(Originally posted May 2, 2006)
The SAA workshop was very good, though very theoretical. I did come home with a few tips I can put into action.
* Bookkeeper to deacidify paper
* Use MARC tag 530 for information on the digitized images in the
record of the actual item.
* Types of open source depository software and what they are best
for. (all much too big and complicated for lone arranger, me)
More to come. I haven’t had time to process what I’ve learned yet and
I’m off to SE Arizonia on vacation until May 15th. I’ll get back to you
with more.
The organzation of the workshop was done by Sue Hamburger (sic) and it
was great. She made reservations and arrangements ahead for out of town
people who might want to have dinner together, and provided outstanding
snacks, including ice cream from the Penn State Creamery.
EAD 101.6
May 17, 2006
(Originally posted April 3, 2006)
When I first tried out Notebook Pro with an already finished xml file I had problems getting it to “Make HTML”. It wasn’t finding the batch files. I spent quite a bit of time trying to track down the problem.
Even got our Electronic Services Librarian, Kathryn involved. I finally had to go home so I gave it up for the day. I came in this morning, and it worked. Why? Something I learned a long time ago, but apparently forgot.
*Sometimes all you have to do is restart the computer!*
EAD 101.5
May 17, 2006
(Originally posted March 30, 2006)
I decided to buy NoteTab Pro, based on Wendy’s recommendation. So I’m reinstalling and am in the same boat you are. 
If you read the detailed instructions you went to the folder
And copied the files
EAD Cookbook 2002.clb
AutoBoxList.clb
To C:/ProgramFiles/NoteTab Pro/Libraries
or C:/Program Files/ NoteTab Light/Libraries.
.
And the extra files for NoteTab Pro.
You also copied the file
For NT PRO-notepro.ini
For NT LIGHT-notetab.ini
Into C:/ProgramFiles/NoteTab Pro/
or C:/Program Files/NoteTab Light/.
It is recommended that you backup the current INI files, but I didn’t
find one.
At this point you can open notetab. If there is not a Clipbook open at
the left of the window, go to the dropdown menu Tools and click on
Clipbook, then Open Clipbook.
Click on the down arrow to the right of the title of the line and choose
“EAD Cookbook 2002″ and you will see the Clips for doing EAD.
EAD 101.4
May 17, 2006
(Originally posted March 28, 2006)
We left off on January 25 with you finding and runing ead2002notetab.exe. This would have unzipped the file and put a folder *eadcb* on your c:\ drive.
Use Explorer, or my Computer (sorry if you’re on a Mac you’ll have to find your own way around) to open that folder, then *readings* than *EADCookbookFor NoteTab.* It’s there in both pdf and wpd formats. [c:\eadcb\readings\EADCookbookForNoteTab.pdf]
Here you will find “Detailed Instructions.” I’ll run down highlights of the “detailed
Instructions next time.
BTW at our College Archivists Roundtable meeting last week Wendy
recommended NoteTab Pro. She said the extra features like color coding
are well worth it. I’ve just used “lite” because I’m a tight wad, but I
may have to spring for the “real thing”.
EAD 101.3
May 17, 2006
(Originally posted January 25, 2006)
I downloaded and installed the NoteTab software onto another computer to
make sure it wasn't too confusing. When asked during download, I
usually have it save the file to my desktop and run it from there. The
other option is to run it from the web browser. There is not a problem
with that, but if something happens later and you have to reload the
software, then you have to find it and download it again.
Installing was just a matter of clicking next, or I agree and next until
it is done. I had the shortcut saved to the desktop so it's easy to access.
You will find the ead notetab file on the EAD Help Pages
. Do
a Ctrl-F (find) on NoteTab and click on *ead2002notetab.exe *and save it
to your hard drive, then run it. As the Cookbook says, it will create
and save to the folder C:\eadcb. All your files will be saved with in a
subfolder of this called EADFiles. It is important to remember to
backup this folder regularly along with your "My document" files. It is
no fun to have to redo a finding aid, or anything else for that matter.
Good luck. I hope someone starts reading these and asking questions.
EAD 101.2
May 17, 2006
(Originally posted January 16, 2006)
I remembered one more benefit of EAD using the Cookbook method. The
mark-up text gives the MARC tags to use for each section, so then it's
just a matter of cutting and pasting into your online catalog MARC template.
So if you've done your homework you have the idea of what EAD is about,
and what online finding aids look like. Are you ready to tackle it? I
must warn you, when I first took this on I did nothing else for 2 weeks.
(I work a 20 hr wk.) I started with a very short finding aid that was
already done in paper. It's easiest if it's already in a wordprocesser
file. That way you can just cut and paste into the EAD.
*Today let's just start getting the tools together.*
On page 20 of the EAD Cookbook 2002 you will find *Section 4: Authoring
Tools*.
I went with *NoteTab*. It is free and, I thought, very easy.
You will find information and installation instructions in *Section 4.2*
starting on page 25.
To get the software go to Fookes Software and
click on the Info button for NoteTab Light 4.95 (Free!) There are
download instructions at the top. I recommend the EXE Package. When
you click you will be asked if you want to save it to disk. Say OK. It
will save it where ever your downloads usually get saved. Note the name
of the program is NoteTab_Setup.exe, in case you have to search your
disk to find out where it went. After it is downloaded you should just
have to double click on it to run the installation.
More next time. Good luck.
EAD 101.1
May 17, 2006
I wasn't able to import directly from bloglines so I'm cutting and pasting the work I did on EAD here.
Jan 12 2006 Online Finding Aids 101.1
After a conversation with James Leach (Regional Archivist) yesterday, I
discovered that I have much more experience in technology than most of
my peers in the region. Though most of them have much more archival
experience. This is what comes from being the automation consultant to
a rural public library system for many years. I've spent much of my
life teaching librarians how to use computers, why not start teaching
archivists.
Online Finding Aids seem to be the main focus these days so I'm going to
start there. If you can learn to use ead (Encoded Archival Description)
to make your finding aids you can use the same hard work to produce a
customized online finding aid, a print finding aid and a pdf finding
aid. (3 for the price of one.)
I suggest that a good way to get started is to go to the
* SAA EAD help pages. http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/ead/
* EAD COOKBOOK 2002. http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/ead/ead2002cookbookhelp.html
(I downloaded
it and have it right on my desktop)
* and explore Online Finding Aids from archives similiar to your own.
You have to let me know, by e-mail, if there are things you don't
understand in what I have written. It's important, because if you don't
I'll have to assume that you understand. If you don't, we are only
wasting both my time and yours. Always remember, if you have a
questions, chances are at least one other person has the same question,
so you'll be helping them out.
