Basic Encoded Archival Description
METRO New York Library Council Workshop
Presented by Lara NicosiaDecember 9, 2011New York, NY
What is EAD?
Image Source: Syracuse UniversitySpecial Collections Research Center
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
What is EAD? International standard XML-based Platform-neutral Intellectual content, not presentation Compatible with a variety of formats Increased usability
Alphabet SoupData ContentWhat 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)
Data ValuesPrescribe 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
Data Structure
Markup LanguageBasic Encoded Archival Description Metro NY Library
Council Lara Nicosia Rochester Institute of Technology [email protected]
<title>Basic Encoded Archival Description</title><sponsor>Metro NY Library Council</sponsor><presenter>
<name>Lara Nicosia</name><institution>Rochester Institute of Technology</institution><contact>[email protected]</contact>
</presenter>
Markup Language XML = Extensible Markup Language Tag structure: Elements and attributes
<persname role=“creator”>
Element Attribute
Element Structure
<persname role=“creator”>John Steinbeck</persname>
ElementStart Tag End Tag
<lb></lb> OR <lb />
Nesting Elements
<physdesc><extent>2 linear feet</extent><physdesc>
<physdesc><extent>2 linear feet</physdesc></extent>
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”>
Alphabet SoupData ContentWhat 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)
Data ValuesPrescribe 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
Data Structure
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
Parts of an XML Document Declaration
<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8” ?> Version of XML
Document Type Declaration <!DOCTYPE ead SYSTEM “ead.dtd”>
Constraints of the document Root element
<ead>
Root Element - <ead>
Sole parent element of all other elements Contains all other elements
Can only be one instance per document
Must be present
Sample Document Structure<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8” ?>
<!DOCTYPE ead PUBLIC “+//ISBN 1-931666-00-8//DTD ead.dtd Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002//EN” “ead.dtd”>
<ead>
all other tags…
</ead>
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)
EAD Structure• <eadheader> (finding aid)• <archdesc> (collection)
• <controlaccess>• Access points such as
subject headings
• <dsc>• Inventorty list of collection
materials
<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)
<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
Style Sheets Determine presentation Enhance readability Display/hide information
Check out some of the free style sheets available on the web!
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)
Inventory List<c01>
<c02><c03></c03><c03>
<c04></c04></c03>
</c02></c01>
Getting Started Develop a plan Start with what you already have Use resources that are already available Recruit talent Establish a workflow
Sample Workflow
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…