Archives hub ead 2010_lesson

Lisa Jeskins and Bethan Ruddock
Archives Hub
Mimas

By the end of today’s session we will have
given you an introduction to:
• XML
• EAD
• EAD Editor

 XML = Extensible Markup Language
 XML is a system for creating languages:
◦ Or a meta-language
 Use XML to design your own markup language,
consisting of meaningful tags that describe the data
they contain
 Create a language for describing…anything

 the ability to exchange/share data
 provides advantages of cross-searching, so user can easily search
across and retrieve resources from a variety of different systems
 allows users to move beyond individual websites for individual
resources
 integrates information resources presented in different formats
 XML facilitates interoperability

 XML does not do anything itself. It is pure
information wrapped in XML tags
 You must use other means to send, receive or
display the data
XML XML technologies
is used by to create
Detailed
description
to view in a
browser
Summary
entry to
view in a
browser
PDF for
print

 XML is not about content, though there might be
certain restrictions on content
 XML is essentially about structure
 Creating a consistent structure via XML tagging enables
content to be easily identified (by machines) and used
in different ways

<title> Alice in Wonderland </title>
*XML allows you to define your tags*
<book>Alice in Wonderland</book>
<filmtitle>Alice in Wonderland</filmtitle>
<tag> content </tag>

Title Alice in Wonderland
Author Lewis Carroll
Extent 1 volume
Format hardback

<books>
<title>Alice in Wonderland</title>
<author>Lewis Carroll</author>
<extent>1 volume</extent>
<format>hardback</location>
</books>

 Valid XML provides consistency and facilitates the exchange of
data
 Valid XML is important for displaying, processing and
exchanging XML in a wider environment
 a root element is required
<catalog>
…..all your tags and content…
</catalog>
 closing tags are required
 case matters

 elements must be properly nested
<physdesc>
<extent>10 boxes</extent>
</physdesc>
<physdesc>
<extent>10 boxes</physdesc>
</extent>
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylemacdonald/3199283481/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iguanajo/297386921/

 Look at the album information on your sheet of paper
 In pairs, create xml tags for the information that you
see
 e.g.
◦ <title></title>, <albumtitle></albumtitle>
◦ <artist></artist>, <singer></singer>, <band></band>
 10 mins to create tags
 5 mins to feedback
archiveshub.ac.uk

<catalog>
<cd>
<title>Lungs</title>
<artist>Florence and the Machine</artist>
<genre>indie</genre>
<year>2009</year>
</cd>
<cd>
<title>Slash</title>
<artist>Slash</artist>
<genre>rock</genre>
<year>2010</year>
</cd>
</catalog>

 A Document Type Definition or Schema defines the
building blocks of an XML document
 It specifies elements and attributes and defines how
they can be used
 People can agree to use a common DTD/Schema for
interchanging data

XML file DTD or Schema Valid XML
Blue
Elephant
Papers
……………………
…………
Blue
Elephant
Papers Browse
List

 International standard, supported by the W3C
 Open, licence free and platform neutral
 Human and machine readable
 Hierarchical structure (good for archive descriptions)
 Can be used for data exchange
◦ XML is the main basis for defining data exchange languages
◦ Meaningful tags facilitate extraction – data can be manipulated as
required
 Government mandates XML for data exchange (e-GIF)
 XML has been widely adopted commercially as well as in the public
sector

 EAD = Encoded Archival Description
 EAD is XML for finding aids
 A data structure standard – not a content
standard
 EAD Working Group (EADWG)

 Allows finding aids to be indexed, searched, retrieved and
navigated
 Compatible with ISAD(G)
 Flexible enough to deal with all types of finding aids
◦ single or multi-level, long or short, lists or calendars etc.
 Can create new finding aids as well as converting old ones to
standardised form
 Can share data between systems

<ead> EAD root element
<eadheader> EAD file information wrapper
</eadheader>
<archdesc> Finding aid wrapper
<did></did> Core collection information wrapper
</archdesc>
</ead>

<archdesc>
<eadheader>
<did>
sub-fonds descriptions

<archdesc level="fonds">
<did>
<unitid>GB 0001 Foster</unitid>
<unittitle>Papers of Dr Foster</unittitle>
<unitdate normal = "1820-1833">1820-1833</unitdate>
<repository>University of Gloucestershire</repository>
<physdesc>
<extent>1 box</extent>
<physfacet>Four folders of letters, 230 folios</physfacet>
</physdesc>
<langmaterial><language langcode=“eng”>English<language>
</langmaterial>
<origination>Dr Foster</origination>
</did>

 EAD version 1 DTD
 EAD 2002 DTD
 EAD 2002 Schema
 Available from http://www.loc.gov/ead/
 Human-readable version: EAD Tag Library (Society of
American Archivists)

 Library of Congress Official EAD site:
http://www.loc.gov/ead/
 Tag Library: http://www.loc.gov/ead/tglib/index.html
 EAD Roundtable Help Pages:
http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/ead/

 It is XML, which is an international standard
 It is a simple and effective way of structuring content
and providing meaning
 Machines can manipulate the content in all sorts of
ways
 It is a great format to store finding-aids

 Not many UK archives currently using EAD as a storage format
 EAD will increasingly be used as an export format from
proprietary database systems like CALM, for use in XML-based
gateways such as Aim25 and the Archives Hub
 New software becoming available all the time, which makes it
easier to create, search and display XML – much of this is
open source and often free

 Effective cross-searching requires:
◦ Interoperability
 which requires
◦ Common standards

 Differences in how EAD is used
 Encourages interoperability but still requires work to
ensure seamless cross-searching
 EAD is flexible and includes a large number of tags
which has advantages and disadvantages

 XML is an international standard for sharing
information
 EAD is the XML language for archival finding aids
 EAD is not a content standard
 EAD will become increasingly important

Archives hub ead 2010_lesson

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Editor's Notes