Max J. Evans SAA 2008 - San Francisco. This is an expanded version of the paper I presented at SAA...

Max J. EvansSAA 2008 - San Francisco

This is an expanded version of the paper I presented at SAA in San Francisco. The paper was supported by the PowerPoint slides that follow, and by a live prototype of a web presentation, run from a local browser.

However, I’ve added screen shots from the prototype demonstration into this PowerPoint in lieu of including the html pages, which, I find, don’t work well with many browsers. I hope the screen shots serve to illustrate my points.

The narrative, the text of my paper, is included in the notes for each slide (or, in some cases are included in the slide). To make sense of what you see here, you should probably open it in edit mode to see the notes.

We heard yesterday from our SAA president, Mark Greene, that we should focus on the ends of archives, promoting and facilitating the use of our collections. It is a view to which I subscribe as well. And this paper is ultimately about this end, for, if finding aids fail to deliver on their stated promise – that is, to aid users to find what they want to find - then this end cannot be realized.

However, this paper is not a case for the end, but an approach - a means – to achieving the end, taking as a given, a self-evident truth, that access and use is the end.

Since its introduction some ten years ago, EAD has received its share of criticism: First, because of the high overhead associated with creating EAD markup; and second, because the resulting published finding aids seem scarcely worthy of the effort. I, for one, believe that the benefits outweigh the costs,

not withstanding these criticisms. Interoperability, consistency of standards, and use of best practices all are benefits of using EAD correctly. I won’t go into those arguments; they are not the focus of my paper. Instead, I will agree with the critics that something must be done about EAD production: working archivists must have an easy-to-use and intuitive tool to produce EAD as they process collections. Let’s not require them to assault the barbed wire defenses of the angle bracket.

It is the second criticism that my paper addresses. I agree hardily that the standard online presentation of EAD instances leaves much to be desired. The trouble, however, is not EAD, but our community’s failure to use the rich features of EAD to present the finding aid as an easy to understand and easy to navigate web page. Instead, it is delivered in most applications online as a paper-like document. In fact, reading on the EAD Listserv the frequent questions, and answers, about turning EAD

to PDF suggest that this paper-like, document-based approach may be common practice. It is true that both online PDF and HTML representation of the finding aid improve access to collections. They facilitate publication and searching. They can provide improved navigation, using internal links and frames.

However, I will propose to you a more radical approach to presenting a finding aid online. My paper addresses the topic of what researchers see when they locate a single finding aid, either by navigating from a repository web site or by searching the web. My colleagues on this panel will also address discovery methods; how we can improve methods to locate the finding aid to begin with.

I have a prototype of a finding aid to show and discuss with you. It is based on the Susa Young Gates Collection from the Utah State Historical Society, where I was the director for sixteen years.

Susa 1.0(Brought to you courtesy of the Utah State Historical Society)

A Register of the Collection at the Utah State Historical Society

The machine-readable finding aid for this collection was created by the Collections Management staff, Utah State

Historical Society.

Utah State Historical SocietySalt Lake City, Utah

Copyright, 1999, Utah State Historical Society. All rights reserved. Reproduction, storage or transmittal of this work, or any part of it, in any form or by any means, for commercial purposes, is prohibited without prior authorization of the Utah State Historical Society. This work may be used for scholarly and other non-commercial use provided that the Utah State Historical Society is acknowledged as the creator and copyright holder.

Summary Description | Background | Scope and Content | Administrative Info | Container List

Summary DescriptionRepository: Utah State Historical SocietyCall number: Mss B 95Creator: Gates, Susa Young, 1856-1933. Title: Susa Young Gates Papers, 1852-1932Quantity: 18 reels; 11 lin. ft. (22 boxes)Note: Available on microfilm (MIC 1152-1169) Abstract: Author, female activist. The two major sections of this

collection are the correspondence, subdivided into family and general, and the bulk of materials for her book The Life Story of Brigham Young. This includes notes, drafts, research, and reviews of the book. Another section concerns women and particularly women in the LDS church. Notable materials are biographical sketches of Mormon women and drafts of the unpublished book "History of Women."

Topics:English Literature -- Mormon authorsMormons and Mormonism -- HistoryPlural Marriage -- Family lifePolygamyWomen, Mormon -- BiographyWomen as authors Persons:Wallace, Ann WidtsoeWallace, LewisWidtsoe, John Andreas, 1872-1952Widtsoe, Leah Eudora Dunford, 1874-1965Young, Brigham, 1801-1877 -- Biography Organizations:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Relief Society


Background

Biographical Note

Susa Young Gates was a strong woman. She was the first child born in the Lion House, the daughter of Lucy Bigelow, Susa rapidly showed herself to be one of the more distinctive of Brigham Young's nearly sixty children. She read and wrote continuously from an early age and was appointed editor, at fourteen, of The College Lantern at the University of Deseret.

She married Dr. Alma Dunford, a dentist, at sixteen but an unfortunate combination of alcohol on his part and extreme youth on hers led to a divorce six years later. Two children, Leah Eudora and Alma Bailey, were born to the couple. In 1879 Susa married Jacob F. Gates, an amiable man who permitted his wife to pursue her own interests, but who was also, as Susa asserted frequently, the master of their home. From this marriage came eleven children. Of her thirteen children, only five grew to maturity. Leah became a noted writer; a specialist in home economics; and the wife of John A. Widtsoe. Brigham Cecil Gates and Emma Lucy Gates Bowen were both trained to excel in music. B. Cecil was a founding father and


Scope and Content

The Susa Young Gates Collection, comprising eleven linear feet, includes family and general correspondence; a great deal of raw material on subjects relating generally to women, genealogy, Brigham Young, and aspects of Mormon history; and drafts of articles and longer works, notable her biography of her father ( The Life Story of Brigham Young) and the unpublished "History of Women" . In fact, there are several drafts of each of the latter works. The Brigham Young biography was originally written for her children and the earliest copies are by far the most interesting. In them she attaches faults and other distinguishing characteristics to members of her family, as when she asserts that Aunt Harriet was a shrew and Aunt Emmeline had a problem with drugs. However, by the final copy, such details were usually altered to avoid offense.

Series Descriptions Biographical Treatment Correspondence -- Family correspondence with Leah E. D. Widtsoe,

John A. Widtsoe, Anne Widtsoe Wallace, Lew Wallace, Emma Lucy Gates Bowen, and others. General correspondence, including letters on temple work, genealogy, women, and details of daily life.

Research and writing for The Life Story of Brigham Young Research and writing for "The History of Women" Drafts of Other Manuscripts Assorted Manuscripts and Notes

Fiction and Drama Miscellany


Administrative Information Preferred Citation: Susa Young Gates Papers, 1852-1932, Utah State Historical Society. Acquisition Information: Gift of G. Homer Durham, Eudora Widtsoe Durham, and Anna

Widtsoe Wallace in 1966 Restrictions on Use The Susa Young Gates Papers are the physical property of the Utah

Historical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah. Literary rights, including copyright, may belong to the authors or their heirs and assigns. Please contact the Historical Society for information regarding specific use of this collection.


Container list

Box Folder Contents

Biographical Treatment 1 1 Biography 1. Excerpts, "Susa Young Gates: Her Life and Times,"

Thesis by Paul Cracroft, 1951 2. Tribute to Susa Young Gates, The Relief Society

Magazine, July 19331 2 Autobiographical notes, ca. 1928; Transcript of diary,

18701 3 Biography

1. Sketch of Susa Young Gates, by John A. Widtsoe 2. Sketch of Mrs. Leah E. D. Widtsoe 3. Notes on church experiences, testimony,

priesthood

1 4 Bibliography of periodical articles by SYG

1 5 Family materials1. Notes of family memories2. Lion House

3. SYG on death 4. Fragments on Brigham Young in Nauvoo

5. Brigham Young's will 6. Blueprint of ground floor, Lion House, 1932 1 6 Life Story of Lucy Bigelow Young

CorrespondenceFamily Correspondence

2 1 1852-1889 2 2 1890-1919 2 3 1920-1927 2 4 1928 2 5 1929

2 6 1930-1933 2 7 Undated 2 8 Fragments & post cards

General Correspondence 3 1 1886-1909 3 2 1910-1919 3 3 1920-1924 3 4 1925-1927 3 5 1928-1929 3 6 1930 3 7 1931 3 8 1932-1933 3 9 Undated and fragments

Research and writing for The Life Story of Brigham

Young Drafts

4 1 Chapter outlines4 2 Chapter 1: Youth and Early Manhood






2 1 1852-1889 2 2 1890-1919 2 3 1920-1927 2 4 1928 2 5 1929

2 6 1930-1933 2 7 Undated 2 8 Fragments & post cards

General Correspondence 3 1 1886-1909 3 2 1910-1919 3 3 1920-1924 3 4 1925-1927 3 5 1928-1929 3 6 1930 3 7 1931 3 8 1932-1933 3 9 Undated and fragments

Research and writing for The Life Story of Brigham

Young Drafts

4 1 Chapter outlines4 2 Chapter 1: Youth and Early Manhood






2 1 1852-1889 2 2 1890-1919 2 3 1920-1927 2 4 1928 2 5 1929

17 1 The General Relief Society Movement 17 2 Administration of Clarissa S. Williams 17 3 History and Application of Charity 17 4 Relief Society Bulletin and Magazine 17 5 Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association

17 6 Primary Association 17 7 Opening the Gate Beautiful 17 8 Women and Genealogy 17 9 Woman Suffrage 17 10 Women in Medicine and Nursing 17 11 Literature 18 1 Education, I 18 2 Education, II

18 3 Brigham Young Academy [University], Provo, Utah 18 4 Industrial Enterprises 18 5 Women in Industry 18 6 Sericulture 18 7 Professional Life, I

Drafts of "History of Women“16 1 Outline and preface16 2 Introduction

16 3 Women and the Plan of Salvation 16 4 Ancient Biblical History 16 5 Women in Oriental History 16 6 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 16 7 Temple Courts and Temple Work 16 8 Temple Courts 16 9 Temple Work 16 10 Temple Work 16 11 Organization of the Relief Society in Nauvoo 16 12 Martyrdom 16 13 Relief Society Beginnings in Utah

16 14 Organization and History of the Relief Society 17 1 The General Relief Society Movement 17 2 Administration of Clarissa S. Williams 17 3 History and Application of Charity

Research Material for "A History of Mormon Women“

Biographical Material14 1 Lists of Utah women and Biography sources14 2 A-F

1. Alexander, Sara 2. Babcock, Maud May 3. Beebe, Clara Woodruff 4. Bigelow, Mary 5. Bowen, Edith 6. Bowen, Emma Lucy Gates 7. Cannon, Annie Wells 8. Cannon, Martha Hughes 9. Carmichael, Sara 10. Cobb, Camilla C.

11. Cornaby, Hannah 12. Dusenberry, Ida 13. Felt, Ludie 14 3 G-M

Susa 1.1


Container list Box Folder Contents

Biographical Treatment Correspondence Research and writing for The Life Story of

Brigham Young

Research Material for "A History of Mormon Women"

Drafts of Other Manuscripts Assorted Manuscripts and Notes Fiction and Drama Miscellany



Biographical Treatment1 1 Biography1 2 Autobiographical notes, ca. 1928; Transcript of diary,

18701 3 Biography1 4 Bibliography of periodical articles by SYG1 5 Family materials1 6 Life Story of Lucy Bigelow Young

Correspondence Research and writing for The Life Story of

Brigham Young

Research Material for "A History of Mormon Women"

Drafts of Other Manuscripts Assorted Manuscripts and Notes Fiction and Drama Miscellany



Biographical Treatment1 1 Biography1 2 Autobiographical notes, ca. 1928; Transcript of

diary, 18701 3 Biography1 4 Bibliography of periodical articles by SYG1 5 Family materials

1 6 Life Story of Lucy Bigelow Young

1. Notes of family memories2. Lion House3. SYG on death4. Fragments on Brigham Young in Nauvoo5. Brigham Young's will6. Blueprint of ground floor, Lion House, 1932

A finding aid is a surrogate for the collection; it represents its context, structure, and content.

Those attributes must guide and inform web design

Navigation Clear and Certain

Navigation Clear and Certain

The user may Choose viewManipulate dataEngage servicesParticipate in community

The context Implicit in the structure, and Explicit in other representations and

views


views Should be uncluttered


views Should be uncluttered The finding aid must be comprehensive


views Should be uncluttered The finding aid must be comprehensive

Avoid archival jargon

Susa 2.0 (Alpha)

Before I go on, I will explain the theory behind the three column approach. Upon reflection, I arrived at the conclusion that the components when the level attribute equal “series” or “subseries” are really structural components, used to round up and corral the content of the collection, or to break it up into usable, logical, and (in many cases) organic segments. They are akin to the kind of logical markers familiar to us in published works: volumes, parts, chapters, sections, etc. They are categorically different from the content of the collection, which is to be found in logical files (often the same as folders and often contained in folders, but not always).

Susa 2.1

Susa 2.1Accommodate multiple-levels in the

Structure column, (instead of just two levels as in the earlier prototype)



Improve the appearance of the balloons



Improve the appearance of the balloonsProvide context from About the Collection

at the appropriate places in the Inventory



Improve the appearance of the balloonsProvide context from About the Collection

at the appropriate places in the InventoryFinding relevant content within the

finding aid

Max J. Evans SAA 2008 - San Francisco. This is an expanded version of the paper I presented at SAA...

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Transcript of Max J. Evans SAA 2008 - San Francisco. This is an expanded version of the paper I presented at SAA...