Outline of ArchivesSpace Review

ArchivesSpace

1.       Define ArchivesSpace: “ArchivesSpace is the next-generation open source archives information management application designed by archivists for describing, managing, and providing access to archives, manuscripts, and digital objects.”

a.       Open-source archives management software

                                                               i.      Create (Encoded Archival Description) EAD-finding aids, accession records, holdings notes, etc.

b.      Merger of Archon and Archivists’ Toolkit

                                                               i.      These were two types of open-source archival software that were used by archival professionals

1.       Archon was developed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2.       Archivists’ Toolkit was developed by the New York University Libraries and New York University with funding from the Andrew Mellon Foundation

2.       Benefits of ArchivesSpace

a.       Allows finding aids, the primary surrogate records for archival collections, to be easily written and exported as MARC-records or EAD finding aids

b.      Is relatively inexpensive to use: the highest fee is $7,500 per year, and is based on institution’s size classification with JSTOR/ARTstor

                                                               i.      This may help smaller repositories a way to write EAD finding aids that can be published online, thereby increasing the digital presence of online repositories

3.       Potential Pitfalls

a.       Small staff

                                                               i.      The ArchivesSpace team only has three employees, and most likely of hundreds of subscribers

1.       This can lead to slow response times, or perhaps no responses at all. I e-mailed the ArchivesSpace team and received no response.

b.      Lack of help guides

                                                               i.      There is no central user guide, at least in the test version of ArchivesSpace

1.       A commercial product would offer better user support

2.       It is unclear how ArchivesSpace defines certain terms and phrases

3.       This lack of guidance makes the software very clunky to use, and makes it difficult for a user to benefit from the software’s capabilities

Experimenting with ArchivesSpace

     ArchivesSpace, an open-source archives management software, can be tested by anyone at: http://sandbox.archivesspace.org/. There are two options, public and archival staff. The public view shows how users can search the ArchivesSpace software utilizing its search interface, while the archival staff link allows users to experiment with creating finding aids and explore the other options of Archives Space. The username and password of "admin" allows archivists to explore the archival staff version's functionalities, and the sign-in box is located in the top right corner of the page. However, one must thoroughly test out the software, as there is no on-board user guide for assistance.
     ArchivesSpace allows accession records, resources, and digital resources to be created, but only offers minimal guidance on how to fill out the fields, and no beginning guidance is offered. In order to enter information about a collection, a user must click "Create," and then "New Resource." From this point, there are only six required fields: Title, Identifier, Level of Description (a drop-down menu for selecting (class, collection, file, fond, item, etc.), Portion (whole or part), Number (numerical size of collection), and Type (cubic feet, linear feet, etc.).  There are several other fields on this Create stage, including processing notes, related accessions, rights statements, and general notes. Once this form is completed, at the bottom left of the page there is a blue "Save Resource" button. That must be clicked to continue.
     After the New Resource is saved, a button should appear called "Rapid Data Entry." This can be used to add series to a collection. There are several drop-downs about the hierarchical classification, containers, and types of dates (bulk, inclusive, etc.). After this data is input, an EAD-finding aid or MARC record can be exported.
     While ArchivesSpace appears usable, it is definitely clunky. The lack of a user guide is a hindrance. Additionally, sometimes error messages appear that make sense. I was entering the year "1950" as an end date, and received a message saying that the date was wrong. I had to go back, and I lost my entry completely.

ArchivesSpace Interview

     I interviewed Michelle, a fellow SLIS student who has previously spent eight weeks reviewing ArchivesSpace. She finds that ArchivesSpace's best feature is its ability to export entries into an EAD-finding aid and as a MARC record. As part of her research, she tested Archivists' Toolkit, which is one of the two predecessors to ArchivesSpace, and found that ArchivesSpace offered an improved data entry interface. She finds that ArchivesSpace's biggest weakness to be the lack of a help guide, and its greatest assets include the ability to markup finding aids in the software and place collections online.

     The transcript is below.

Q. What is your experience with ArchivesSpace?

            A. For an independent study this semester, I did research on ArchivesSpace, wrote a simple instruction guide on the software, and hosted a workshop on AS. Since ArchivesSpace is relatively new in the archival world, a lot of my work with AS entailed learning basic features and functions. I spent roughly 20 hours in an eight-week window learning how to use ArchivesSpace. Currently, I am writing a proposal to convince the budgetary staff of the general library system to provide the necessary funding that will allow the University Archives to start using ArchivesSpace for their collections

 Q. Have you had experience with another archives management software? If so, how does ArchivesSpace compare?

            A. In my research stage, I tested out Archivists' Toolkit, which is an open-source software that preceded ArchivesSpace. The “about” section on the ArchivesSpace webpage will tell you that AS combines the best features of Archon and Archivists' Toolkit. I thought it would be wise to check out at least one of these softwares. Besides Archivists' Toolkit being free, the biggest difference between the two is the interface. AS really simplified the data entry process and was fairly easy to follow. With AT, it is less clear where to place information and how to create a contents list.

Q. With your research and hands-on use of ArchivesSpace, what do you think are its best features? Its limitations?

            A. The best feature AS has to offer is its ability to export your information into an EAD finding aid and MARC record. It would take me hours to code and catalog a finding aid. AS does all of the grunt work in seconds. The biggest limitation, though, is the lack of a help guide. AS has its own syntax and doesn't explain the phrases and abbreviations it uses. A glossary of terms and a step-by-step guide would have saved me a lot of time in my research stage.

Q. Would you recommend ArchivesSpace as a software to be used in archives?

            A. Absolutely. The amount of time it saves on marking finding aids up on EAD is reason enough to invest money in this software. It also provides smaller repositories the ability to place their collections online, even if they don't have an IT staff or coding skills.

 Q. Do you know of any area repositories that have adopted ArchivesSpace, or any that are considering it?

            A. To my knowledge, both the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) and the University Archives are considering adopting ArchivesSpace. The Wisconsin Historical Society tried implementing Archivists' Toolkit a few years ago, but the software didn't communicate well with their server. Alison Bridger, the head of the cataloging department at WHS, is currently working with IT to see if AS will work for her institution.

Q. In your opinion, what are the other big players in archival management software (either open-source or commercial applications)?

            A. I honestly don't know of any other archival management software. ArchivesSpace, Archivists' Toolkit, and Archon are the big three that are mentioned in job descriptions.