Evolution of Access to
OSU Archives , 1991-2003
Non-Traditional Partnerships for Access to
Collections
Oregon Library Association
Corvallis, Oregon
April 25, 2003
Elizabeth Nielsen, Senior Staff Archivist
Oregon State University Libraries
http://osulibrary.orst.edu/archives/
Overview
• How we currently provide information about
archival materials; how this access has
evolved during the past ~12 years at OSU;
future forms of access.
• Differences between describing archival
materials and more typical library materials.
• How these processes can be applied to other
atypical collections in public and academic
libraries.
Collaborators
•
•
•
•
Debbie Hackleman
Richard Sapon-White
Larry Landis
Karl McCreary and Faye Harkins
Why?
• To inform potential users/patrons about
collections.
• To enhance access/use of collections by
providing more detailed information.
• Especially important for archival
collections which are not “browsable”
and with which most patrons are not
familiar.
OSU Archives
• Established in 1961 within the Library.
• Transferred to central administration in
late 1960s.
• Became a department of the University
Libraries in Sept 2000.
• Located in Kerr Administration Building
from early 1970s until summer 2003.
Archives Collections
• Record Groups
• Manuscript Collections
• Photographic and Moving Image
Materials
• Collection strengths include forestry,
wildlife conservation, and agriculture.
• Photographic collections document the
people and places of Oregon.
Principles for Description of
Archival Materials
• Different materials best served by
different types/levels of description.
• Collection-level.
• Hierarchical.
• Item-level description only for certain
materials (e.g. photographs).
What’s a Finding Aid?
• Document that describes an archives
collection.
• Two parts:
– Collection-level information.
– Inventory or container list at folder- (or
item-) level.
Challenges of Automation
• Archivists have modified finding aids
format to best fit materials they are
describing.
• For automation, format needs to be
standardized.
Examples of Finding Aids
• College of Home Economics and
Education Records (RG 141)
• William H. Carlson Papers
• Helen M. Gilkey Papers
• Gifford Photographic Collection (P 218)
• Herbarium Photographs (P 93)
Development of OSU Archives’
Finding Aids
• 1990 – no finding aids in electronic
form
• 1991 – convert existing finding aids into
digital form via OCR and re-keying
• 1993 – Gopher
• 1995 – World Wide Web
Remember Gophers?
• Client-server application.
• No graphics; no hyperlinks; limit of
25kB (!!) to file size.
• Archives was early adopter at OSU.
• June 1993 – OSU Archives and Records
Management Gopher became available
to on- and off-campus internet users.
WWW
• Archives website launched in 1995.
• One of first college/university archives
websites and one of first extensive uses
of the OSU campus website.
• Offered graphics, hyperlinking, and
much larger file capability.
• Initially linked to gopher server for
many of finding aids.
Gopher’s Demise
• Maintained both Gopher and WWW for
~ 18 months.
• Gradually shifted to WWW as preferred
provider.
• OSU Gopher discontinued March 1,
1997.
Need More than Finding Aids
• Need access point that reaches broader
audience than finding aids in repository
or on web server.
• Especially need way to inform “typical”
library user of archival materials.
• Union catalogs will reach patrons away
from our campus.
Archivists Struggle with MARC
Records
• Limited length (especially of note
fields).
• Difficulty in applying MARC format to
archival and manuscript materials.
… But we knew it was an important step.
Development of OSU Archives’
MARC Records
• 1970s/early 1980s – few records
submitted to NUCMC
• 1991 – Archives purchased
microMARC.amc
• 1992 – staff training in MARC cataloging
for archival materials
• 1993 – began working with Library staff
…
MARC Records … cont’d.
• mid-1990s – experimentation phase; efforts
concentrated on WWW; maybe didn’t need
MARC records?
• 1994-1997 – submitted ~40 records to
NUCMC
• 1998-1999 – Library migrated from GEAC to
III automation system and became an Orbis
member
• Technology now allowed for linking from
MARC records to full finding aid
MARC Records …
• Y2K – MicroMARC.amc not Y2K
compliant
• 2000 –jump-started collaboration with
Libraries coincident with administrative
transfer in fall
• Sept 2000 – loaded first MARC records
to OASIS, Orbis, and OCLC
Current Procedure
• Initial record created (using CatMe) by
Archives staff person who prepares finding
aid; reviewed by other Archives’ staff.
• Draft record reviewed by Catalog Librarian
(Richard Sapon-White).
• Modifications are made by Archives’ staff.
• Record is loaded by Richard to OASIS, Orbis,
and OCLC.
Progress to Date
• 114 catalog records
– 72 manuscript collections
– 42 record groups
Examples
• Ava Milam Clark (browse)
• Search Home Economics
What Does the Future Hold?
• Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
• Digital Library Projects
– Braceros in Oregon Photograph Collection
What’s EAD?
A set of rules for designating the
intellectual and physical parts of
archival finding aids so that the
information can be searched, retrieved,
displayed and exchanged in a
predictable, platform-independent
manner.
XML format.
Northwest Digital Archives
(NWDA)
Database of EAD finding aids from 13
institutions in Oregon, Washington,
Montana, and Idaho being developed
with grant from National Endowment
for the Humanities.
Requirement of the grant that all finding
aids also be represented by collectionlevel MARC records.
Braceros in Oregon
Photograph Collection
• Digital Library project within OSU
Libraries to provide enhanced access to
heavily used collection of photographs.
• Searchable web interface to scanned
images.
• MARC record for full collection.
Application to Other
Collections
•
•
•
•
Vertical Files
Pamphlet Files
Poster Collections
Any integrated group of materials with
common features that benefits from
collection-level as well as more detailed
description.
Lessons Learned
• Archives couldn’t do this alone.
• All much easier after we joined Libraries.
• Two-pronged approach works well; MARC
record linked to finding aid.
• Always be alert regarding migration issues of
proprietary software.
• Be poised to take advantage of new
technologies/opportunities.
• Persistence pays off.
Thank You.
Elizabeth Nielsen
Elizabeth.nielsen@orst.edu
541-737-0543