cataloguing and data sharing: getting the most out of archives management software joanna rae ellen...
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Cataloguing and Data Sharing: Getting the Most Out of Archives Management Software Joanna Rae
Ellen Bazeley-WhiteBritish Antarctic Survey
High Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge, CB3 0ET
[email protected] 221400
IntroductionThis poster outlines the work of a project to develop Modes Complete cataloguing software to meet the needs of archivists wanting to make use of shared data portals. The latest version of the software (XML based and already popular in the museum world) provides excellent tools for managing mixed collections in environments where packages such as CALM and Adlib are not appropriate. Led by archivists from the British Antarctic Survey and Scott Polar Research Institute, working with Modes developers, the aim is to capitalise on the low-cost/high functionality of Modes Complete, whilst enabling one-click data exchange with other systems and data portals such as the Archives Hub.
Project Partners
British Antarctic Survey Archives Service - http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/archives
Scott Polar Research Institute – http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/library/archives/
Modes User Association – http://www.modes.org.uk/
Working with a small group of archives services interested in the development
For more information: Email: [email protected]
A selection of records from the archives
The Challenges
Completed•Agree sub-set of the standard Modes Complete XML data elements for archival descriptions
In Progress•Map the elements to ISAD(G), Archives Hub, EAD, INSPIRE•Create standard data entry templates & example records (for different levels and types of document) •Develop ability to browse by archival hierarchy•Develop Open Linked Data
To Do•Create one-click export for bulk upload to Archives Hub (already exists for export of museum data to the Culture Grid)•Start a specialist user group for archivists – an email liaison group exists•Create standard views and reports
Screen shot showing export method for exchange with Culture Grid
•Limited financial resources for archive software•Mixed collections - advantages of using a single cataloguing system•Compliance with a variety of descriptive standards e.g. ISAD, EAD, ISO19115, Spectrum•Increasing need to exchange data with a variety of other systems for different purposes and provide open linked data
• Archive descriptions for Archives Hub• Science data descriptions for data management portals
•Easy, quick data entry and searching/browsing functions•Easy access to digital objects - images, documents, video, audio files•Access external and in-house term lists and validation rules to standardise data entry•Online public access to database
Modes complete meets most of these and is already used by British Antarctic Survey and Scott Polar Research Institute.
Culture Grid – Already Only a Click Away from any Modes Database
The Culture Grid is the museum world’s equivalent of the Archives Hub. A standard Modes report (an XSLT style sheet) takes data from predetermined ‘fields’ in the database and embeds them in an xml document, structured to present the data as required for import to the Grid. The resulting file is emailed.
The same methodology will export data to the Archives Hub – development to be started soon.
Project Targets and Progress
Photograph and map catalogue entries with linked image - shown
enlarged on split screen
Scott Polar Research Institute
New hierarchical navigation view. Under development – test data! Can be linked to the data entry screen for reference when entering data
Existing Modes hierarchical browse view