[Web4lib] EAD creation tools

[Thomas Bennett]

You might want to take a look at the tools at NCECHO and the NCEAD 2002 tools.

http://www.ncecho.org/dig/ncead.shtml#tools


IMHO this is a very user freindly set of tools.  I didn't see anything about 
licensing but you should contact them just to make sure.  It can use the free 
version of NoteTab (NoteTab  lite).  The tools include downloads of their Clip 
Libraries and Templates for NoteTab.  The Clip Libraries allow you to fill in 
forms that eventually create your xml file.

They do offer 2 day workshops but I don't see any scheduled right now, there is 
a contact email though. Just about all of our lists of manuscript pages were 
created using these tools.  See the list at 

http://www.library.appstate.edu/appcoll/list.html

All the xml files go through server side xlt processing but you can remove 
/ead2html at the end of the URL to see the XML file and XML source.  There is 
an issue with the dtd files we have that appears to do some recursion so if it 
doesn't go through the server side processing the info in the top right corner 
doesn't appear, this may have been due to some local edits. 

Its worth looking at.

Thomas


On Monday 15 February 2010 12:15:47 Caitlin Nelson wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
> 
> We are looking for more information about any tools people are using for
>  EAD / Finding Aid creation.  Ideally we're looking for a user-friendly
>  interface for inputting collection information which can then export or
>  spit out a proper EAD XML file; in a fantasy world it would also have some
>  kind of "bulk" features.
> 
> In my experience, the way to get the best EAD file is to have someone
> familiar with code create it or at least look it over after automatic
> creation.  However, training time and cost is a factor and something that
> has more of a drop-down menu or fill-in-the-blank type interface would be
> easier to hand over to, say, interns or student workers for data entry.
> 
> Archon can do this, but we've found some limits to its functionality.  At
> one point in time we had a home-grown template system using NoteTab, but
> again it had its limits.
> 
> Any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated!  Thanks so much,
> 
> Caitlin Nelson
> 

-- 
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Thomas McMillan Grant Bennett           Appalachian State University
Operations & Systems Analyst            P O Box 32026
University Library                                Boone, North Carolina 28608
(828) 262 6587

Library Systems Help Desk: https://www.library.appstate.edu/help/
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