Standards and exchange formats in the UK:

The Role of Encoded Archival Description (EAD) in promotion of Access to Archives in the UK

Bill Stockting: Standards and exchange formats for interoperability among archival information systems:

Bologna: 8 May 2008

Introduction

UK archivists started using beta version of EAD in 1997, mainly at:n The National Archives (TNA) (then the Public

Record Office (PRO)n University manuscripts and archives departments

EAD implemented in online applications of individual university repositories and established services offering federated access, such as:

Access to Archives (A2A) -http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a

Archives Hub - http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/

Introduction

Discussion will look at:

n Background to success of EAD

n Illustration of EAD as a flexible tool in the archival description process:n Capturing standardised metadatan Editing and storing metadatan Searching and presenting metadatan Exchanging metadata

Background

Development of ICT and Internet in 1990’s:

n UK strategic environment favourable and Government policy argues for increased access to archives as part of and electronic service delivery in public sector

n Funding available, especially from National Lotteryn Archivists see potential of ICT tools for access to

archivesn Need for data format standards to achieve presentation

of archival metadata online met with the development of EAD in U.S. - the right tool at the right time!

Background

EAD has many advantages:

n Based on open standards: Initially SGML but early compatibility with XML and related technologies

n Not tied to commercial software and freely available

n Commitment to development and maintenance by international EAD Working Group

n Great flexibility

Capturing Standardised Metadata

EAD a data structure standard designed to work with description standards such as ISAD(G), especially in current version - EAD 2002

EAD tags allow representation of:n finding aids conforming to

rules of multi-level description

n all ISAD(G) data elements

Capturing Standardised Metadata

EAD used to create new finding aids:

n Text files easy to create

n Use of common SGML/XML authoring tools that allow validation against EAD DTD

n Templates developed to lessen routine tagging -e.g. Archives Hub online template -http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/template/new/eadform2.html

Capturing Standardised Metadata

EAD used in process of retro-conversion of legacy finding aids:

n TNA conversion of electronic legacy data using EAD to standardise to ISAD(G) for import to online catalogue

n A2A Programme -conversion of paper and non-standardised electronic finding aids to ISAD(G) using EAD template

n Conversion services

Editing and Storing Metadata

While most UK repositories use relational databases for storing and editing descriptive metadata EAD is also used by:

n Smaller repositories - e.g. Modern Records Centre, at the University of Warwick

n Federated services such as Archives Hub and A2A Programme

Searching and Presenting Metadata

EAD used to present finding aids online:

n Single finding aids by transformation of EAD as XML to HTML via XSL

n Federated services show many strategies:n Archives Hub: Cheshire

search engine XML, Z39.50 and GRS1

n NAHSTE: perl, XML::Twig and cgi

n A2A: TeXtML now Autonomy and XSL

Exchanging Metadata

As EAD XML based future as a data exchange format ensured:

n A2A import of EAD finding aids into contributors commercial database systems, which also export as EAD

n TNA online catalogue and developing British Library archives and manuscripts catalogue has EAD import and export

n Flexibility a disadvantage so attempts to restrict such as RLG Best Practice Guidelines