Resource Guide for California University Archivists

Introduction

Here you will find information helpful for those involved with archives at the Universities of California (UC) campuses. Groups and committees involved with archives at UC are listed. Much of this information is also helpful for those working in archives outside of the UC Libraries system. Included are associations that are dedicated to the archivist profession. Some of these organizations publish journals which are available through library databases and membership subscriptions. Software and software development sites for the field are included. Standards used and tools available are listed. Policy information and best practices applicable to UC Archivists can be explored by going to the associations and committees listed sites.

The UC California's Digital Archives site is highlighted as well as the University Librarians site. These sites are crucial to those wanting to keep up with where the University is going with archiving. UC is digitizing its important one of a kind collections as well as making guides available to the world through it's online database the Online Archives of California (OAC). OAC is a service for California libraries, archives, historical societies, and museums. UC archivists are also working with other repositories which are important for archivists to be aware of.

Please make note of the last updated date on this site as digital archiving at the UC libraries is evolving and changes can be important to note. It is the plan for this reader to offer current technical information from some of the groups important to UC's archiving activities. Technology is evolving and it is the hope of this guide to help with these changes along with connecting archivist to organizations rooted in sound archival practices.

Associations

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

http://www2.archivists.org about - Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists is North America's oldest and largest national archival professional association. SAA's mission is to serve the educational and informational needs of more than 5,500 individual and institutional members and to provide leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of records of historical value. Publications include The American Archivist.

Society of California Archivists (SCA)

http://www.calarchivists.org about - The Society of California Archivists, formed in 1971, is a professional association devoted to the support and development of individuals and institutions that collect, care for, and provide access to the documentary heritage of California and adjoining areas.

This society is part of the Western regional archives organization which publishes the Journal of Western Archives.

Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC)

http://www.ucop.edu/lauc bylaws -The Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC) is recognized as an official unit of the University as stated in the Presidential Statement on the Status of the Librarians Association of the University of California.

California Digital Library (CDL)

http://www.cdlib.org about - The CDL was founded by the University of California in 1997 to take advantage of emerging technologies that were transforming the way digital information was being published and accessed. Since then, in collaboration with the UC libraries and other partners, we assembled one of the world’s largest digital research libraries and changed the ways that faculty, students, and researchers discover and access information.

The University of California Libraries (UC Libraries)

http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/ about - UC Libraries Great universities have great libraries. The University of California libraries comprise world-class collections and innovative services. More than 100 libraries on the 10 UC campuses support the University's teaching and research. Collectively, the UC libraries make up the largest research/academic library in the world, with over 35 million volumes in their holdings and significant digital collections.

HathiTrust

http://www.hathitrust.org/about about - HathiTrust is a partnership of major research institutions and libraries working to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future. There are more than fifty partners in HathiTrust, and membership is open to institutions worldwide.

OCLC

http://www.oclc.org/us/en/default.htm purpose - OCLC is a worldwide library cooperative, owned, governed and sustained by members since 1967. Our public purpose is a statement of commitment to each other—that we will work together to improve access to the information held in libraries around the globe, and find ways to reduce costs for libraries through collaboration.

Visual Resource Association (VRA)

http://www.vraweb.org/ about - The Visual Resources Association is a multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to furthering research and education in the field of image management within the educational, cultural heritage, and commercial environments. The Association is committed to providing leadership in the visual resources field, developing and advocating standards, and offering educational tools and opportunities for the benefit of the community at large.

American Library Association (ALA)

http://www.ala.org/ about - The ALA Constitution states the purpose of ALA as, “The object of the American Library Association shall be to promote library service and librarianship.” The stated mission is, “To provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”

Committees

Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC)

http://www.cic.net/Home.aspx about - Headquartered in the Midwest, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) is a consortium of the Big Ten member universities plus the University of Chicago. For more than half a century, these world-class research institutions have advanced their academic missions, generated unique opportunities for students and faculty, and served the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources, and collaborating on innovative programs. Governed and funded by the Provosts of the member universities, CIC mandates are coordinated by a staff from its Champaign, Illinois headquarters.

Council of University Librarians (CoUL)

http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/uls.html - The Council of University Librarians provides leadership and strategic planning for the UC Libraries. Systemwide operational planning is directed by the ULs via the Systemwide Operations Planning and Advisory Group (SOPAG) and its related All-Campus Groups.

Systemwide Operations and Planning Advisory Group (SOPAG)

http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/ - Senior professional staff with varying portfolios, one from each campus library and one from the CDL, plus a LAUC representative. Library representatives are proposed by the ULs' Group Steering Committee with final approval by the University Librarians. The LAUC representative will be selected by the University Librarians from a slate of three candidates forwarded to the University Librarians by LAUC. The University Librarians would review membership on an annual basis.

UC Libraries Next-Generation Technical Services (NGTS)

http://ucngts.tumblr.com/ - Next-Generation Technical Services (NGTS) is an initiative developed by the University Librarians and SOPAG to redesign technical services workflows across the full range of library formats in order to take advantage of new system-wide capabilities and tools, minimize redundant activities, improve efficiency, and foster innovation in collection development and management to the benefit of UC library users.

NGTS Power of Three Groups (POTs)

http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/ngts_pots.html POT Charge

http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/ngts_pot3_charge.pdf - Accelerate the processing of archival and manuscript collections through: Systemwide deployment of the Archivists' Toolkit (NM2); Systemwide use of MPLP principles and practices (NM1).

Software / User groups

ArchivesSpace

http://www.archivesspace.org - The New York University Libraries, UC San Diego Libraries, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Libraries  and the California Digital Library are partnering to develop a next-generation archives management application that will incorporate the best features of Archivist’s Toolkit (AT) and Archon. With funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the project team is developing a technical platform,  governance structure, and service model that will  provide the archival community with a cutting-edge, extensible, and sustainable platform for describing analog and born-digital archival materials.

Archivist’s Toolkit (AT)

http://www.archiviststoolkit.org/ - The Archivists’ Toolkit™, or the AT, is the first open source archival data management system to provide broad, integrated support for the management of archives. It is intended for a wide range of archival repositories. The main goals of the AT are to support archival processing and production of access instruments, promote data standardization, promote efficiency, and lower training costs. Currently, the application supports accessioning and describing archival materials; establishing names and subjects associated with archival materials, including the names of donors; managing locations for the materials; and exporting EAD finding aids, MARCXML records, and METS, MODS and Dublin Core records. Future functionality will be built to support repository user/resource use information, appraisal for archival materials, expressing and managing rights information, and interoperability with user authentication systems. The AT project is a collaboration of the University of California San Diego Libraries, the New York University Libraries and the Five Colleges, Inc. Libraries, and is generously funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

AT User Forum Online forum where AT users can participate and read threads regarding support and general questions.

AT User Manual - Version 1.5/1.5.9 - Latest version of the Archivist Toolkit Manual

AT Users Group Listserv Archivists' Toolkit User Group: a list to support users of the Archivists' Toolkit, a software application created and overseen by UCSD Libraries staff.

Jaspersoft (reporting software that works with AT)

CDL Hosted Archivists' Toolkit Service - CDL-hosted versions of the Archivists' Toolkit (AT) and Archon archival data management systems are available to contributors. This is a service where users of the AT client can use the database at CDL instead of having to manage their own.

Extensis Portfolio Server

http://www.extensis.com/en/digital-asset-management/portfolio-server-10/index.jsp Portfolio Server is web-based digital asset management software that improves efficiency by helping workgroups and organizations quickly find and use digital media.

OAC Contributor Dashboard

http://www.cdlib.org/services/dsc/contribute/administration.html (requires an account) This is a site where users can perform administrative function on the OAC such as editing metadata entries.

FedoraCommons

http://www.fedora-commons.org/ about - The Fedora Repository Project and the Fedora Commons community forum are under the stewardship of the DuraSpace not-for-profit organization. Fedora (Flexible Extensible Digital Object Repository Architecture) was originally developed by researchers at Cornell University as an architecture for storing, managing, and accessing digital content in the form of digital objects inspired by the Kahn and Wilensky Framework. Fedora defines a set of abstractions for expressing digital objects, asserting relationships among digital objects, and linking "behaviors" (i.e., services) to digital objects.

Omeka

http://omeka.org/ about - Omeka is a free, flexible, and open source web-publishing platform for the display of library, museum, archives, and scholarly collections and exhibitions. Its “five-minute setup” makes launching an online exhibition as easy as launching a blog.

Metadata and Archival Standards Sources

Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

http://www.archivists.org/governance/standards/dacs.asp about - Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) was officially approved by the Society of American Archivists as an SAA standard in March 2004, following review by its Standards Committee, its Technical Subcommittee for Descriptive Standards, and by the general archival community. DACS is an output-neutral set of rules for describing archives, personal papers, and manuscript collections, and can be applied to all material types. It is the U.S. implementation of international standards (i.e., ISAD(G) and ISAAR(CPF)) for the description of archival materials and their creators.

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002 Official Site

http://www.loc.gov/ead/ The EAD Document Type Definition (DTD) is a standard for encoding archival finding aids using Extensible Markup Language (XML). The standard is maintained in the Network Development and MARC Standards Office of the Library of Congress (LC) in partnership with the Society of American Archivists.

<ead> Encoded Archival Description

http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/ead/index.html EAD Help Pages maintained by the SAA-sponsored EAD Roundtable

EAD Toolkit

http://www.cdlib.org/services/dsc/contribute/ead_toolkit.html This "toolkit" of freeware, commercial, and CDL-developed resources will help contributors create and submit EAD collection guides. It may also be useful for other individuals and institutions; however, please note that the toolkit is designed to aid contributors and therefore contains some tools specific to our processes.

Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard (METS)

http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/The METS schema is a standard for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata regarding objects within a digital library, expressed using the XML schema language of the World Wide Web Consortium. The standard is maintained in the Network Development and MARC Standards Office of the Library of Congress, and is being developed as an initiative of the Digital Library Federation.

Metadata Object Description Schema Official Web Site (MODS )

http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/ Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) is a schema for a bibliographic element set that may be used for a variety of purposes, and particularly for library applications. The standard is maintained by the Network Development and MARC Standards Office of the Library of Congress with input from users.

VRA CORE

http://www.vraweb.org/projects/vracore4/ The VRA Core is a data standard for the description of works of visual culture as well as the images that document them. This site will host all VRA Core user support materials including FAQs, Cataloging Examples, and Presentations. If you have Core-related tools or examples that you have developed and would like to share with the user community please contact the VRA Core Oversight Committee for posting to this site.

Library of Congress Authorities

http://authorities.loc.gov/ Using Library of Congress Authorities, you can browse and view authority headings for Subject, Name, Title and Name/Title combinations; and download authority records in MARC format for use in a local library system. This service is offered free of charge.

MARC Standards

http://www.loc.gov/marc/ MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloguing) - is a format standard for the storage and exchange of bibliographic records and related information in machine-readable form.

Repositories

Online Archives of California (OAC)

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/ about - The Online Archive of California (OAC) provides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 200 contributing institutions including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California and collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses.

Calisphere

http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/ about - Calisphere is the University of California's free public gateway to a world of primary sources. More than 200,000 digitized items — including photographs, documents, newspaper pages, political cartoons, works of art, diaries, transcribed oral histories, advertising, and other unique cultural artifacts — reveal the diverse history and culture of California and its role in national and world history. Calisphere's content has been selected from the libraries and museums of the UC campuses, and from a variety of cultural heritage organizations across California.

Web archiving service

http://webarchives.cdlib.org/ The Web has revolutionized our access to information, but Web publications are fragile, and ready access to Web resources cannot be taken for granted. The Web Archiving Service enables librarians and scholars to meet that challenge.

UC3 Merritt

http://www.cdlib.org/services/uc3/merritt/ Merritt is a new cost-effective repository service from the University of California Curation Center (UC3) that lets the UC community manage, archive, and share its valuable digital content.

UC3 Digital Preservation Repository

http://www.cdlib.org/services/uc3/dpr.html The Digital Preservation Repository (DPR) serves the stewardship mission of the UC libraries by providing a single shared solution for the preservation, management, and controlled dissemination of digital collections that support research, teaching, and learning. The repository provides a set of self-service interfaces that the libraries use to deposit and manage digital objects, relieving individual libraries of the burden of creating and maintaining custom digital repositories. The services and storage are based at the California Digital Library.

eScholarship University of California

http://escholarship.org/ eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide.

DataOne

https://www.dataone.org/ The Data Observation Network for Earth (DataONE) is poised to be the foundation of new innovative environmental science through a distributed framework and sustainable cyberinfrastructure that meets the needs of science and society for open, persistent, robust, and secure access to well-described and easily discovered Earth observational data. Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, DataONE will ensure preservation and access to multi-scale, multi-discipline, and multi-national science data.

Hathi Trust Digital Library

http://www.hathitrust.org/

ARTstore Digital Library

http://www.artstor.org/index.shtml about - The ARTstor Digital Library is a nonprofit resource that provides more than one million digital images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and sciences with accessible suite of software tools for teaching and research. The Digital Library serves educators, scholars, curators, librarians, and students at more than 1,350+ universities, community colleges, museums, libraries, and K-12 schools in 46 countries worldwide. Collections are used for teaching and study in a wide range of subject areas, including art, architecture, music, religion, anthropology, literature, world history, American Studies, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, Medieval Studies, Renaissance Studies, and more.

National Jukebox

http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/ The Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation and other contributing libraries and archives.

Resources

Dictionaries and Glossaries

CDL Glossary

http://www.cdlib.org/gateways/technology/glossary.html

SAA Thesaurus Home

http://www2.archivists.org/thesaurus about - Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives is a set of 1,300 terms for use by any college or university archives in the United States for describing its holdings. The topical facets are academic affairs, administration, classes of persons, corporate culture, events, fields of study, history, infrastructure, sports, and student life. Included terms are generic and could apply to any college or university.

Digital Preservation

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/library/ The mission of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program is to develop a national strategy to collect, preserve and make available significant digital content, especially information that is created in digital form only, for current and future generations.

Library Database Subscriptions

Library Literature & Information Science Full Text

Indexes articles and book reviews of key library and information science periodicals. Full-text coverage for selected periodicals is also included. Books, chapters in collected works such as conference proceedings, library school theses, and pamphlets are also indexed.

Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (LISTA)

This database has more than 600 periodicals, plus books, research reports and proceedings. Coverage in the database extends back as far as the mid-1960s.

Safari Tech Books Online (SJSU)

Information technology e-books from the industry's two leading publishers: OReilly & Associates, Inc., and The Pearson Technology Group. In most cases, new titles are available in Safari Tech Books Online before they appear in print. Many technical books on computer technologies such as MySQL, PHP, XML and HTML are available online to University staff and students.

Suggested Keywords and Subject headings

University of California (System)/California Digital Library; University of California (System)/Libraries College and university libraries / Technical services