Cataloguing and Data Sharing:
Getting the Most Out of Archives Management
Software
Joanna Rae
Ellen Bazeley-White
British Antarctic Survey
High Cross, Madingley Road
Cambridge, CB3 0ET
basarchives@bas.ac.uk
01223 221400
Introduction
This poster outlines the work of a project to develop Modes Complete cataloguing software to meet the needs of archivists wanting to make use of
shared data portals. The latest version of the software (XML based and already popular in the museum world) provides excellent tools for managing
mixed collections in environments where packages such as CALM and Adlib are not appropriate.
Led by archivists from the British Antarctic Survey and Scott Polar Research Institute, working with Modes developers, the aim is to capitalise on the
low-cost/high functionality of Modes Complete, whilst enabling one-click data exchange with other systems and data portals such as the Archives Hub.
The Challenges
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Limited financial resources for archive software
Mixed collections - advantages of using a single cataloguing system
Compliance with a variety of descriptive standards e.g. ISAD, EAD,
ISO19115, Spectrum
Increasing need to exchange data with a variety of other systems for
different purposes and provide open linked data
• Archive descriptions for Archives Hub
• Science data descriptions for data management portals
Easy, quick data entry and searching/browsing functions
Easy access to digital objects - images, documents, video, audio files
Access external and in-house term lists and validation rules to
standardise data entry
Online public access to database
A selection of records from the archives
Photograph and map catalogue
entries with linked image - shown
enlarged on split screen
Modes complete meets most of these and is already used by British
Antarctic Survey and Scott Polar Research Institute.
Existing Modes hierarchical
browse view
New hierarchical navigation view. Under
development – test data! Can be linked to the data
entry screen for reference when entering data
Project Targets and Progress
Completed
• Agree sub-set of the standard Modes Complete
XML data elements for archival descriptions
In Progress
• Map the elements to ISAD(G), Archives Hub,
EAD, INSPIRE
• Create standard data entry templates & example
records (for different levels and types of
document)
• Develop ability to browse by archival hierarchy
• Develop Open Linked Data
To Do
• Create one-click export for bulk upload to
Archives Hub (already exists for export of
museum data to the Culture Grid)
• Start a specialist user group for archivists – an
email liaison group exists
• Create standard views and reports
Culture Grid – Already Only a Click Away from any
Modes Database
The Culture Grid is the museum world’s equivalent of
the Archives Hub.
A standard Modes report (an XSLT style sheet) takes
data from predetermined ‘fields’ in the database and
embeds them in an xml document, structured to
present the data as required for import to the Grid.
The resulting file is emailed.
The same methodology will export data to the
Archives Hub – development to be started soon.
Screen shot showing export method for exchange
with Culture Grid
Project Partners
British Antarctic Survey Archives Service - http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/archives
Scott Polar Research Institute – http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/library/archives/
Modes User Association – http://www.modes.org.uk/
Working with a small group of archives services interested in the development
Scott Polar Research Institute
For more information: Email: basarchives@bas.ac.uk