Finding aids had been created using FileMaker Pro for the container lists and Microsoft Word for the front matter. Although the database format allowed for various searching options on the internet, the data required a lot of server space and patrons did not always understand how to properly use the search features. Finding aids based on EAD would produce one page documents that users could search without additional instructions, and the format would free up space on the Catholic University Libraries' server.
EAD finding aids are converted from XML into HTML using NoteTab and modified versions of the eadcbs6.xsl and dsc6.xsl stylesheets from the EAD 2002 Cookbook.
New EAD finding aids are created using modified versions of eadcorporateNT.xml and eadpersonNT.xml templates from the EAD 2002 Cookbook. Old finding aid container lists are converted from FileMaker Pro by exporting the container lists into XML, then using the "find and replace" tool in NoteTab to replace FileMaker XML tags with EAD XML tags. The front matter text from old finding aids is copied and pasted into the templates.