Making Workflows Work for you: Adlib CMS at

the Institute of Ismaili Studies

By Naureen Ali

Cataloguer and Adlib Officer, Ismaili Special Collections Unit

The Institute of Ismaili Studies

The Institute of Ismaili Studies (Located at the Aga Khan Centre in Kings Cross)

The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) was established in 1977 with the object of promoting scholarship and learning of Muslim cultures and societies, historical as well as contemporary, and a better understanding of their relationship with other societies and faiths.

Images by The Aga Khan Development Network

Overview of the Special Collections at the Institute

The Institute holds one of the mostsignificant repositories in the world ofmaterials related to Ismailicommunities, comprising nearly 3,000manuscripts in Arabic, Persian and Indiclanguages.

Several hundred volumes of rare books, periodicals and journals, off-prints, as well as a number of important coins from the Fatimid and Alamut periods of Ismaili history along with archival material.

Cataloguing Needs

Comprehensive cataloguing points

Connect relevant paperwork (such as condition reports)

Accommodate different languages (Persian, Arabic, Indic along with others) and scripts.

Diacritics

Different types of material (Artefacts, books, manuscripts, archives, serials)

Published online

Accommodate workflow

Restricted cataloguing in certain linked fields

Cataloguer creates a

record (Level C)

SeniorCataloguer

review (Level B)

Back to cataloguer for

review

Senior cataloguer may

want to re-check details (hold)

Send for final approval

Entry completed and

approved (Level A)

Adlib Cataloguing Workflow

Different levels of cataloguers mayenter different types of information(Corresponding access levels).

Some cataloguers are temporary andsome are permanent (implications ondata entry).

Subsequent Alterations to the application

Specific fields for temporary and permanent cataloguers.

For workflow: an enumerative field was added in the tab, ‘Management Details’ to highlight the level of work.

These levels refer to access levels

These levels of work were searchable so that the relevant entries could be easily retrieved.

Pointer files and scheduled searches added to track progress through email.

Cataloguer creates a

record (Level C)

SeniorCataloguer

review (Level B)

Back to cataloguer for

review

Senior cataloguer may

want to re-check details (hold)

Send for final approval

Entry completed and

approved (Level A)

Adlib Cataloguing Workflow and Subsequent Field

Lessons Learnt

On a particular level, all cataloguers can see entries created by each other.

Different types of cataloguers may need particular levels.

Pointer files/scheduled searches took some time to work.

Access specific linked fields.

Adlib Archives – Help for New Cataloguers

The above image is from Adlib Archive Task Manual (p. 77)

Features such as Hierarchy Browser help new users understand archival description

Adlib Archives – Help for New Cataloguers

Questions and Comments