Integrating multiple systems to improve access
Abstract
As part of a large-scale digitisation project, three discrete platforms were employed to create an efficient and robust online collection. This paper describes the platforms, their function for the project, and the workflows developed to combine the operations of these systems in order to upload thousands of items with multiple and interconnected access points within a limited timeframe. Facets of each system were seamlessly integrated into spreadsheet templates that were used to populate metadata in thousands of records and digital objects. Although many of the workflows and processes described in this paper were initially created specifically for this project, they are easily adaptable to other projects that use these systems, whether together, as in this project, or separately. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/
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Author's Biography
Lenora Robinson is the Digital Initiatives Archivist at the College of the Holy Cross. She was the Project Archivist with the Deaf Catholic Archives (DCA) at Holy Cross from 2022 to 2024. She has experience researching, processing, digitising and making accessible archival and historical collections in a variety of libraries, archives and museums. Since joining the Holy Cross Archives and Distinctive Collections in 2022, she has been part of making the DCA collection accessible to the Deaf community, researchers and students around the world and digitising and preserving myriad items within the collections. She received her MSLS from Clarion University, an MPA and a BA from Clark University.
Lisa M. Villa is the Public Services and Engagement Archivist at the College of the Holy Cross. Having held a variety of positions in the Holy Cross Libraries, she now works with Archives and Distinctive Collections. She supports efforts for outreach and engagement as well as instruction within the department. At the time of the digitisation project described in this paper, she was the Digital Scholarship Librarian, and managed CrossWorks, the institutional repository for Holy Cross. She was also part of the Deaf Catholic Archives project team. Lisa received her MLIS from the University of Rhode Island and her BA from the College of the Holy Cross.
