Optimizing PastPerfect for
Archival Description
CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN
HCI-PSAR Project Surveyor
Item vs. Collection
Dear Chas:
Yours,
John.
All images from http://openclipart.org
Dear John:
Dear Chas:
Yours,
Chas.
Yours,
John.
Key Concepts for Archival
Description
1. Provenance and Original Order
2. Hierarchical Arrangement and Description
3. Metadata Standards
Provenance and Original Order
 Provenance: keep
Dear Chas:
documents grouped into
collections by creator
 Original order: respect
original order
established by creator
[note: rule doesn’t
extend to original
DISorder]
Yours,
John.
Dear John:
Dear Chas:
Yours,
Chas.
Yours,
John.
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

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)
Using PastPerfect for Archival
Description
PastPerfect Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
 Good for museum/item
 Not ideal for archival




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
description
 Relatively inexpensive,
but not free: $870 , or
discounted to $696 for
AASLH members ($115
to join AASLH)
Item-level cataloging sometimes makes
sense in archives, e.g. for photographs
In archival description...
Collection is King
S t a r t b y c r e a t i n g a r e c o r d f o r
the COLLECTION as a whole!
A d d i n g l o w e r - l e v e l d e s c r i p t i o n i s
optional depending on the complexity
and importance of the collection
Open Archives Catalog and Add New Record
Basic Information and Identity Statement Tab
Lower-Level Description
Lower-level description is not necessary,
but it is recommended for complex and/or
important collections
Lower-Level Description in PastPerfect
Container List
Linked Records
 Simple to use
 More complicated
 Printed report is more
 Printed report can be
straightforward
 Only allows one level of
hierarchy
 Limited metadata
(description) options
confusing
 Unlimited hierarchy
levels
 As many metadata
options as at collection
level
Nuclear Option
Word-Processor
Archivists’ Toolkit
 You’re already an
 Easy to use once you




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




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
Container List
 Two hierarchy levels
 Minimal description at lower levels
 Comfortable, but not expert with PastPerfect
Container List Step 1
Container List Step 2
Container List Report
Linked Records
 More than two hierarchy levels
 Maximal description at lower levels
 Expert with PastPerfect
General Pointers for Linked Records
 Stay in the Archives Catalog
 Recommend multi-part Object ID




(collection=PM.01; series=PM.01.A; etc.)
Enter the unit level (e.g., "Series," "Sub-series,"
"File") as object name
Don’t 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
Example of Lower Level Record
How to Link a Record
3. Click the “Create
Link” button
Linked Records Report
External Finding Aid
 Format conducive to archival description
 Don’t mind juggling two programs
Attach External Finding Aid to
Collection Record in PastPerfect
.
Link to Online Finding Aid in PastPerfect
Collection Record
Word Processor
Archivists’ Toolkit
ArchivesSpace
Resources
Archival Description with PastPerfect
 Witt, Betsy S., Jennifer C. Whitfield, and Adam J.
Stepansky. PastPerfect Software for Museum
Collections, Version 5 User’s 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/1143
7110/UMBCProcessing_Description.pdf?version=1&
modificationDate=1279567785000.
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/p
rocess/index.html).
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/wpcontent/uploads/2009/07/PACSCL_Archivists_Too
lkit_Guide.pdf)
 Installing AT: Holly Mengel and Courtney Smerz,
Installing the Archivists’ Toolkit and MySQL and
Connecting the Two (http://clir.pacscl.org/wpcontent/uploads/2009/07/install_MySQL_AT.pdf
 Stay tuned for ArchivesSpace: www.archivesspace.org
Optimizing PastPerfect for
Archival Description
CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN
Project Surveyor
Hidden Collections Initiative for
Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
ccaustellenbogen@hsp.org
http://www.hsp.org/hcipsar