Search

The development and implementation of a new digital collections system built on the Linked Data Platform has provided University of Maryland Libraries with an ideal opportunity to prototype and test ways to model local corporate name authorities in RDF. This includes assessing the local corporate names metadata, reconciling these names against existing authorities, and devising and executing an RDF model for unreconciled names in support of the new linked data environment.

When the AFL-CIO collection was acquired, University of Maryland Libraries received a database export of all the metadata associated with the materials. While we already had a proven process for transforming our local metadata from our migration from The Beast (Access Database) into ArchivesSPace, this process would not apply, as the metadata in the case of AFL-CIO was given to us in a different format. In this presentation I will outline the challenges of transforming the metadata and describe the transformation workflows. Specifically, I will show the tool (Stead) that was modified and used for the majority of the transformation work, as well as review the other steps, tips, and tools I utilized to format the metadata for optimal import into ArchivesSpace.

ArchivesSpace is quickly becoming the preferred software for managing archival collections. As such, institutions are grappling with the challenges that come from migrating years of legacy collection metadata into ArchivesSpace as well as from integrating ArchivesSpace with other software systems. While pathways exist to migrate data between ArchivesSpace and a small number of other systems, working archivists use a much broader set of tools to manage and provide access to their collections. In this panel, archivists of all experience levels will describe ways they implemented and integrated ArchivesSpace with other tools and developed work-arounds when the tools were not a natural fit.

For the past year, the Discovery Committee has been working on creating a new search interface for the libraries using NCSU Libraries' QuickSearch, an open-source application. This poster will provide an update on the progress the group has made and will include a live demo and usability testing of the in-development application.

Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) at University of Maryland Libraries collects performing arts materials that preserve performance practice, instruction, and scholarship, including the full scope of audiovisual (AV) formats. The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange Archives at SCPA contains, among common print archival materials, a significant number of AV materials including performances, workshops, and choreography demonstrations. This collection of AV materials is exemplar of the numerous challenges facing AV digitization and preservation projects in university libraries and archives. The collection poses several metadata challenges as metadata standards and best practices for video materials lag behind those for audio and text materials. Additionally, archival collections are often not described to the item level, but in digitization projects, item level metadata is frequently expected to aid in discovery. Likewise, there are technical and personnel challenges in working with a vendor in creating a contract, negotiating the statement of work, scheduling the project, and gaining the staff necessary to support a new project or digitization initiative within a subject area. All of these issues cause angst and uncertainty when making decisions, at times leaving us wondering: “Are we doing enough?” In our presentation, we will outline the decisions we made for this project, our ultimate workflow, and our lessons learned moving forward.

Geospatial data and methodologies are becoming increasingly popular in fields beyond Geography. The exponential increase in geospatial data sets available to users and varied platforms on which they are served can make data searches difficult and leave some data undiscovered, particularly for users with more limited knowledge of geospatial data sources. The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which provides unique opportunities for and supports collaborative efforts among Big Ten member universities plus the University of Chicago, initiated the CIC Geospatial Data Discovery Project to enhance geospatial data discoverability and access among member institutions. Nine of the fifteen institutions have come together to develop and populate a geoportal for use by all member institutions. GeoBlacklight was identified as the best architecture option for the geoportal due to its open-source platform, strong development community and documentation, intuitive interface, and easy metadata integration. Institutions have developed workflows for identifying candidate geospatial datasets and harvesting and converting associated metadata records. Selected datasets include substantial state-specific geospatial data holdings along with georeferenced map collections. The collaborative nature of this project serves to reduce workload among individual institutions, simply workflow, encourage communication between institutions, and increase geospatial data collections for each institution.