For both internal and external audiences, I thought I would create and document a complete workflow process for the North Park University account of Archon. It might be long – you’ve been warned.

Installation and Initial Set-Up

As part of CARLI, we have opted to implement their hosted version of Archon; because of this, set up and installation was easy.

1. Requested a “North Park University” repository to be created in both the test and production environments
2. Requested login credentials for all NPU employees needing access.
3. Because Archon is totally web based, no software or programs need to be installed or maintained.

Creating Classifications

Archon supports (but doesn’t require) collections to be grouped in classifications. For the initial set of collections, we created a Swedish American Archives of Greater Chicago (SAAGC) classification within the North Park repository and classification. Here is the link to that description and listing.

1. In the Archon Admin platform, select “Collections” and then “Classification Manager.” Under the “88 North Park University” Classification, create child classifications to suit the collection needs.
2. Create a classification (or subclassification) to suit the needs of the collection. These classifications can be several levels “deep” and can suit a variety of collections.
3. If there is pressing need, the following things could be edited to suit the needs of the collection. However, Archon’s default units seem to be well suited to our needs (and makes our metadata more consistent in the CARLI environment)
4. Extent Units – Units of measure for the collection (boxes, cubic feet, folders, items, letters, linear feet, linear inches, photographs)
5. Level/Containers – Units to define intellectual (Series, subseries) and physical divisions of the collection (Box, folder, item)
6. Material Types – Used to define the class of the material (note – NOT the genre of the material

Creating Collections

Collections are basic building blocks of Archon and carry the bulk of the descriptive metadata. This page will walk through the process using Archon’s steps and process; a summary of the metadata will be posted below.

We have decided to make the metadata in bold required at North Park.

Collection Metadata – General

1. Title – The given title of the collection (including the words “records, papers, collection, etc?)
2. Enable Web Output
3. Repository – North Park University
4. Classification – Per the collection’s needs; created in the classification manager.
5. Collection Identifier – Unique identifier – remember that collection identifiers are also inherited from classifications.
6. Sort Title – Remove articles, etc. following standard cataloging rules.
7. Normal date – Date range for the collection
8. Inclusive Date – this automatically populates based on the normalized dates above.
9. Predominant Date – add if predominant dates are different and/or important to the collection.
10. Material Type  – select based on collection needs (defined elsewhere)
11. Extent – Use cubic feet as the standard unit of measure.
12. Finding Aid Author – Use the processing information field instead.
13. Creator(s) – Documentation forthcoming.
14. Primary Creator – Documentation forthcoming.

The general collection metadata must be saved before adding additional metadata.

Collection Metadata – Descriptive

1. Abstract – Documentation forthcoming.
2. Scope – Documentation forthcoming.
3. Arrangement
4. Alt Extent Statement
5. Biographical/Historical Note
6. Biographical/Historical Note Author
7. Subjects – Documentation forthcoming.
8. Languages – Use Archon’s standard langauge coding.

Collection Metadata – Location

Documentation forthcoming.

Collection Metadata – Acquisitions

1. Initial Date Acquired (mm/dd/yyyy) – partial data (just the year) is fine and displays well in the public interface.
2. Source – “Use this field to record the source from which the repository directly acquired the materials being described”
3. Method – More of a free text version of the date and source field.
4. Appraisal Info
5. Accruals/Additions – [Note: displays publically with the heading “Acquired:” before the data.
6. Custodial History – [Note: I don’t think this field displays publicly]

Collection Metadata – Restrictions

1. Access/General – Use the general archival statement unless collection requires more specification. If only subsets of the collection are restricted, make a note here as well as on the individual box/folder/item.
2. Use/Rights
3. Physical
4. Technical

Collection Metadata – Other Info

1. Other URL
2. Other Note
3. Books
4. Digital Content

Collection Metadata – Related Materials

1. Related Materials
2. Related Materials URL
3. Related Publications
4. Separated Materials
5. Original/Copy Note
6. Original/Copy URL
7. Preferred Citation –

Collection Metadata – Finding Aid Info

1. Rules Used
2. Processing Information
3. Revision History
4. Publication Date
5. Publication Note
6. Written in

Collection Metadata – Summary of Essential Fields

1. Title – The given title of the collection; including the words “records, papers, collection, etc.
2. Repository – North Park University
3. Classification – Per the collection’s needs; created in the classification manager.
4. Collection Identifier – Unique identifier – remember that collection identifiers are also inherited from classifications.
5. Sort Title – Remove articles, etc. following standard cataloging rules.
6. Normal date – Date range for the collection
7. Material Type  – select based on collection needs (defined elsewhere)
8. Extent – Use cubic feet as the standard unit of measure.
9. Creator(s) – Documentation forthcoming.
10. Primary Creator – Documentation forthcoming.
11. Abstract – Documentation forthcoming.
12. Scope – Documentation forthcoming.
13. Arrangement – A short description of the arrangement; more documentation forthcoming.
14. Subjects – Documentation forthcoming.
15. Languages – Use Archon’s standard language coding.
16. Method of Acquisition– More of a free text version of the date and source field.
17. Access/General – Use the general archival statement unless collection requires more specification. If only subsets of the collection are restricted, make a note here as well as on the individual box/folder/item.
18. Preferred Citation –

Collection Content

Archon uses the term “Collection Content” for all of the descriptive metadata under the Collection level – i.e. box and folder lists. This information can be added and edited via the “Collection Content Manager” under “Collections” in the Archon Admin module, but this data can also be bulk upload as a CSV document via the “Database Management” tool under the “Archon Administration” tab.

Uploading as CSV

To migrate existing finding aids, the batch loading process is most convenient. It involves creating and manipulating data in Excel, saving as CSV, and importing into Archon. The first nine column headings are as follows

1. Archon ID – based exactly on the classification and content. Cut and paste from Archon to avoid problems.
2. Series – Create series heading only for very large collections.
3. Subseries – Try to avoid creating these at all costs.
4. Box – Create in Archon to reflect order on the shelf.
5. Folder – Create in Archon to reflect order on the shelf.
6. Item – Use minimally and only when needed.
7. Title – Preserve folders titles as recorded; if descriptive data is needed from headings, append to the extant box title.
8. Date – Record date following RDA guidelines.
9. Description – Move additional descriptive information from title to descriptive field.

Here is a huge sample (saved as an Excel spreadsheet and not as CSV) for a visual sample and the rest of the column headings.

Because the fields will be determined by the series, subseries, boxes, folders, and items of the collection and none of those fields are required for the given

Manipulating in Archon

Documentation forthcoming.