the archivists’ toolkit lee mandell kelcy shepherd brad westbrook mcn presentation nov. 3, 2005

The Archivists’ Toolkit Lee Mandell

Kelcy ShepherdBrad Westbrook

MCN PresentationNov. 3, 2005

Archivists' Toolkit - MCN Presentation, November 3, 2005

Overview• Project Summary and Update

– Project Objective and Staff– First year efforts– Goals for second year– Prospects beyond the grant period

• AT Software Specification– Overview of features– Functional modules– Application architecture and technology

• Demonstration example


Project ObjectivesTo 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


Project Team• Brian Schottlaender, UCSD, Co-Principal Investigator

• Carol Mandel, NYU, Co-Principal Investigator

• Brad Westbrook, Proj. Mgr & Spec Team Leader

• Lee Mandell, NYU, Design Team Mgr

• Jason Varghese, NYU, Programmer

• Kelcy Shepherd, Analyst

• Brian Stevens, Analyst

• Luc Declerck, UCSD, and David Ackerman, NYU, Administrative Oversight


Project Advisory Board

• Robin Chandler, CDL

• Michael Fox, MHS

• Merrilee Proffitt, RLG

• Richard Szary, Yale

• Guenter Waibel, RLG

• Beth Yakel, U Mich


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


Prospects Beyond the Grant Period

• Modular Design Architecture in Open Source Software

• Possible Extensions include

– More Robust Collection Management Module– Additional Tools to Support Ingest of Local Data– Extended Digital Object Module– User Registration / Resource Use Module

• Shared Development


Application Features• Output neutral data• Modular• Customizable• Easy to use• Secure • Stand-alone or multi-user network• Context-sensitive help• Open source


Design Overview• Administration/Project Management• Ingest• Accession• Description• Location• Names• Subjects• Search• Audit Tracking


• Establish repository record

• Manage users

• Customize default fields, required fields, input forms

• Create project definitions

Application/Project Management


Ingest Module• EAD version 1.0 and

2002 (XML)

• MARC XML


Accession Module• Preliminary descriptive information

• Some collection management fields

• Descriptive and administrative outputs:– Accession record– Accession receipt– Acquisitions report– Processing reports– More…


Description Module• Archival resources and digital objects• Inputs based on DACS, ISAD(G)• Outputs:

•EAD•METS•MARC XML•MODS•Dublin Core•PREMIS

•Collections guide•Printed finding aids•Administrative reports•More…


Location Module

• For tracking “permanent” locations

• Accommodate a range of practice

• Outputs:– Location record– Shelf list– List of all locations for a resource


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


Subject Module

• Basic authority control for subjects

• Can create records in advance or on an as-needed basis

• Outputs:– Repository subject guide


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


• Uniquely identifies each record

• Allows repository to track creation and editing of records

Record Tracking

Archivists’ Toolkit:

Application Architecture and Technology

Lee Mandell, Design Team Manager


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.


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


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


The Great Divideor in technical terms

The Paradigm Mismatch

JavaObject Oriented

Programming Language

SQLRelational Database


HibernateA persistence layer

• An open source project to bridge the differences between Java and relational databases

• Saves us from rolling our own• Allows easy swapping of back end

databases


A Live Demonstration

http://archiviststoolkit.org/

the archivists’ toolkit lee mandell kelcy shepherd brad westbrook mcn presentation nov. 3, 2005

Documents

application slide

administrative oversight

u mich slide

xml marc xml slide

project objectives

overview project summary

module ead version

update project objective