university of illinois at urbana-champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A Unified Platform for Archival Description and Access

Christopher J. Prom, Christopher A. Rishel, Scott W. Schwartz, Kyle J. Fox

Joint Conference on Digital LibrariesVancouver, BC, June 21, 2007

Presenter: Chris Prom ([email protected])Assistant University Archivist


www.archon.org

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.archon.org/


Overview

• Why does this software exist?

• What does it do—what is new about it?

• How do I implement it? (semi-technical)

• What have we learned/what are our next steps?


Why Archon?—The Problem• To meet a need: unified platform for description

and access—A ‘good enough’ tool.• To implement idea of archival provenance—

grouping by function or creator• To reduce or eliminate training

– Typical EAD implementations undermine workflows, exacerbate backlogs, and frustrate users

– Our EAD/XML experience . . .

• The target market


Basic Characteristics• Web-based

– Access from any computer– Integrated access system– staff editing fully integrated with public website

• Output flexibility– Search– Browse (creator, title, subject/function, record group, digital object title)– EAD– MARC– Other formats can be defined (OAI, METS) in archon/styles folder

• Requires no knowledge of XML; integrated help system• But supports all relevant archival descriptive standards (EAD, DACS)


•Browse•Search•Description•Link to finding aid•Subject links•Digital object access•Creator authorities

Provenance/breadcrumb trail


Provenance-Based Browsing

Browse by creating office,

function, or other ‘classification’

defined by repository


Digital Archives/Library

Link to collection

Links to creator, subjects not shown

(below fold)


Authenticated (staff) view of public website

(edit pencils)


Staff users– Logging in– Editing– Modify collection record– Filtering/ adding subject term

– Defining new creator– Content manger– Linking/uploading digital object– User permissions– Setting a new style


Collection Manager—for ‘collection level’ description


Filtering and linking creator authorities, subject files, etc

‘Filter and link’ method used for creators, subjects, genres, languages


Content Manager

Used to create finding

aids/box and folder

lists


Other areas of description available in collection manager

Listing Locations


Implementation

• Requirements, Installation• Uses widely-supported web technologies:

– Any web server with PHP 5.0 or higher– A blank MySQL or MSSQL database with network

connection– Optimized for LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)

• Visual Basic install packet; define database name, login, pswd, webserver address, upload directory or FTP site; can also install manually.


Documentation and API• Illustrated System Administrator and User Manuals• API fully documented via php documentor• Object-oriented, correspondence between database and

class/object/variable names• Class ARCHON has system-level functions, to process

arrays, etc.• BUT. . . most customizations never touch the Archon

API itself; few implementing institutions or developers will need to be aware of it beyond calling functions


Database Server (MySQL & MSSQL currently supported)

Database Module (translates queries to specific syntax)

queries responses

Application Programming Interface (PHP 5.0 scripts, objects, functions, SQL queries)

Administrative Interface (collects data)

Public Interface(output templates)


Basic system administration• takes place in web client• User/usergroup manager• Data import/export (SQL

script, MARC, EAD)• ‘Archon Configuration’

– Select default style, template set

– Set messages– Enable provenance

browsing

• Session killer


• Output customization– Takes place on web

server– Customize output via

Styles folder (will be Themes in next release)

– Templates: for more complex changes

• Database admin takes place via standard client such as phpMyAdmin


Use standard php and html, referencing

archon objects

Template modification (output customization)

Sample objects:$objCollection->Scope

$objCollection->Extent

$objCollection-> LocationEntries

$_ARCHON->Security ->isAuthenticated()


Future Directions, 1

• Archon 2.0 (Summer 2007)– ‘Languages manager’/ interface customization– Cart function– New output templates, accessibility guidelines

and better usability– Modularization; code divided into ‘core’ area

and packages for extensibility

Future directions, 2

– Research issues• User annotation system for collections and digital objects,

‘web 2.0’ type features• UI improvements, based on analytics study and evaluation

phases• Digital preservation/curation features

– Other features• Integrate OAI data provider• Expand digital library• Libraries to enable access to external digital libraries

– Building an implementer community


A Unified Platform for Archival Description and Access

Christopher J. Prom, Christopher A. Rishel, Scott W. Schwartz, Kyle J. Fox

Joint Conference on Digital LibrariesVancouver, BC, June 21, 2007

Presenter: Chris Prom ([email protected])Assistant University Archivist


www.archon.org

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.archon.org/

university of illinois at urbana-champaign

Documents

dacsuniversity of illinois

orguniversity of illinois

folduniversity of illinois

urbanachampaignwhy archon

archival description

digital librariesvancouver

subject files

mssql database