(WHS Archives) ArchivesSpace -- Resource -- EAD Export

Instructions for exporting EAD from ASpace and editing before putting onto UWDCC testsite.

Exporting EAD from ASpace (In Review)

  1. ASpace > Browse > Resrouces > Download CSV or email sent by archivist stating the finding aid is done for review

    1. Open file in Excel
    2. Sort by "identifier"
    3. Filter by "In Review"
    4. Select a group of finding aids to export to make editing and review more efficient

  2. Collection level review in ASpace the following fields

    1. Title
    2. Identifier (all used in f.a., with excess in Abstract; films/videos are sometimes the exception)
    3. Language (at least 1)
    4. Date (only 1)
    5. Extent (at least 1)
    6. Agent Links (at least 1, if applicable)
    7. Subjects and Form/Genre (optimal, at least 1 of each)
    8. Notes should have at least
      • Physical Location (x2)
      • Abstract
      • Restrictions (Access and/or Use), when applicable
    9. Finding aid data should have at least: EAD ID, EAD Location and Finding aid status = Review.

  3. Parts level (sub-fonds) review the following required fields

    1. Title
    2. Unique Identifier
    3. Date
    4. Notes
      • Physical Description (NOT in Extent)
      • Scope and Contents (NOT as Abstract)
      • Restrictions, when applicable
  4. Collection Level > Publish all
  5. Contents List Guidelines
  6. Convert to Word using Adobe Acrobat
  7. Display of containers (Box/Folder, etc.) is sometimes "off" [for example "othertype" instead of "Audio"] -- ignore
  8. Expand abbreviations and acronyms
  9. Fix typos and spelling errors
  10. Dates should be in Year Month Day order (1975 April 17 not Apr. 17, 1975)
  11. Check for consistency within finding aid and with other WHS finding aids

  12. Export > Download EAD >

    • Select Include unpublished 
    • Select Include <dao> tags
    • Select  Use numbered <c> tags
    • Un-select Include URIs
  13. ASpace > Finding aid data> Finding aid status=Ready to publish
  14. Open xml in Oxygen
    1. File in C://Downloads/ with call number(s) as first part of file name
    2. Upon opening error message may appear:  "This document contains long lines ..." or [something to do with non-roman characters] select "Continue"
  15. Edit > Select All (Ctrl+A)> Copy (Ctrl+C)
  16. Open EadTransformer (wisc.edu) 
    1. Select "Wisconsin Historical Society"
    2. Paste EAD xml into box (Ctrl+V)
    3. Transform
    4. New window will open with edits made
    5. Copy text

  17. Open new XML file in Oxygen

    1. Paste (Ctrl+V)
    2. Save: H:\\Collections\Shared\Archives Cataloging and EAD\EAD\EAD ASpace export\[Archivist name]\[file name].xml
      • File name = last part of EAD ID in ASpace Finding aid data
        for example, use highlighted portion: uw-whs-m2001028
        H:\\Collections\Shared\Archives Cataloging and EAD\EAD\EAD ASpace _export\Alison\m2001028.xml

  18. Find > Find/Replace in files > Scope = All opened files

    1. Text to find: audience="internal" > Find All
      • Only <physloc type="locationcode" audience="internal">[archives code]</physloc> should appear in results
      • If others appear make sure in "Text to find:" there is a space after the closing quote mark > Replace with: [blank] > Replace All
    2. Text to find: &amp;# > Replace with: &# > Replace All
    3. Text to find: &amp; > Replace with: &#38; > Replace All
    4. Text to find: .    </langmaterial> > Replace with:     </langmaterial> [remove period] > Replace All
    5. Text to find: [space][comma] > Replace with: [comma] > Replace All (do more than once)
    6. Text to find: <head> > there should only be <head>Administraive/Restriction Information<head> [not sure if it matters that there are <head> anymore]
    7. Text to find: <controlaccess/> > Replace with: [blank]
  19. <unitdate> must appear inside <unittitle> for the following areas: [old rules]
    1. Collection title
    2.  Parts (in contents list)
    3.  Series
    4. Add "comma space" before <unitdate>

      For example

      <unittitle>Committee Files, <unitdate>  era="ce" calendar="gregorian" datechar="creation" type="inclusive" normal="1975/1977">circa 1975-circa 1977</unitdate></unittitle>

  20. <unitid> at collection level:

    • Move additional call numbers from Abstract, as needed
    • Check for missing spaces between call numbers

  21. <physdesc> at collection level

    1. Look for duplicate <physdesc>; edit/remove as needed
    2. For more than one extent (for example paper records and photographs) they should be in a combined <physdesc>

             <physdesc>
                     <extent>      40.0 cubic feet of photographs (20 file cabinet drawers), 8.5 cubic feet of photographs (17 flat boxes), 1.0 cubic foot of photographs (4 cardfile boxes), 6.4 cubic feet of transparencies (7 drawers)

      </extent>
                   </physdesc>

  22.  <physloc type="locationcode" audience="internal">whi</physloc>

    1. This is the only field with audience="internal"

    2. If code within <physloc> is not "whi" replace <repository> 

      When code is "whi" it should appear as
       
      <repository label="Repository">
       <extptr       entityref="whslogo" show="embed" actuate="onload" altrender="center" title="Wisconsin Historical Society logo" role="logoimage"/>
       <extref       linktype="simple" href="https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS15325" role="handle">
      Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections</extref>
      </repository>
       
      Otherwise 
       
      Replace with appropriate ARC or Collection link

  23. <abstract> 

    1. Move any call/accession numbers which might appear at beginning of Abstract into the <unitid>
    2. There should only be one

  24. <controlaccess>

    1. Order of fields, then alphabatically (and/or in order of most importance):
      <persname>
      <famname>
      <corpname>
      <title>
      <subject>
      <geoname>
      <genreform>
    2. source="Library of Congress Subject Headings" replace with source="lcsh"
  25. <dsc>: replace with: [does this matter?]

    For "one-part" collections
    <dsc type="in-depth">

    or

    For "multi-part" collections
      <dsc type="combined">

  26. Search for label="othertype" and fix to the appropriate label within <container>

    1. label="Audio" search on audio call number without "Audio" for example: label="Othertype" type="othertype">1772A/ with label="Audio" type="othertype">1772A/
    2. Search for other label="othertype" these might be for "Oversize folder", video or film call numbers, "PH Box" etc. 
      Note: it might be easier to copy and paste the content list (all or part) for larger amounts of video and films from the original file before transforming

  27. Validate in <oXygen/> = Validate with -- ead.dtd file in EAD/EAD New/EAD DTD and Stylesheet

    1. Ignore validation error for logo: E[Xerces]ENTITY "whslogo" is not unparsed.

  28. FTP to UWDCC test site

    1. Submission guidelines (UWDCC)

  29. Email sent with list of finding aids submitted overnight. (This may change)

    1. Email may include finding aids of other institutions (and an email might be sent even on days when WHS has not made any submissions?)
    2. WHS files end with "uw-whs-[filename]"
    3. Files that fail the submission guidelines will appear with a parse error(s); all errors not necessarily listed. Fix in xml (and ASpace, if relevant)
    4. Files will be identified as either "new submission" or "replacement"
  30. Review finding aid on test site, make edits in ASpace and reexport (or for minor edits make in xml and ASpace without reexporting)
  31. Export final PDF from ASpace and save in appropriate Accessions or Register folder on the H:drive

-revised 20260714 aeb


Keywords:
ArchivesSpace ASpace EAD
Doc ID:
96630
Owned by:
Alison B. in UWLSS
Created:
2019-12-13
Updated:
2026-07-14
Sites:
UW Libraries Shared Systems