003.
Beantown Beckons!!!
Description Section Meeting,
Friday, August 6th, 8:30-10:30 AM