Mounting a Finding Aids Collection

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[[DLXS Wiki|Main Page]] > [[Mounting Collections: Class-specific Steps]] > Mounting a Finding Aids Collection
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This topic describes how to mount a Findaid Class collection.
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==Mounting a Finding Aids Collection==
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Workshop materials are located at http://www.dlxs.org/training/workshop200707/findaidclass/fcoutline.html
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These instructions assume that you have already encoded your finding aids files in the XML-based EAD 2002 DTD. Only you, after looking at your texts and your encoding practices, can do the intellectual work required to encode your finding aids in XML using the EAD 2002 DTD. While DLPS does not have any quick and easy tools for this stage of data preparation, we do have a recommended model: the Bentley Historical Library. The more similar your data and setup is to the Bentley’s, the easier is will be to integrate your finding aids collection with DLXS. DLXS does not support the process of creating new finding aids files: how you do this is you to you. The Bentley Historical Library, however, provides a discussion of some specific tools and a workflow process you might use to create these files.
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==Overview==
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The Finding Aids Class is in many ways similar in behavior to Text Class. Access minimally includes full text searching across collections or within a particular collection of Finding Aids, viewing Finding Aids in a variety of display formats, and creation of personal collections ("bookbag") of Finding Aids.
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To mount a Finding Aids Collection, you will need to complete the following steps:
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=== Findaid Class and Behaviors Overview ===
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# [[Preparing_Data and Directories|Prepare your data and set up a directory structure]]
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# [[Finding_Aids_Data_Preparation#Validating_and_Normalizing_Your_Data| Validate and normalize your data]]
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# [[Building the Index |Build the Index]]
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# [[Mounting the Collection Online|Mount the collection online]]
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===[[Findaid Class Behaviors Overview]]===
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The Findaid Class consists of EAD2002-encoded Finding Aids. You can learn more about the ead2002 DTD and ead2002 in general at the Library of Congress ead2002 web site. The Findaid Class relies on a single XML Document Type Definition (DTD) file to deliver all collections in the class. This file is essentially identical to the ead2002 DTD with one extra wrapping element added. DLXS then uses XPAT to index the XML and the Findaid Class middleware makes it possible for users to search the resources on the web.
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This section describes the basic Findaid Class behaviors.
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The behavior of the Finding Aids Class is similar in many ways to that of Text Class. Access minimally includes full-text searching across collections or within a particular collection of Finding Aids, viewing Finding Aids in a variety of display formats, and the creation of personal collections (a “bookbag”) of Finding Aids.
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===Examples of Findaid Class Implementations and Practices===
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The general characteristics of the Finding Aids class are the following:
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*Allows search and retrieval of ead2002-endcoded Finding Aids and portions thereof
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*Allows searching across multiple collections of Finding Aids simultaneously
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*Allows searching of each collection independently
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*Allows bookmarking of individual Finding Aids
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*Requires minimal administrative data
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*Uses a single data model and shared middleware for all collections in the system
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*Permits access restrictions at the collection level
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The Finding Aids class provides no functionality for creating and managing electronic texts in SGML.
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This section contains links to public implementations of DLXS Findaid Class as well as documentation on workflow and implementation issues. If you are a member of DLXS and have a collection or resource you would like to add, or wish to add more information about your collection, please edit this section.
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Findaid Class Behaviors
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The Findaid Class is typically used for either campus or public access. Its behaviors include the following:
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;[http://bentley.umich.edu/EAD/index.php University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library Finding Aids]
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*Cross-collection searching in any combination of collections
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: Out-of-the-box DLXS 13 implementation.
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*Selection of collections
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;[http://bentley.umich.edu/EAD/eadproject.php Overview of Bentley's workflow process for Finding Aids ]
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*Collection-specific searching
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:See also the links in [[#Practical_EAD_Encoding_Issues | Practical EAD Encoding Issues]] for background on the Bentley EAD workflow and encoding practices
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*Collection-specific browsing of
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*Simple and Boolean searching
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*Searching within a user-selected Finding Aid
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*Ability to review and revise previous searches
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*Viewing of sections of a Finding Aid or the full text in HTML, and display in context of search terms found
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*Ability to select particular Finding Aids for saving in a session-based personal collection, or bookbag, and to download or email these
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*Keeping a record of user search history during a session
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===Representative Resources===
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;[http://dlc.lib.utk.edu/f/fa/ Unversity of Tennesee Special Collections Libraries]
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: DLXS Findaid Class version ?
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Bentley Historical Library Finding Aids
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;[http://digital.library.pitt.edu/ead/ University of Pittsburgh, Historic Pittsburgh Finding Aids]
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:DLXS Findaid Class version ?
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;[http://digital.library.pitt.edu/ead/aboutead.html Background on Pittsburgh Finding Aids workflow]
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University of Michigan Special Collections Finding Aids
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;[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/wiarchives University of Wisconsin, Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids]
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:DLXS Findaid Class version ?
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== Setting Up the Collection: Practical Issues ==
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;[http://discover.lib.umn.edu/findaid University of Minnesota Libraries, Online Finding Aids]
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:DLXS Findaid Class version ?
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'''# Choosing Unique Collection IDs'''
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;[https://wiki.lib.umn.edu/Staff/FindingAidsInEAD/ EAD Implementation at the University of Minnesota]
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There are two areas of practice that can affect on your online collection outside of hands-on encoding or the conversion of word processed finding aids. First is the use of IDs as attributes on elements. This does not refer to the EADID, but to collection IDs within the finding aids used to identify the element so that it can be referred to, or referenced from, somewhere else. Each ID within a document must be unique (and the DTD enforces this). Before you assign IDs to any part of the collection, you should consider the consequences of joining all your finding aids into one collection. In this case, IDs will need to be unique across the entire collection. One way to ensure uniqueness is to prefix ID values with the eadid for a given document. At this time, there is no functionality in DLXS that requires you to have IDs on any elements, but you may want to use them for your own internal purposes.
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;[http://archives.getty.edu:8082/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?cc=utf8a;c=utf8a;tpl=browse.tpl Getty Research Institute Special Collections Finding Aids]
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: Heavily customized DLXS11a. [http://library.pub.getty.edu:8100/DLXS06.html Background on Getty customization and user interface changes to DLXS]
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For example, you might want to put IDs on an attribute that you want to then link to with a target attribute. If the attribute is the full name of an organization commonly abbreviated, and you would like to target the abbreviated name back to the full name, the full corpname element would have an ID attribute and the abbreviated corpname element would have a target containing the ID value. From the point of view of developers at UM DLXS, this is a fairly typical problem that we ourselves have encountered.
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;[http://archives.getty.edu:8082/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?cc=iastaff;c=iastaff;tpl=browse.tpl J. Paul Getty Trust Institutional Archives Finding Aids]
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:Heavily customized DLXS11a.
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We recommend that you choose a unique collection ID that is unique across all collections, regardless of class. Even if you do not want to implement cross-class searching at this point, choosing a unique ID makes this kind of search possible to implement in the future. It also allows you to store your collections on the same server.
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==[[Working with the EAD]]==
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Next, request authorization for the collection ID. Will the collection be public, restricted, or item-level restricted?
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==[[Preparing Data and Directories]]==
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'''# Working with Fabricated Regions'''
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==[[Finding Aids Data Preparation]]==
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The second area of practice that can affect your online collection are the decisions you make about fabricated regions. Briefly, fabricated regions are ways of grouping elements you have marked up. When you are ready to index your data, XPAT looks at a file named extra.srch which groups queries into discrete regions. For example, you might have lots of different tags related to names: <persname>, <famname>, <corpname>, etc. DLXS groups these queries into the fabricated region <name> for convenient, faster indexing. If you decide not to use all the possible markup options, you should take out the empty regions. Some of these regions, however, are cached in many other places in the user interface, not all of which are documented. General recommendations for thinking about markup and fabricated regions include the following:
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==[[Building the Index]]==
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# Think about what elements you want to markup. You may want to markup more elements than you think you need to any not display all the searchable options at this point. If you only markup your texts to a basic level, however, you may have less options later.
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==[[Working with Fabricated Regions in Findaid Class]]==
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# If you have empty regions, you should remove them from the extra.srch file, but remember to take them out of the other files that reference them. We are working on documenting these locations.
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==[[Customizing Findaid Class]]==
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# what else?
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==[[Mounting the Collection Online]]==
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See Working with Fabricated Regions in FindaidClass, and Working with Fabricated Regions (TextClass) for more information.
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==[[Troubleshooting Finding Aids]]==
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== Preparing Data and Directories ==
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==[[Linking from Finding Aids Using ID Resolver]]==
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The rules that govern FindaidClass and the ways UM DLXS organizes finding aids were decided by the larger finding aids community. We have provided the DTDs and other files you need to use to mount your collection. While you can, theoretically, alter these files, we don’t recommend it. Of the four DLXS classes, it is most difficult to change options in FindaidClass. This section describes how to set up your directories and data to mount your collection in the following topics:
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==[http://www.dlxs.org/training/workshop200707/findaidclass/fcoutline.html Workshop Materials]==
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* Setting Up Directories
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* Preparing Your Data
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* Cleaning Up Your Data
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* Validating the Concatenated File
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* Possible Validation Errors
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The data preparation process includes the following steps:
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==Working with the User Interface==
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# Validating the files individually against the EAD 2002 DTD.
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# Concatenating the files into one larger XML file.
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General user interface customizations, such as changing rendering style (CSS) or making changes to the XSL are covered in [[Customizing the User Interface]]. Specific user-interface issues related to Findaid Class are discussed in the following sections:
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# Validating the concatenated file against the dlxsead2002 DTD.
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* [[Customizing Findaid Class]]
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** [[Customizing Findaid Class#Working_with_the_table_of_contents |Working with the table of contents]]
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* [[Working with Fabricated Regions in Findaid Class]]
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* [[Troubleshooting Finding Aids#Common_Problems_and_Solutions |Common Problems and Solutions]]
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** [[Troubleshooting Finding Aids#Title_of_Finding_Aid_does_not_show_up |Title of Finding Aid does not show up]]
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===[[Findaid Class Graphics Files]]===
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Are there findaid class specific graphics files? The existing html docs actually point to a ../t/text/ directory and it appears that the graphics are generic and not at all specific to findaid class.
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===[[Findaid Class Processing Instructions]]===
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These are some current processing instructions for Finding Aids Class, but the DLXS group will not maintain this section.
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[[#top|Top]]

Current revision

Main Page > Mounting Collections: Class-specific Steps > Mounting a Finding Aids Collection

This topic describes how to mount a Findaid Class collection.

Workshop materials are located at http://www.dlxs.org/training/workshop200707/findaidclass/fcoutline.html

Contents

[edit] Overview

The Finding Aids Class is in many ways similar in behavior to Text Class. Access minimally includes full text searching across collections or within a particular collection of Finding Aids, viewing Finding Aids in a variety of display formats, and creation of personal collections ("bookbag") of Finding Aids.

To mount a Finding Aids Collection, you will need to complete the following steps:

  1. Prepare your data and set up a directory structure
  2. Validate and normalize your data
  3. Build the Index
  4. Mount the collection online

[edit] Findaid Class Behaviors Overview

This section describes the basic Findaid Class behaviors.

[edit] Examples of Findaid Class Implementations and Practices

This section contains links to public implementations of DLXS Findaid Class as well as documentation on workflow and implementation issues. If you are a member of DLXS and have a collection or resource you would like to add, or wish to add more information about your collection, please edit this section.

University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library Finding Aids
Out-of-the-box DLXS 13 implementation.
Overview of Bentley's workflow process for Finding Aids
See also the links in Practical EAD Encoding Issues for background on the Bentley EAD workflow and encoding practices
Unversity of Tennesee Special Collections Libraries
DLXS Findaid Class version ?
University of Pittsburgh, Historic Pittsburgh Finding Aids
DLXS Findaid Class version ?
Background on Pittsburgh Finding Aids workflow
University of Wisconsin, Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids
DLXS Findaid Class version ?
University of Minnesota Libraries, Online Finding Aids
DLXS Findaid Class version ?
EAD Implementation at the University of Minnesota
Getty Research Institute Special Collections Finding Aids
Heavily customized DLXS11a. Background on Getty customization and user interface changes to DLXS
J. Paul Getty Trust Institutional Archives Finding Aids
Heavily customized DLXS11a.

[edit] Working with the EAD

[edit] Preparing Data and Directories

[edit] Finding Aids Data Preparation

[edit] Building the Index

[edit] Working with Fabricated Regions in Findaid Class

[edit] Customizing Findaid Class

[edit] Mounting the Collection Online

[edit] Troubleshooting Finding Aids

[edit] Linking from Finding Aids Using ID Resolver

[edit] Workshop Materials

[edit] Working with the User Interface

General user interface customizations, such as changing rendering style (CSS) or making changes to the XSL are covered in Customizing the User Interface. Specific user-interface issues related to Findaid Class are discussed in the following sections:

[edit] Findaid Class Graphics Files

Are there findaid class specific graphics files? The existing html docs actually point to a ../t/text/ directory and it appears that the graphics are generic and not at all specific to findaid class.

[edit] Findaid Class Processing Instructions

These are some current processing instructions for Finding Aids Class, but the DLXS group will not maintain this section.

Top

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