CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN

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Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description

• CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN
• HCI-PSAR Project Surveyor

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Item vs. Collection
Dear Chas Yours, John.
Dear John Yours, Chas.
Dear Chas Yours, John.
All images from http//openclipart.org
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Key Concepts for Archival Description

1. Provenance and Original Order
2. Hierarchical Arrangement and Description
3. Metadata Standards

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Provenance and Original Order

• Provenance keep documents grouped into
  collections by creator
• Original order respect original order
  established by creator note rule doesnt extend
  to original DISorder

Dear Chas Yours, John.
Dear John Yours, Chas.
Dear Chas Yours, John.
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Hierarchical Organization and Description

• Series I. Correspondence
• Subseries A. Personal correspondence
• Note Letters are arranged in chronological
  order
• Subseries B. Business correspondence
• Note Letters are arranged in alphabetical
  order by sender
• Series II. Photographs
• Subseries A. Family photographs
• Subseries B. Nature photographs
• Folder 1. Wissahickon Creek photographs
• Folder 2. Photographs of birds
• Folder 3. Garden photographs

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Metadata Data About Data

• Important for Archival Description

• Recommended Additional Metadata

• Collection number/ID
• Name of repository
• Title of collection
• Dates of collection
• Extent (size) of collection
• Name of creator
• Scope and contents note
• Conditions governing access
• Language of materials

• Source of acquisition
• Biographical/historical note
• Subjects (access points" or keywords and names)
• Shelf location
• Related archival materials
• Other finding aids
• Cataloger
• Condition (private)

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Using PastPerfect for Archival Description
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PastPerfect Pros and Cons

• Pros

• Cons

• Good for museum/item description
• Unified catalog
• Loans, development, other modules built in
• Widely used by small history orgs and approved by
  AASLH
• Easy add-on digital exhibition module

• Not ideal for archival description
• Relatively inexpensive, but not free 870 , or
  discounted to 696 for AASLH members (115 to
  join AASLH)

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Item-level cataloging sometimes makes sense in
archives, e.g. for photographs
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In archival description...Collection is King

• Start by creating a record for the COLLECTION as
  a whole!
• Adding lower-level description is optional
  depending on the complexity and importance of the
  collection

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Open Archives Catalog and Add New Record
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Basic Information and Identity Statement Tab
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Lower-Level Description

• Lower-level description is not necessary, but it
  is recommended for complex and/or important
  collections

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Lower-Level Description in PastPerfect

• Container List

• Linked Records

• More complicated
• Printed report can be confusing
• Unlimited hierarchy levels
• As many metadata options as at collection level

• Simple to use
• Printed report is more straightforward
• Only allows one level of hierarchy
• Limited metadata (description) options

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Nuclear Option

• Word-Processor

• Archivists Toolkit

• Youre already an expert
• Already set-up
• Free to format however you would like
• Unlimited hierarchy and metadata possible
• Easy to post online but not on PACSCL website

• Easy to use once you get the hang of it
• Set-up may require IT assistance
• Proper format built-in
• Unlimited hierarchy and metadata possible
• Generates file type for PACSCL website

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Container List

• Two hierarchy levels
• Minimal description at lower levels
• Comfortable, but not expert with PastPerfect

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Container List Step 1
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Container List Step 2
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Container List Report
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Linked Records

• More than two hierarchy levels
• Maximal description at lower levels
• Expert with PastPerfect

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General Pointers for Linked Records

• Stay in the Archives Catalog
• Recommend multi-part Object ID
  (collectionPM.01 seriesPM.01.A etc.)
• Enter the unit level (e.g., "Series,"
  "Sub-series," "File") as object name
• Dont repeat metadata info that already exists at
  higher level (such as Language, Creator, etc.)
• Fill in the Collection name at the top of the
  screen this will make it easier to use the
  browse view
• You need to create lower level records and link
  UP through the hierarchy

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Example of Lower Level Record
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How to Link a Record
3. Click the Create Link button
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Linked Records Report
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External Finding Aid

• Format conducive to archival description
• Dont mind juggling two programs

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Attach External Finding Aid to Collection Record
in PastPerfect .
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Link to Online Finding Aid in PastPerfect
Collection Record
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Word Processor
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Archivists Toolkit
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ArchivesSpace
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Resources
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Archival Description with PastPerfect

• Witt, Betsy S., Jennifer C. Whitfield, and Adam
  J. Stepansky. PastPerfect Software for Museum
  Collections, Version 5 Users Guide, 3rd edition.
  PastPerfect Software, Inc., 2011.
  http//www.museumsoftware.com/userguide.shtml.
• University of Maryland, Baltimore County Special
  Collections, Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery.
  Archives Processing Manual Description. 2010.
  https//wiki.umbc.edu/download/attachments/1143711
  0/UMBCProcessing_Description.pdf?version1modific
  ationDate1279567785000.

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General Archival Description

• Kathleen D. Roe, Arranging and Describing
  Archives and Manuscripts (Archival Fundamentals
  Series II Chicago Society of American
  Archivists, 2005)
• David W. Carmicheal, Organizing Archival Records
  A Practical Method of Arrangement Description
  for Small Archives (2nd edition Walnut Creek,
  CA AltaMira Press, 2004)
• Yale University-Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript
  Library, Archival Processing Manual (1997
  http//www.library.yale.edu/beinecke/manuscript/pr
  ocess/index.html).

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Archivists Toolkit

• http//www.archiviststoolkit.org/
• Using AT Holly Mengel and Courtney Smerz, Hidden
  Collections Processing Project Guide to the
  Archivists Toolkit (http//clir.pacscl.org/wp-con
  tent/uploads/2009/07/PACSCL_Archivists_Toolkit_Gui
  de.pdf)
• Installing AT Holly Mengel and Courtney Smerz,
  Installing the Archivists Toolkit and MySQL and
  Connecting the Two (http//clir.pacscl.org/wp-cont
  ent/uploads/2009/07/install_MySQL_AT.pdf
• Stay tuned for ArchivesSpace www.archivesspace.or
  g

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Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description

• CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN
• Project Surveyor
• Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania
  Small Archival Repositories
• Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• ccaustellenbogen_at_hsp.org
• http//www.hsp.org/hcipsar