Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Export for DB/TextWorks

In collaboration with Artefactual Systems, Andornot has developed an Encoded Archival Description (EAD) export report that can be used with our Archives Online textbases, or other, similar Inmagic DB/TextWorks archival databases.

EAD is an XML standard for encoding archival finding aids, maintained by the US Library of Congress in partnership with the Society of American Archivists.

The DB/TextWorks EAD export report was developed specifically for use by British Columbia archives to contribute detailed archival descriptions (to the item level) to MemoryBC, the province-wide online archival repository operated by the Archives Association of British Columbia.

The EAD XML export report is included with the latest version of Archives Online, but is also available as an exported textbase form that can be imported into any existing Inmagic DB/TextWorks database. Some adjustment of the form will be required for earlier versions of Archives Online and other databases.

To use the EAD export, you would:

1. import the EAD report into your textbase and adjust to match your fields if necessary;

2. search for one or more fonds and view the results with the EAD_XML report; and

3. write the report to a file with a ".xml" extension (e.g. myfonds.xml).

The XML file may be opened in a text editor such as Notepad to preview the results, then uploaded to another system, including MemoryBC.

The report is available at no charge by contacting Andornot (regular consulting fees will apply if you need any assistance with the report and export).