1. CELIA CAUST-ELLENBOGEN HCI-PSAR Project Surveyor Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description

2. Item vs. Collection All images from http://openclipart.org Dear John: Yours, Chas. Dear Chas: Yours, John. Dear Chas: Yours, John.

3. 1. Provenance and Original Order 2. Hierarchical Arrangement and Description 3. Metadata Standards Key Concepts for Archival Description

4. Provenance and Original Order Dear John: Yours, Chas. Dear Chas: Yours, John. Dear Chas: Yours, John. Provenance: keep documents grouped into collections by creator Original order: respect original order established by creator [note: rule doesn’t extend to original DISorder]

5. 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

6. 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) Metadata: “Data About Data”

7. Using PastPerfect for Archival Description

8. Pros Cons Good for museum/item 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 Not ideal for archival description Relatively inexpensive, but not free: $870, or discounted to $696 for AASLH members ($115 to join AASLH) PastPerfect Pros and Cons

9. Item-level cataloging sometimes makes sense in archives, e.g. for photographs

10.  Start by creating a record for the COLLECTION as a whole!  Adding lower-level description is optional depending on the complexity and importance of the collection In archival description... Collection is King

11. Open Archives Catalog and Add New Record

12. Basic Information and Identity Statement Tab

17. Lower-level description is not necessary, but it is recommended for complex and/or important collections Lower-Level Description

18. Container List Linked Records Simple to use Printed report is more straightforward Only allows one level of hierarchy Limited metadata (description) options More complicated Printed report can be confusing Unlimited hierarchy levels As many metadata options as at collection level Lower-Level Description in PastPerfect

19. Word-Processor Archivists’ Toolkit You’re already an 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 Easy to use once you 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 Nuclear Option

20. Two hierarchy levels Minimal description at lower levels Comfortable, but not expert with PastPerfect Container List

21. Container List Step 1

22. Container List Step 2

23. Container List Report

24. More than two hierarchy levels Maximal description at lower levels Expert with PastPerfect Linked Records

25. 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

26. Example of Lower Level Record

27. How to Link a Record 3. Click the “Create Link” button

28. Linked Records Report

29. Format conducive to archival description Don’t mind juggling two programs External Finding Aid

30. Attach External Finding Aid to Collection Record in PastPerfect.

31. Link to Online Finding Aid in PastPerfect Collection Record

32. Word Processor

33. Archivists’ Toolkit

34. ArchivesSpace

35. Resources

36. Archival Description with PastPerfect Witt, Betsy S., Jennifer C. Whitfield, and Adam J. Stepansky. PastPerfect Software for Museum Collections, Version 5 User’s Guide, 3 rd edition. PastPerfect Software, Inc., 2011. http://www.museumsoftware.com/userguide.shtml. 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. https://wiki.umbc.edu/download/attachments/1143 7110/UMBCProcessing_Description.pdf?version=1& modificationDate=1279567785000

37. 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 (2 nd 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). http://www.library.yale.edu/beinecke/manuscript/p rocess/index.html

38. 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/wp- content/uploads/2009/07/PACSCL_Archivists_Too lkit_Guide.pdf)http://clir.pacscl.org/wp- content/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/wp- content/uploads/2009/07/install_MySQL_AT.pdfhttp://clir.pacscl.org/wp- content/uploads/2009/07/install_MySQL_AT.pdf Stay tuned for ArchivesSpace: www.archivesspace.orgwww.archivesspace.org

39. 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 Optimizing PastPerfect for Archival Description