Reviewing Vendor-Encoded Finding Aids

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Reviewing Vendor-Encoded Finding Aids

• Elizabeth Nielsen
• OSU Archives
• NWDA Project Directors
• 6 April 2006

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Prepare Instructions

• General instructions for each type of finding aid
• Specific instructions for each finding aid
  pointing out various idiosyncrasies
• Note For NWDA1, OSU Archives only had container
  lists encoded by vendor.

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Review of Vendor-Encoded Finding Aids

• Does it validate?
• Was the full finding aid encoded? (Does it
  include all series?) Compared our finding aid
  with EAD file not line-by-line, but by
  scrolling.
• Box breaks in correct place?
• Were specific instructions for this finding aid
  addressed?
• Common mistake Breaking wrapped line of text
  into two ltc0xgt elements.

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General Thoughts

• Critical to have staff availability during review
  period to respond quickly to vendor. Phase I
  vendor responded to review in most cases within
  12-24 hours.
• The more eyes that review a finding aid, the more
  likely you are to catch errors/mistakes.
• Be careful that you dont spend time improving
  the content of the finding aid.

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For OCRed finding aids (from hard copy)

• Advice from University of Washington
• Had student check line-by-line for common
  mistakes with numbers 3 and 8 often mixed
  up also 4 and 9 were problematic.
• Determine in advance how many and what kind of
  errors you are willing to tolerate. Inaccurate
  box/folder numbers may be more important than
  stray apostrophes or commas.

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Questions?

• Elizabeth Nielsen
• Elizabeth.nielsen_at_oregonstate.edu
• 541.737.0543