Phase 3 - University Archives Ingestion into ArchivesSpace

Owned by Liz Woolcott
Last updated: Apr 08, 2021
8 min read

These procedures outline the process for converting final inventory lists from Airtable into EAD guides which are ready to be upload into ArchivesSpace and Archives West. This portion of the workflow will include an EAD Consultant who will work remotely.  Primary conversion from Airtable to EAD will be the responsibility of the EAD Consultant through April 30, 2019, then will revert to the EAD Coordinator.

This process comprises the third phase in the project.  Phase 1 is the inventory and barcoding process.  Phase 2 is the cleanup, quality control, and DACS compliance process.  Phase 3 is the ingest into ArchivesSpace process.  Phase 4 is the ingest into Sierra process.

Tools Needed

  • Airtable

  • ArchivesSpace

  • Excel

Staff Required:

  • EAD Coordinator (Phase Leader)

  • EAD Consultant

  • CMS Student Technician

Quick Navigation

 

Communication and Notification

Once the workflow from Phase 2 – Quality Control is complete, the EAD Coordinator will communicate to the EAD Consultant via Slack that a record group is ready for conversion.  This will happen through April 30, 2019.  Following that point, the EAD Coordinator will eliminate this step and proceed onto the next

Airtable updates

EAD Coordinator will make sure all project dates, assignments, and item totals are correct in all previous phases (Phase 1 and Phase2) in Airtable.  Once finalized, EAD Coordinator will set the following fields in Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status:

  • Phase 3 (ArchivesSpace) – set from 0-Previous Phase to 1-Queued (if ready for EAD, but a different record group is actively under conversion) or 2-EAD creation (if it is actively being converted)

  • EAD Conversion – assign the appropriate person to do the conversion

  • EAD Conversion started – indicate the date it was started

 

Create Airtable view for EAD Exports

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will create a view called UA-XX EAD Export (where the xx=collection number) in the All Items tab of Airtable.  Then hide all fields except the following:

  • Record Group Number

  • Box

  • Folder/Item#

  • Final Series Title (Curator Approved)

  • Final Box Title

  • Item Description

  • Normalized Date

  • Date Range

  • Restricted

  • Container Type

  • Non-Standard Container Size

Export this view using the ellipses (…) -> Download CSV function.  (The view can be exported all as a group and sorted later or can be filtered to show only one actual Record Group Number at a time and then exported once for each Record Group Number).

Export Container List

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will open the CSV file and resave as an Excel file under the UA Main Record Group number with the following filenaming conventions:

  • For all collection in a record group:

    • UA-XX_ ContainerList.xlsx

      • i.e. UA-01_ ContainerList.xlsx

  • For individual record group numbers (change all punctuation to underscores:

    • RecordGroupNumber_ SeriesTitle_ContainerList.xlsx

      • i.e. 3_8_43_UtahStateUniversityPhilosophyAndMissionReports_ContainerList.xlsx

If the entire main record group has been downloaded, split this into separate Excel files, one for each distinct record group – and name according to the instructions listed above.

Save this in Box under the SCA Barcoding Project folder for University Archives -> EAD Guides-> Main Record Group folder: https://usu.box.com/s/pqpidq0ginxm0mv1u95q97m3ovd2nh65 

Prepare Container List for EAD Guide

In a new Excel file, the EAD Consultant/Coordinator will convert to fields as outlined in the Finding Aid Guidelines & Manual instructions in Box. Refer to pages 7 – 10.  A sample EAD-DublinCore-Conversion Template in also available in Box. 

Prepare the EAD Guide

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will create a new EAD from the University Archives Template available in Box.  Refer to the Finding Aid Guidelines & Manual instructions in Box, pages 4-7.  Please note that these will be minimal level EAD guides and may not have all tag options filled.

Once the EAD guide and the container list are both created, merge them by inserting the container list into the <dsc> portion of the EAD guide.

Assigning ARKS and ARK URLS

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will assign an ARK to the EAD guide, by doing the following:

  1. Verify that scroll bar to the right is GREEN. If RED, find the problem and fix it. Once scrollbar is GREEN, save the document (making sure the EAD file is saved correctly (for example) UUS_mss666.xml (with NO SPACES.)

  2. Log onto Archives West

  3. Select ARK Request and request one (1) ARK at a time.

  4. Copy the ARK and ARK URL and place them in

    1. <eadid countrycode="US" encodinganalog="identifier" [type the word identifier "[INSERT THE ARK HERE]" and insert the ARK between the quotations] [type url="[INSERT ARK URL HERE] " mainagencycode="US-ULA"
                  publicid="-//Utah State University::Special Collections and Archives//TEXT (US::US-ULA::USU_COLLECTION CALL NUMBER::COLLECTION NAME AND DESCRIPTION (i.e. John S. Flannery papers)//EN">UUS_<!-- COLLECTION CALL NUMBER  [basically copy the filename --> .xml</eadid>

  5. SAVE file

  6. Copy ARK and ARK URL into the tracking spreadsheet into

    1. Airtable/Digitized Item Arks: https://airtable.com/shrNAFqwiReUXxtQW

      1. Specify district, collection title, date ARK requested

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will indicate that the collection has been converted into an EAD guide by going to the UA-XX view in the All Items tab in Airtable, and marking the date in the P3-Migrated to EAD field for each item in that collection. 

Additionally, when all collections in a record group have been migrated, the EAD Consultant/Coordinator will indicate that record group is finished in Airtable by going to the Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status tab and noting the data in the EAD Conversion End field and changing the Phase 3 (ArchivesSpace) status to 3-EAD Uploading. 

Upload the EAD Guide to ArchivesWest

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will indicate in Airtable the person who is assigned to the Archives West Uploading in the ArchivesWest Upload Assigned to field and the date of implementation in the ArchivesWest Upload Begin date field located in the Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status tab.

  1. Return to Archives West and select Document Validation and load the XML file. If document does not pass this validation stage, re-open the XML file and find the error(s).

  2. If document passes validation, select Compliance Checker. Scroll through to make sure there are no red text associated with a Mandatory or Required field. If no red, return to the Management Tools homepage.

  3. Select Document Submission and browse for the file,

    1. Select Add

    2. Select Upload Selected

  4. Review finding aid for any obvious mistakes, correct and repeat step 9.

  5. Move XML file to Box/SCA Department Files/EAD/003.2UUS Guides Uploaded [into the appropriate district’s folder].

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will indicate that the collection has been converted into an EAD guide by going to the UA-XX view in the All Items tab in Airtable, and marking the date in the P3-Migrated to EAD field for each item in that collection. 

Additionally, when all collections in a record group have been uploaded to ArchivesWest and to ArchivesSpace, the EAD Consultant/Coordinator will indicate that record group is finished in Airtable by going to the Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status tab and noting the data in the ArchivesWest Upload  Ends field.

Upload the EAD Guide to ArchivesSpace

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will indicate in Airtable the person who is assigned to the ArchivesSpace Uploading in the AS Upload Assigned to field and the activity start date in the AS Upload Begin date field located in the Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status tab.

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will login to ArchivesSpace using their credentials and following these steps:

  1. Click on Create -> Background jobs

  2. Select any Report (select any Report on the far-right hand side) and then go up to the Job Type again and select “Import Data”

    1. Note: this is a workaround due to errors that occur later.

  3. Select “EAD” from the Import Type field

  4. Add file by navigating to it or dragging and dropping the .xml file

  5. Click on queue job

  6. Let the import run and click on refresh page to see the progress

    1. If errors occur, read through JSON report to troubleshoot problems and repeat process until successful load

  7. Review the record including the container list, displayed at the top.  Ensure everything is displaying as expecting (included nested hierarchies)

  8. For all Agents

    1. Click on the Agent and the click “View”.

    2. Ensure that the record looks appropriate and the link to the guide under review is showing in the “Linked Record” section

    3. Click on “Edit” and check that the following is correct:

      1. Agent Type (if incorrect, delete agent record and re-enter by hand

      2. Source

      3. Rules

      4. Primary Part of Name

        1. Will likely need to split Primary and additional levels (Subordinate, etc.) Use the dialog box for instructions on what should appear in those fields.

      5. Save work on Agent record

      6. Return to the main resource record by going to “Browse” -> “Resources” and select from the list using the “Edit” button at the right.

  9. For all Subjects

    1. Click on the Subject and then click “View”.

    2. Ensure that the record looks appropriate and the link to the guide under review is showing in the “Linked Record” section

    3. Click on “Edit” and check that following is correct:

      1. Source

      2. Term

      3. Type

    4. Save work on Subject record

For each item uploaded, record the date it was uploaded in P3-Uploaded to AS field the UA-XX view of the All Items tab.

After an entire record group is uploaded to ArchivesSpace, the EAD Consultant/Coordinator will note the date in the AS Upload End Date field in the Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status tab.  Additionally, when both the ArchivesSpace and Archives West loads are completed, change the Phase 3 (ArchivesSpace) status to 4-Container/Location Attaching.

Add Containers and Locations to ArchivesSpace

EAD Consultant/Coordinator will indicate in Airtable the person who is assigned to the Container linking in the Container/Location Assigned to field and the activity start date in the Cont/Loc Started field located in the Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status tab.

EAD Consultant/Coordinator or the Student Technician will add containers for each circulating item or top container in the collection.  Pull up the correct collection by going to Browse” -> “Resources” and select from the list using the “Edit” button at the right.  For each top container that is displayed in the inventory list at the top of the page, perform the following steps:

  1. At the top of the page is the hierarchy view.  Click on the top container (usually a box) and scroll down to the bottom of the page where “Instances” are noted

  2. Click on the blue highlighted “Top Container”, then click view.

  3. Select Edit from the top left-hand corner

  4. Referring to Airtable, record the following:

    1. Container Profile:

      1. Click on the drop-down arrow and the click “Browse”

      2. Using the Container Type in Airtable, select the corresponding item

        1. Note: Only standard Box and Folder sizes have been created in ArchivesSpace.  Any non-standard item (where container types are listed in Airtable as Book/Bound volumes, Other, Other (oversize), or Individual item) will need to have new containers profiles created. Please refer these items to the EAD Coordinator.

      3. Click on “Link to Container Profile”

    2. Barcode:

      1. Using the Barcode field in Airtable, copy and paste the correct barcode

    3. Location:

      1. Click on “Add Location”

      2. Using the Subdistrict field in Airtable, select the appropriate location profile from the “Location” box at the bottom (options for University Archives are: Main Shelving, Oversize, Extra Storage, or BARN)

        1. Note: Refer to the “Subdstrict” field in Airtable to determine if the item was housed in the BARN

  5. Click on Save Top Container

  6. Repeat for all items in the collection

  7. Note: After you have selected the Box # in the hierarchical view, ArchivesSpace opens the “Instance” or Box information into another tab.  This comes in handy when you need to assign multiple Top Containers in the same Resource. To avoid re-searching for your Resource when entering multiple Top Containers, save the Top Container information and close out that tab and return to the previous tab which you can then select the next box to be linked

  8. For each item, indicate the date the container was added in P3-Containers Added in the UA-XX view of the All Items tab.

After an entire record group is uploaded to ArchivesSpace, the EAD Consultant/Coordinator will note the date in the Cont/Loc Finished field in the Phase 3 – ArchivesSpace – Status tab.