Publishing spreadsheet records on Archives Hub
Archives Hub can now ingest spreadsheets listing archive collections.
There are two options:
We have a detailed Guide to Spreadsheet Records which explains our template, how to map fields, gives tips and content information.
Uploading via the EAD Editor
You will need to upload your spreadsheets to our cataloguing and editing tool, the EAD Editor. From here you can make the descriptions live on the Archives Hub. Please note that at present our upload only recognises Excel format (.xlsx). We hope to expand this to other spreadsheet formats, in particular csv.
Using the Archives Hub template
We now have a template that includes most of the standard ISAD(G) fields (fields set out in the international standard for archival description). The guide gives you detailed information about what it includes and how to use it.
Download the spreadsheet template.
Using your own template
If your records follow the basic pattern of one column per field, one cell per unit of information, then you can try out our metadata mapping facility within the EAD Editor. The Guide gives more information about this.
The National Archives 'Manage Your Collections' template
If you already use (or plan to use) the National Archive's Manage Your Collections service, our upload facility will also accept records which follow the MYC template. This has been done to reduce duplication of work as much as possible for contributors.
Uploading to the EAD Editor
Our EAD Editor is free and simple to use. It offers a preview facility, so you can check how your descriptions will look before making them live.
The Editor will detect and highlight errors in your records, such as gaps in the reference hierarchy or duplicate references, allowing you to easily fix them.
One advantage of uploading your records to the Editor before publishing them on Archives Hub is that you can enhance them using the Editor's specialised data creation tools. You can look up names in the VIAF database (an international database with unique identifiers for people and organisations), create structure name entries (name, date, title, epithet). You can add place names using our Geonames lookup, construct LCSH subject terms, and format text fields such as Scope and Content and Administrative and Biographical History for display.
Once your spreadsheet records are uploaded, you will also be able to download high quality EAD versions of your descriptions, which can be shared with or imported into other systems.
Further Help
If you are interested in uploading your spreadsheets, but would like more information or help, please email us.
Bespoke transformations
We have also been looking at methods of efficiently converting records which don't follow a standard template into EAD for upload to the Hub. This might include spreadsheets which are formatted in different ways, have been exported from data management systems or other kinds of database, or include large numbers of item level records without fonds, collection or series level information (box lists etc). We are developing a set of scripts which can be adjusted to deal with individual contributor's unique data, and can work with you to resolve any issues in your data, and then transform it for upload to the Editor or direct to the Hub.
If you have data in spreadsheets which you would like to make more widely available, but which you don't think matches our template, do get in touch. We will assess your records and discuss them with you, and propose the best method for converting and publishing them.