emu and archives
DESCRIPTION
EMu and Archives. Experiences from the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation. Goals. Share our experiences in managing archival collections with EMu Identify items of potential common interest Discuss and learn from others in the EMu community. Overview. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
Slide 1
EMu and Archives
Experiences from the Canada Science and Technology
Museum Corporation
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
Slide 2
Goals
Share our experiences in managing archival collections with EMu
Identify items of potential common interest
Discuss and learn from others in the EMu community
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
Slide 3
Overview
Archival Collections at CSTMC What is an archive? Using EMu to manage archives Challenges and lessons learned
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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About the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Archival collections at CSTMC
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Archival collections
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Archival access projects
Several photographic collections digitized for public access
Popular Web site features Earlier initiatives stored in MS Access
databases Current initiative using data in KE EMu
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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What is an archive?
Archival records are the products of everyday activity
Archives are the non-current records of individuals, groups, institutions, and governments
Formats may include photographs, films, video, sound recordings, computer tapes, unpublished letters, diaries, and other manuscripts
Each archival object exists as part of a group
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Why are archives important?
Researchers use them both for their administrative value and for purposes other than those for which they were created
Used for many different reasons Open to the ingenuity of the researcher
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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How does an archive differ from other collections?
Library collections consist mainly of distinct published works
Museum artifact collections are generally distinct, “3-D” objects
Archival collections are unique groupings of material in the context in which they were produced
With an archival collection, the sum is greater than the parts
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Structure of an archival collection
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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CSTMC’s Archives in EMu
Catalogue disciplines:Artifact
Inventory
Archive
Engineering Drawing
Photograph
Trade Literature
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Archives discipline
Hierarchical Arranged respecting the original structure of
the fonds or collection Modeled on Rules for Archival Description
(RAD) Allows us to catalogue as deep as resources
allow Can account for a wide range of materials
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Archival fields and tabs
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Other disciplines that manage archival collections
Photographs, Engineering Drawings, Trade Literature
Structure is flat (no hierarchy) While many are photos, may
accommodate other types of media
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Flat in structure…P000001P000002P000003P000004P000005P000006
.
.
.P049998P049999P050000P050001P050002P050003P050004P050005
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Customized fields and tabs
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Three archival initiatives at CSTMC
1. Digitizing and presenting historic image collections (mainly photographs) for public access
2. Documenting and cataloguing archival collections as a whole
3. Capturing institutional memory
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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1. Historic image collections for public access
Current initiative is using our "photograph" discipline in the Catalogue
This is one of our “flat” archival disciplines
Objective is to make collections available to a wide audience, not to fully document the archival collections in question
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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2. Documenting and cataloguing archival collections as a whole
Hierarchical (based on RAD) May go in-depth, or stay at the top level
for now Intended to allow us to go to the level of
detail we can manage, given resources Make existing finding aids (documents)
available and searchable as multimedia attachments
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Archival finding aids
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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3. Capturing institutional memory
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Institutional memory: where to catalogue?
(a) photograph discipline (flat)
(b) in archives discipline (hierarchical)
(c) multimedia attachments in events module
(d) somewhere else?
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Institutional memory in EMu
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Challenges and lessons learned
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Access control
Often have volunteers and short-term staff involved in cataloguing projects
Such staff are not EMu experts – we need to carefully manage what they are able to edit
Record level access should help
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Limitations in our implementation
Search limitations of our Archival hierarchy
For example, may be difficult to search for all objects in a Fonds, given our structure
May need to adjust implementation
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Subject terminology
Multiple sets of terminology – no universal controlled vocabulary
New archival cataloguing is loosely based on Library of Congress
Cataloguing by volunteers is a challenge (they know the material, but are not cataloguers)
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Digital Asset Management
Many reasons to digitize Born digital vs. digitized Digital preservation Capturing and managing metadata Managing licensing and commercial use Is EMu the best repository? Noted that other EMu Users are also working
in this area
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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References
Rules for Archival Description (RAD)http://www.cdncouncilarchives.ca/archdesrules.html
“Basic RAD”http://scaa.usask.ca/rad/
Society of American Archivistshttp://www.archivists.org
EMu and ArchivesNA EMu Users Conference – Oct. 2006
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Contact
Brian Dawson
Director, Informatics Services
Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation
Ottawa, Ontario
Phone: (613) 991-1340
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://technomuses.ca