Basic Encoded Archival Description

1. Basic Encoded Archival Description METRO New York Library Council Workshop Presented by Lara Nicosia December 9, 2011 New York, NY

2. What is EAD? Image Source: Syracuse UniversitySpecial Collections Research Center

3. Timeline • 1993 – University of California, Berkeley • Started with SGML, FINDAID DTD (1995) • 1995 – Finding Aids Conference • 1996 – “Beta” version of EAD DTD (Sep) • 1998 – EAD DTD 1.0 released • 2002 – EAD DTD 2002 • 2013 – EAD DTD revision

4. What is EAD? • International standard • XML-based • Platform-neutral • Intellectual content, not presentation • Compatible with a variety of formats • Increased usability

5. Alphabet Soup Data Structure Data Content Data Values Prescribe specific terms… LCSH – subject headings LCNAF – personal and corporate names MeSH – subject headings AAT – genres and forms ISO-639.2 – languages ISO-8601 – nominalized dates How it is expressed or stored… EAD – finding aids EAC – persons, corporations, families MARC – OPAC records METS – metadata for digital library objects MODS – bibliographic metadata What to include… Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) International Standard for Archival Description (ISAD) FGDC-STD-001-199 (geospatial metadata) ISO-999 (content, organization, and presentation of indexes)

6. Markup Language Basic Encoded Archival Description Metro NY Library Council Lara Nicosia Rochester Institute of Technology ldnwml@rit.edu <title>Basic Encoded Archival Description</title> <sponsor>Metro NY Library Council</sponsor> <presenter> <name>Lara Nicosia</name> <institution>Rochester Institute of Technology</institution> <contact>ldnwml@rit.edu</contact> </presenter>

7. Markup Language • XML = Extensible Markup Language • Tag structure: Elements and attributes Element Attribute <persname role=“creator”>

8. Element Structure <persname role=“creator”>John Steinbeck</persname> Start Tag Element End Tag <lb></lb> OR <lb />

9. Nesting Elements <physdesc><extent>2 linear feet</extent><physdesc> <physdesc><extent>2 linear feet</physdesc></extent>

10. Basic Rules of XML • Elements must have a closing tag • <unittitle></unittitle> OR <lb /> • Tags are case sensitive • <persname> NOT <PersName> • Elements must be nested properly • <physdesc><extent></extent></physdesc> • Attribute values must be quoted • <unitdate type=“inclusive”>

11. Alphabet Soup Data Structure Data Content Data Values Prescribe specific terms… LCSH – subject headings LCNAF – personal and corporate names MeSH – subject headings AAT – genres and forms ISO-639.2 – languages ISO-8601 – nominalized dates How it is expressed or stored… EAD – finding aids EAC – persons, corporations, families MARC – OPAC records METS – metadata for digital library objects MODS – bibliographic metadata What to include… Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) International Standard for Archival Description (ISAD) FGDC-STD-001-199 (geospatial metadata) ISO-999 (content, organization, and presentation of indexes)

12. Alphabet Soup <unitdate normal=“1910/1940”>1910-1940</unitdate> • DACS  Date • ISO-8601  Normalize (i.e. 1910/1940) • EAD  unitdate <persname source=“lcnaf”>Smith, John</unitdate> • DACS  Creator • LCNAF  Controlled value (i.e. Smith, John) • EAD  persname

13. Parts of an XML Document • Declaration • <?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8” ?> • Version of XML • Document Type Declaration • <!DOCTYPEead SYSTEM “ead.dtd”> • Constraints of the document • Root element • <ead>

14. Root Element - <ead> • Sole parent element of all other elements • Contains all other elements • Can only be one instance per document • Must be present

15. Sample Document Structure <?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8” ?> <!DOCTYPEead PUBLIC “+//ISBN 1-931666-00-8//DTD ead.dtd Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002//EN” “ead.dtd”> <ead> all other tags… </ead>

16. Parts of an EAD Document • <eadheader> - Information about the finding aid (e.g data encoded, title, etc.) • <archdesc> - Information about the collection (e.g. scope, inventory, etc.) • <did> - collection-level description • <dsc> - detailed inventory of the contents (i.e. box, folder, or item-level description)

17. EAD Structure <eadheader> (finding aid) <archdesc> (collection) <controlaccess> Access points such as subject headings <dsc> Inventorty list of collection materials

18. <eadheader> • <eadid> - unique code for EAD document (e.g. rit0001) • <filedesc> - wraps bibliographic information about finding aid • <titlestmt> - wraps information about finding aid title and author • <titleproper> - finding aid title (e.g. Guide to the Susan Bevier papers)

19. <archdesc> • <did> - wraps core information about materials • <head> - caption/title for the finding aid section • <origination> - party responsible for creation of collection • <unittitle> - title of described materials • <physdesc> - information about appearance of described materials (e.g. 2 linear feet) • <repository> - body providing intellectual access • <abstract> - brief summary of described materials

20. Style Sheets • Determine presentation • Enhance readability • Display/hide information Check out some of the free style sheets available on the web!

21. Inventory List • Component, level 1 (c01) • Level information (did) • Title of series (unittitle) • Component, level 2 (c02) • Level information (did) • Title of subseries (unittitle) • Component, level 3 (c03) • Level of information (did) • Title of box, folder, materials(unittitle) • Date of materials (unitdate) • Container number (i.e. box, folder) (container)

22. Inventory List <c01> <c02> <c03></c03> <c03> <c04></c04> </c03> </c02> </c01>

23. Getting Started • Develop a plan • Start with what you already have • Use resources that are already available • Recruit talent • Establish a workflow

24. Sample Workflow

25. Maintaining a Standard • Establish Best Practice Guidelines • Create a detailed manual • Develop a template • Use comments to add notes and document changes • Train other staff members • Professional staff, paraprofessionals, interns, students, volunteers…