Download - Hub and Spokes Development June07
The Archives HubThe Archives Hub
The service, the users, and The service, the users, and the development of the the development of the distributed Archives Hubdistributed Archives Hub
Jane StevensonMIMAS
University of Manchester
Archives HubArchives Hub A union catalogue for archives held in A union catalogue for archives held in
universities, colleges and other organisations universities, colleges and other organisations throughout the UKthroughout the UK
Funded by the JISCFunded by the JISC
Now holds c.20,000 finding aids from 150 Now holds c.20,000 finding aids from 150 institutionsinstitutions
Funded for academics and students (JISC), but Funded for academics and students (JISC), but free to access for allfree to access for all
One of a range of national services provided by One of a range of national services provided by MIMAS at the University of ManchesterMIMAS at the University of Manchester
MethodologyMethodology
Responsibility for creating descriptions Responsibility for creating descriptions has always been with the institutionshas always been with the institutions
Raw materials are text files structured Raw materials are text files structured according to the international archival according to the international archival XML standard EADXML standard EAD
Hub Hub online templateonline template
Data qualityData quality
Data EditorData Editor
Data creation guidelinesData creation guidelines– 'For Archivists''For Archivists'
Contributors' trainingContributors' training
Indexing standardsIndexing standards– Subject finderSubject finder
Hub usersHub users
Origin of Archives Hub users, March 2006
UK academic
21%
Overseas13%Other
66%
Searching stylesSearching styles
Search types, August 2006
Advanced5%
Browse and index link searches
73%
Quicksearch21%
Subject finding
1%
Search types, August 2002
Advanced25%
Browse and index link searches
24%
Quicksearch50%
Subject finding
1%
Search terms, August 2006Search terms, August 2006 Tolkein papersTolkein papers london transportlondon transport bangor cathedralbangor cathedral ethnomethodologyethnomethodology grave-robbinggrave-robbing bee beetlebee beetle middleeastcrisesmiddleeastcrises Teddy BoysTeddy Boys Harry PotterHarry Potter ninjaninja How many people were killed during Ida How many people were killed during Ida
Amin's powerAmin's power
Beyond finding aids…Beyond finding aids…
September 2001: September 2001: Collection of the MonthCollection of the Month
July 2003: July 2003: 'Guided Tour''Guided Tour'
January 2004: 'For Archivists' sectionJanuary 2004: 'For Archivists' section
February 2006: Archives Hub February 2006: Archives Hub BlogBlog
SustainableOwned by the
community
Comprehensive
Ubiquitous
We want the Archives Hub to be:
The distributed HubThe distributed Hub
Originally all data held at ManchesterOriginally all data held at Manchester
Distributing the data was part of the Distributing the data was part of the plan from the early stages of the plan from the early stages of the serviceservice
It's been a long time coming...
Jan-03
Jun-03
Jan-04
Jun-04
Jan-05
Jun-05
Jan-06
Jun-06
Jan-07
Jun-07
Pro
gre
ss o
n S
po
kes
soft
war
e
Mo
od
of
con
trib
uto
rs
Frustrated
Happy
Graph inspired by Jessica Hagy http://indexed.blogspot.com/
Testing
Feedback
Development
Testing
Feedback
Development
Cheshire Development
Team, University of Liverpool
Archives Hub service team, Manchester and
early adopters at universities in
Scotland and England
Direct from testers and more formally through
Spokes Users and Developers group and Contributors’ Forum
Cheshire for
Archives 3.2
Quick guided tourQuick guided tour
Spoke home pageSpoke home page
Customisation of home pageCustomisation of home page
Results displayResults display
Collection-level recordCollection-level record
Full multi-level finding aidFull multi-level finding aid
Search term ‘photograph’Search term ‘photograph’
Administration interfaceAdministration interface
Managing EAD filesManaging EAD files
Overview of activityOverview of activity
Technical detailsTechnical details
Runs on a Linux (Red Hat or Fedora) Runs on a Linux (Red Hat or Fedora) serverserver
Cheshire3 information retrieval Cheshire3 information retrieval softwaresoftware
Cheshire for Archives EAD-specific Cheshire for Archives EAD-specific softwaresoftware
All open source
InstallationInstallation
Takes around one hour to installTakes around one hour to install
……but not always trouble freebut not always trouble free
Free to download Free to download (http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/arch/spokes.(http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/arch/spokes.shtml)shtml)
Documentation and support from Documentation and support from Archives Hub website Archives Hub website and Spokes mailing and Spokes mailing listlist
Cheshire for ArchivesCheshire for Archives
Provides Web, Z39.50 and SRU Provides Web, Z39.50 and SRU interfaces to archival descriptionsinterfaces to archival descriptions
Highly customisable: XHTML display Highly customisable: XHTML display controlled by XSLT and CSScontrolled by XSLT and CSS
Search options make full use of Search options make full use of EAD’s descriptive markupEAD’s descriptive markup
IssuesIssues Time: software development is a time-consuming Time: software development is a time-consuming
businessbusiness
Evolving standards: Z39.50 being succeeded by Evolving standards: Z39.50 being succeeded by SRU has entailed additional workSRU has entailed additional work
Requirements: institutions’ needs and Requirements: institutions’ needs and preferences vary considerably - important to build preferences vary considerably - important to build flexibility into the software flexibility into the software
Communication: importance of keeping a wide Communication: importance of keeping a wide user community up to date with developments user community up to date with developments and any problemsand any problems
Benefits for Archives Hub Benefits for Archives Hub communitycommunity
Software gives control of data back to the Software gives control of data back to the repositoriesrepositories
– Makes it more likely that they will add new Makes it more likely that they will add new descriptions and expand upon existing onesdescriptions and expand upon existing ones
Built-in interoperability means that data Built-in interoperability means that data can be accessed by a wide range of can be accessed by a wide range of services, from search engines to services, from search engines to metasearch applicationsmetasearch applications
– Including the Archives Hub!Including the Archives Hub!
Sun Mill CompanySun Mill Company
John Rylands’ SpokeJohn Rylands’ Spoke
The Archives Hub becomes…The Archives Hub becomes…
More sustainableMore sustainable
Community-ownedCommunity-owned
Increasingly comprehensiveIncreasingly comprehensive
Available to users wherever they areAvailable to users wherever they are