Step 2: Description and Arrangement

The Appraisal tab makes use of an integration with ArchivesSpace to allow archivists to arrange and describe digital content. This integration permits archivists to:

• • Review, create, edit and even delete archival description from ArchivesSpace directly within Archivematica (with information being written back to ArchivesSpace by an "archivematica' user via its API) without having to switch between applications/browser windows.

  • Drag and drop content from the Backlog pane onto archival description in the ArchivesSpace pane, thereby associating data with metadata (and also establishing a Submission Information Package ready to undergo Archivematica's Ingest procedures).

Note

All description of digital materials in the ArchivesSpace pane of Archivematica should follow conventions established in the Bentley Historical Library's description guidelines.

Preliminaries

Search the ArchivesSpace pane to pull up the appropriate Resource:

• In the search by Resource Identifier (call number) option, you may search either for the exact call number (e.g., "033 Bimu 2") or include an asterisk after the first portion (e.g., "033*").

Note

There must be a Resource record in ArchivesSpace--even if only the top-level resource or an outline with a minimum of Archival Objects--in order to begin the description and arrangement process.

• Alternatively, use the search by Title option. Here, searches are not looking for exact matches. As such, a search for "women in engineering" brings up several additional resources that just have "women" or "engineering" in the title.

A Resource with existing hierarchy can be expanded by clicking on the arrow next to the Archival Object title. To collapse that hierarchy, click again on the arrow.

Note

For larger resources, ArchivesSpace may take longer to load. Archivematica will indicate that ArchiveSpace is loading with a "throbber" (a spinning wheel to the right of the word "ArchivesSpace" in the ArchivesSpace pane). Please be patient!

Note

Archival Objects without children will not have an arrow or folder icon next to their title.

Descriptive Metadata

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) offers the following definition of archival description:

The process of analyzing, organizing and recording details about the formal elements of a record or collections of records, such as creator, title, dates and contents, to facilitate the work's identification, management and understanding.

In ArchivesSpace, this type of description is added to intellectual entities called Archival Objects.

Add New Child Record

As with physical or analog material, archivists must create intellectual entities called Archival Objects in ArchivesSpace that describe the digital content in a transfer. These intellectual entities will eventually get digital object instances (just like physical or analog material get physical instances with containers, locations, etc.). Clicking the "Add New Child Record" button in the ArchivesSpace pane generates a child Archival Object component on an existing Archival Object component in ArchivesSpace.

In general, archivists should be creating new archival objects for digital content. When a component contains both physical and digital material that are NOT identical (e.g., physical and digital photos from a given time period that aren't duplicates), ensure that it contains two children, one component for the physical material, and one for the digital.

When adding a new child record, always fill out the following fields:

• • Title (free text)--if this is a proper title, add the <title /> tag (with "italic" in the "render" attribute) in ArchivesSpace

  • Level of Description (drop-down)--this will almost always be "file"

  • General Note/Abstract (free text) -- only use this field if applicable. See the Bentley's general descriptive guidelines for guidance on using general notes.

  • Date Expression (free text)--use "undated" if not known

  • Start and end dates (calendar)--unless "undated"

If the item is restricted, fill out a free text conditions governing access note (with <date /> tags). Please use Bentley Historical Library conventions for crafting Conditions Governing Access notes. Note that a "Local Access Restriction Type" will also need to be selected in ArchivesSpace after the archival object has been created. You may expand the General and Conditions Governing Access note fields by clicking and dragging the bottom right corner.

Note

If working with restricted material, please be sure to follow the guidelines for working with born-digital A/V material and other types of restricted material.

After you click Save, Archivematica will write the Archival Object to the appropriate Resource in ArchivesSpace. If you do not want to save your work, you may cancel by clicking Cancel.

Edit Metadata

In order to edit an existing Archival Object, select an Archival Object by clicking on its title and click Edit Metadata. Edit the free text title and edit the Level of description form the drop-down. Optionally, edit the free text general note or free text conditions governing access note.

After you click Save, Archivematica will write the Archival Object to the appropriate Resource in ArchivesSpace. You may cancel by clicking Cancel.

Again, fill out the following fields:

• • Title--if this is a proper, add the <title /> tag (with "italic" in the "render" attribute) in ArchivesSpace

  • Level of Description--this will almost always be "file"

  • General Note (Abstract)

Note

You are not able to edit dates in the "Edit Metadata" modal. Create or edit them in ArchivesSpace instead.

If this item will be restricted (and you fill out a PREMIS Rights Statement), be sure to include a Conditions Governing Access Note (with <date /> tags). Please use Bentley Historical Library conventions for crafting Conditions Governing Access notes.

Note

If working with restricted material, please be sure to follow the guidelines for working with born-digital A/V material and other types of restricted material.

Add New Digital Object

In order to associate digital objects with intellectual entities, object entities called Digital Object instances must be added to the Archival Objects you just created, and to which digital objects will eventually be dragged. To add a new digital object to an existing Archival Object, select an Archival Object by clicking on its title and click Add New Digital Object. It will automatically get added as a child to the parent Archival Object.

Deleting Archival Objects and Digital Objects

To delete an Archival Object, select an Archival Object by clicking its title and click Delete selected. At the prompt, select Yes to delete or Cancel to cancel. Note that by default, the "archivematica" user in ArchivesSpace does not have privileges to delete.

Note

Note that by default, the "archivematica" user, like those users who belong to the Processors group in ArchivesSpace, does not have privileges to delete Archival Objects or Digital Objects. Please see the Archivist for Metadata and Digital Curation if you believe you've made a mistake and need to delete something in ArchivesSpace.

Arrangement

The SAA also offers this definition of arrangement: 

The process of organizing materials with respect to their provenance and original order, to protect their context and to achieve physical or intellectual control. 

The organization and sequence of items within a collection.

Digital material in the Backlog pane can be arranged by dragging and dropping it onto ArchivesSpace Archival Objects in the ArchivesSpace pane. It may be beneficial to toggle off the Analysis and File list panes.

Faceting By Tags

While not necessary to arrange digital objects, the ability to facet the Backlog pane by tags is meant to facilitate arrangement. To facet by tag, select a tag from the Tags drop-down menu. To see additional files with different tags, simply select additional tags from the drop-down. Remove facets by clicking the X sign. You can facilitate finding files with these tags by using the "Expand all" button.

Note

While selecting these facets will ensure that only files with those facets remain in the backlog, archivists will still need to "hunt" through the directory structure to find them.

Arrangement to ArchivesSpace

Before arranging files or folders from the Backlog pane to the ArchivesSpace pane, ensure that a Digital Object has been added. See Add New Digital Object for more information. Click and drag the file or folder onto a digital object component. We will typically associate content at the folder-level with intellectual entities in ArchivesSpace.

Note

Only one file or folder may be dragged at a time, although more than one file or folder may be added to an individual component.

Digital Objects from Removable Media

We maintain a connection between digital objects and their source media in part structuring AIPs coming from removable media in a particular way. When dragging and dropping content from source media, drag the entire barcoded folder (including the "Metadata" folder).

In the ArchivesSpace pane, navigate to the "Metadata" folder a delete the "media-removal.html" and "[barcode].notes.txt" files, leaving the image of the source media.

Separations

For the time being, any material that should be separated will simply be left in the Backlog pane. For material coming from one of the Removable Media Workstations, be sure not to arrange any "media-removal.html" files that were generated to be included in physical folders or any "notes.txt" used to store appraisal/processing notes.

Record separations on the Separation Record sheet, ensuring that you describe what was discarded, how much (e.g., in MB, KB or GB) and why; the Lead Archivist for Collection Management will ensure that this information is recorded in ArchivesSpace. If the donor has requested that separated materials be returned, work with the Archivist for Metadata and Digital Curation to come of with the best strategy for doing so.

Once all AIPs have been generated from a given transfer, request deletion of the remainder of that transfer in the Backlog pane. See the Tracking Deposits section of the Deposit to Deep Blue step for more information.

[return to top]