ARCHIVAL INFORMATICS NEWSLETTER

Part I of Archival Informatics Newsletter & Technical Reports ISSN 0892-2179 FALL, 1987 Volume 1, #3

WHEN THE REVOLUTIONS COMES. research. including articles by colleagues J correspondence and one's own writings, are WILL WE RECOGNIZE IT? addressab Ie by a word processor which has The other day I was talkIng to a 6111 Dunn. edHor of sophisticated free-text searching capabilities? Some the journal Knowledge 85 Society, who noted that of these are already appearing, and others are in while micro-computers were widespread on campus, experimental versions which will see commercial the average humanist was merely using a word release within acoupole of years..... not just processor, Given this, he wondered whether the proximity searching, and the ability to create potential impact of computing on scholarship wasn't concordances and indexes, but the ability to read text being overstated. with some intelligence, to learn from the discipline I thought to myself that it was incredible enough of the human partner I and to reach into appropriate that faculty are using word processing software (a thesauri and authority files established by the capability which first appeared a decade ago in the scholar in order to elucidate the meanings of texts. form of dedicated systems which we all "knew" only All of this will be here within afew years, together secretaries would use), But what I said was that within widely available large text and images bases word processors may be the vehicle through which in our disciplines on network attached CD-ROM's. It the revolution in scholarship is delivered. I noted may be that when the revolution in scholarship that word processors are now acqUiring the comes about, we will still be wondering if humanities capabilities of desk top publishing systems (and just faculty will ever graduate beyond their word for fun, I decided to demonstrate it by printing this processors. Newsletter entirely with Microsofts' Word, instead of with Aldus' Page Maker which I have used for previous issues). I pointed out that now that we take TABLE OF CONTENTS extra RAM for granted, word processors incorporate spelling checkers, and grammar checkers (like Articles RightWriter). I noted that I have relied on the full­ MicroMARC:amc -Areview text, character string searching of word processors David Bearman 46 for my own files for aseveral years, but that I The Evolution of Appraisal for anticipated, as scanners became more common, and Machine-Readable Data OCR devices less expensive, and facsimile transmission more routine, and laser printers ~ Tom Brown 49 rjguer I that we will be seeing an increasing number Information Policy & Records of products which embody all these capabilities In a Tom Brown 51 single device (the communicating copying machine Departments which has, until recently, been too expensive to be a personal peripheral) and that I would routinely be Conferences S2 receIvIng facslmlle or scanning texts onto my optIcal Editor SS

WORM disk J which will soon also be astandard drive In-BoI 56 on my PC. News S9 Icould see that while these technological feats intrigued him, he didn't see them as heraldln9 a Projects & Proposals 59 qualitative change in the nature of scholarshIp. So I Software Briefs 61 continued. Standards 62 What, Iasked, will the world of the word oriented Tech. Report on Collection Mgmt. 66 scholar look l1ke when all the texts needed for

4S Micro-MARC: amc A REVIEW

MicroMARC:amc requires an IBM PC-XT or AT (or compatlble), 10MB hard drive, DOS 2.0 or higher, 128K RAM, any 80x24 display, any 80 column printer. $995 for single machine llcense with documentation and one~year of maintenance &upgrades. Users are offered the opportunity to return their systems for full credit within 30 days. Prospectlve users may become acquainted with the package by purchasing arun-time demo disk which 111ustrates the system but does not actually permit the user to bulld any records or use afile. Demo disk w/documentation $35. This review was conducted with release 1.46 (summer 1987), on aTanoon XT, 10MB of disk, DOS 3.1 , 640 KB RAM .. Some additional tlmina tests were conducted on a 16Khz. 80386 based system.

The advertising for MicroMARC:amc states that the program is a "comprehensive system based on the INSTALLATION: USMARC AMC Format. With this system you can Chapter 2 of the manual provides directions for enter recOrds, update them with ease, and then installing the system. I strongly recommend that produce full reports or 00 searches on your holdings. prospective users experiment with the software The system can also import or export astandard before entering very many records. Installat10n USMARC AMC formatted me. The system allows for 1tself proceeds according to instructions (although maximum flexibil1ty on alocal basis whlle st111 the d1rections for establlsh1ng aSUbdirectory may adhering to the standards of the national format." come too late for users not famlliar with this DOS facUity), but the user must first wade through many Unfortunately, MicroMARC:amc does not live up to pages of painfully honest revelatlons about the this promise. It turns out to be rigid, unfriendly, limitations of asystem which reqUires careful up quite limited, very greedy for computer resources front planning of disk space before the database 1s and extremely slow. If arepository has very few bui It. records and aspecific reason to be able to import or export MARC:AMC mas, the software might be worth FUNCTIONS: acquiring ifonly because no other micro-computer MicroMARC:amc has four modules, each of which system on the market can do this yet. But 1f amodest supports one basic function of the system. These are to large repository wants to actively manage its data entry (Editor), retrieval (Search), reporting holdings, provide access to more than one member of and MARC record input./output. its staff at atime or to the public, or retrieve information on an ad hoc basis, this package is not the EDITOR: solutlon. The first major limitation of the package, its speed, becomes evident as soon as the user decides to enter DOCUMENTATION: the first record. When booted from DOS, the system The looseleaf manual for MicroMARC:amc is takes 8 seconds to display the logo, which displays generally clear, logically organized and sufficient, if for 4 seconds and is followed by an 8 second interval read end to end. My index, however, was not keyed to before the main menu appearsl Immediately the text, and produced mostly blind leads. In acXi1tion following this, the number of the first record, the manual occasionally lapses 'Into issues concerning 000001 , must be entered with all the lead zeros! the application, rather than the software. For Eventually we find that odd editing quirks abound ­ example, Chapter 1discusses the construction of a the insert key doesn't work in header, action or coding form to be used for data entry into the system. process screens or if the last line of ascreen has any To be fair, I should note that this is adiscuss10n some characters on it. There is no wrap around at the end archivists have found useful, and that after using the of I1nes. The system uses a$ sign as asubfleld data entry facilities in the software it was clear to delimiter (the way it is often shown in type, but not me why preparation of the data on apaper form is the actual dellmiter) thus the user can't employ it in necessary. Nonetheless, it is an odd start to the afield value, as for aval1ability conditions, or value. manual for asoftware system. MicroMARC:amc reqUires the user to enter data lnto atemplate which looks 11ke afUlly tagged MARC

46 Archival Informatics Newsletter vol! #3 record display. The user must key in indicator parameters, although in princip Ie you could write a values, field and slJbfield delimiters and field and report for them. You cannot conduct Boolean subfield codes and the system Is unforgiving about searches, although you can make multiple passes. A spacing, Asamp Ie ASCII coding form is provided search on donors beginning with the letter Ewill which I found easy to read into several word fai I, because the system requi res four characters for processors to permit the suggested "modifications" to atruncated search. Asearch for iron in the subject meet local needs, but the only modifications which index will not bring up the record indexed by "iron will work are eliminations of data since the system is workers". Ifyou S6llrch only the first four not run off auser modifiab Ie data dictfonary. characters for the subject "iron", the system does While there is no mention made of field length not merge its several hits which point to the same limits, some are definitely present -MicroMARC:amc record, or indicate that one of them was on the term couldn't accomodate an organization and arrangement "iron working". The standard one line display is note (351) of more than two lines (like the one in very cryptic, but ifyou want afuller display, you the Sahli manual) and it is very stingy in processes must see the MARC record data entry screens. and actions, It won't handle astructured table of contents note ( 505) at all; the structure was REPORT: rejected the only time that it was short enough to MicroMARC:amc comes will anumber of built in accept the data. reports, and areport writing facility. Compiling the Perhaps the maj or prob lem with the data entry is data for the built in reports can take agreat deal of the number of screens and their linkage: the time; my first subject term list, when I only had 12 structure of the system assumes that each record records, took more than 2 minutes, and some may be linked to anumber of process segments and subsequent reports took hours. In general, however, every process segment can be linked to one or more the resulting reports are useful and clear (the actions, There is no way to get an overview of the subject term list, however, prints field numbers but nature of the resultant record or to naVigate not record numbers!). One incredible oversight is conveniently through it. In addition, there is no the absence of areport to print the full record. way that an action can be taken on only part of a The system allows users to define their own cataloged record (and kept track of), columnar reports. Unfortunately, there are no output specifications for each report. All reports are SEARCH: driven by acommon output definition. Thus if I If users succeed in entering records in spite of the change the length of afield in one report. all other time it takes (note that reading in 100 i'1ARC previously defined reports using that field will also formatted records from another system took 20 be altered. Since there is no data dictionary which m'inutes, and keying in asingle, relatively complex could be used to identify the effected reports, I would record took another 20 I), they must still generate need to look at every previously defined report to indexes by abatch process (AUXINDEX) before they determine the impact of such achange. Whats more, can search. Depending on the size of the records (the every report would have the same level of informa­ number of index values) this seems to take between tion in it for any given field unless I keep aseries of 40 seconds and one minute per record on astandard printed term reports produced after each report 6Khz machine. The manual warns that H w111 take definition and modified the term definitions prior to about one hour for 100 recordsl I made agroup of running each report. Any report can be written to a records wHh several dozen access points each which printer or to disk, and from disk. it can be post­ indexed in multiple minutes per record. Even if processed by word processors and other software. maintaining 6,000 records In adatabase did not require about 40MB of storage (allowing 50% of the MARC- Input/Output: space for processing activity), keeping the Indexes to One report which the system generates can be said such adatabase current could take days. to be its raison d'etre: machine-readable output of Once the file is preprocessed by AUXI NDEX, you MARC:AMC records. Michigan State includes aletter may search on-11ne on eight data elements: record id, from OCLC with its documentation to verify that collection number, donor, accession number, records created by MicroMARC:amc can be read into acquisition date, and persons, corporate names and existing utilities. Potential users of this capability subjects. You cannot search on- line by any other should note however that there is not yet any routine way to use this capability since M300 terminals do

Fall,1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 47 not have an upload facility to ship AMC records to system allows you to leave it blank, so you can go on. OCLC. MieroMARC:ame definitely reads MARC:AMC records generated by itself, but there are no other USERS REVIEWS: ame microcomputer systems with which to test At the conclusion of several days of experimenting whether it really can take in MARC records from with Microl'1ARC:amc, I found myself wondering if other sources. Users who plan to move records anyone really was using this package. I spoke with between MicroMARC:amc systems should note that the archivists at several of the seven "beta" sites and system installs new spacing when it reads the five of the thirteen "purchasers" listed in records in, and since searching is extremely space l'1icroMARC:amc advertising brochure. The beta sites sensitive, existing records will not sort with are not using the system. They have either found up loOOed records unless they have been constructed to other software, or are waiting. One had purchased the same spacing conventions. the system, but was barely usi ng it. Of the other purchasers 1isted on the brochure, I found those who COST: were using it had plans to load their records into Although the initial price of this package is not OClC for return into their local library systems or excessive, its true cost, for aa1itional copies, a directly into NOriS or other local systems. Most PC/AT or larger computer, massive amounts of were using the system for data entry and had not storage space and staff time, is outrageous. Users really integrated 1t into their on-going work. Those should stuct{ the dire warnings in the long section on with more than acouple hundred records were system l1mits even though the particular hazard they experiencing its serious size and time l'imits. No one warn of can be effectively negated. The reading will, imagined it as an on-line system for end users. On however, give the potential user ataste of the amount the other hand I all were pleased with the amount of of disk space required by the system (3000 records attention which Fred Honhart has paid to them. of 2000 bytes each consume not 6MB but over 10 MB). This greediness about space has severe WHAT WENT WRONG? consequences in the use of the system since making MicroMARC:amc was developed with NHPRC funding reports (including MARC record output) or indexing and an advisory committee of archivists with the database requires substantial free space. If more automation skills. It was tested in seven archival than one workstation is to be used, each w111 need to repositories and has asmart, user oriented archivist be equipped with its own full price copy of the in charge, Why isn't 1t abetter system? software and an equally powerful hardware Because the target application was understood by configuration and substantial time will be spent the designers as being to capture al'1ARC:AMC record, balancing the two databases since the system is the system 1s constructed around a( hard coded) designed for as1ngle user. procrustean bed. MARC:AMC, is not organized to reflect the WPlY people work in archives and it cannot USER INTERFACE: serve as an internal data representation format. This The system is, on the whole, exceptional system needed tools (screen writer, data dictionary) unfriendly. IfJ in data entry, the user should happen to allow the users to define the way the information to accidentally strike F3, the system will ask ifyou looked in their daily use of it. It needed to address Its want to save the screen. Assuming you want to database more easily (every field availabIe for continue with data entry, and you respond No, the searching) and also to give more support to record is erased. Of course, the user could learn consistent use of fields (default values in indicators, this, but as you learn, the system confuses you; in thesauri to support subjects, forms, and other access the search mode, the FS key, which deletes ascreen points, and user defined validity checks for fields). It elsewhere, must be pressed to ge1a screen. The only needed to be amulti-user system I allowing that some WPlY out of arecord with multiple linked screen is to of the users wou ld be archivists (security) I some back out all the WPlY; it took me several minutes to 00 would be users (screens and reports, Boolean this with the sample record of 37 segments provided queery) and more than one might be using the system by the venoor. At one juncture, I was permitted to at once (lock-outs and background processing). In f11l out DUP-SUP in an opt10ns 11st for areport. other words, the designers began with the wrong set There 1s no on-11ne help (? is rejected as 111egal) of higher level requirements. and no values are suggested 1n the manual. but the Dav1d Bearman

48 Archival Informatics Newsletter vo1.1 #3 THE EVOLUTION OF AN APPRAISAL requires expensive equipment and in human readab Ie THEORY FOR AUTOMATED RECORDS form because it is difficult to use. Even before this was f1rm ly established, the approach began to unravel. In 1961 , ayoung During the last several months, aseries of management intern at the National Archives was meetings at NARA have wrestled with the appraisal of assigned to examine the disposition of computer tapes automated records. At times, these meetings have in the Fooaral Government. In his report, Richard A. shown that we have been remiss in not chronicling Jacobs suggested that these tapes m8Y be records and how the appraisal of computerized data has evolved that they should be SUbject to the disposition over time. As afirst corrective step, I w1ll offer my provisions of the Federal Records Act. One report SUbjective Impressions andreminlscences of this from a management intern obviously did not change development. the policy of the National Archives. Neither did a Probably the first statement on the SUbject came report in 1964 from the Social Science Research from the National Archives in 1936. Confronted Counc'il which called for the preservation of economic with the question of punched cards at the Bureau of data on punched cards and magnetic tapes in Federal Census, the National Archives asserted that they were agencies. But areport from an internal National not record material and could be routinely destroyed. Archives committee, four years later, did. In contrast, Theodore Schellenberg implied in 1956 In 1966, Robert Bahmer, appointed the Committee that punched cards were records when he wrote his on the Disposition of Machine-Readable Records. sem inal study "The Appraisal of Modern Publie When the committee issued Its report (almost Records". Yet he arrived at the same conclusion that entirely drafted by Meyer Fishbein) in 1968, it punched cards could be destroyed by applying the argued unequivocable "that machine-readable media "form" test: "If records are to be preserved In an are records" and urged the establishment of aspecial archival institution, they should be in aform that organization in the National Archives to deal with w1Jl enable others than those who created them to use machine-readable records with long-term value. As them without difficulty and without resort to aresult of his ~t1vity on the committee, Fishbein expensive mechanical or electronic equipment... [and] presented apaper on the appraisal of automated punchcards...are commonly unusable without resort records at the 1969 annual meeting of the SAA. In to expensive eqUipment. "( p.25) this paper, subsequently published in the American In spite of this blanket authorization to destroy all Archivist, he argued that quantitative computerized machine-readable records, SChellenberg cogently data are more useful for varied studies and that argued that information about individual persons, archivists must develop appraisal theories and things, and phenomena have informational value approaches to deal with this form of records. because of the ability to aggregate the raw data or In 1972, the National Archives took alarge first analyze the Information In different w8Ys. step when it issued aGeneral Records Disposition Nevertheless, SChellenberg reluctantly concluded Schedule for automated records. This schedule that such records should be destroyed. "In appraising embodied two concepts. First, most processing files records the contents of which can be statistically leading to the production of amaster file and most summarized... the archIvist is well advised to proceed outputs from amaster files are disposable. second, cautiously. If the Government agency that created the master files containing housekeeping information records for statistical purposes did not fully exploit which has been authorized for destruction 1n human them, it is hardly likely that anyone else will; for readable form is authorized for destruction in scholars outside the Government do not ordinarlly machine readable form. While these two concepts have the resources for the costly exploitation of such proviOOd guidance on what should be destroyed. the. records. " did not provide guidance on what should be retained. Thus until 1960, the appraisal of machine readable Into this void in 1977, Charles Dollar injected his records was simple -- destroy everything. The views on appraisal. His paper, also later published polfcy of the National Archives was that they were In the American Arch1V1st, asserted that automated not records. Even if they were, SChellenberg records seldom have evidential or legal values. provided atheoretical basis for destruction. While Information about Individual persons, things, and Rather. Dollar suggested, the archivist should phenomena has informational value, it can be analyze only informational value in computerized destroyed in machine readable form because 1t data. In addition to analyzing the contents for

Fall,1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 49 informational value, Dollar argued that atechnical inventory and appraise the automated systems in the analysis of the data was equally important. The U.S.Department of State. Despite the fact that criteria for both acontent analysis of the comparable personnel records were to be destroyed informational value and atechnical analysis of the in paper form, he knew that personnel information physical structure were incorporated into a(much in autOmated systems had potential for collective referenced) decision chart. biographical studies of the country's diplomatic Those were heacry days as we thought that the corps. In 1983, he successfUlly argued that the answers had been found. At the Ann Arbor conference records should be appraised as having permanent on automated records 'in archives in 1979, Dollar value. Second, I was asked to write areport on the outlined the then current approach to appraisal, impact of technology on appraisal for aspecial task "Since few machine-readable files protect the legal force on the appraisal and disposition of records. rights of citizens or the government or document While half of my report concentrated on the issues significant operations of the agency, the basic involved in technical analysis, the other half Question about computer records focuses on the attempted to apply the canadian guidelines to the informational value of the material." Again, for United States government. Throughout, the report "master files relating to 'housekeeping' functions, argued that automated records could have evidential such as payroll or an inventory, the disposition of value and that the National Archives must change the textual records documenting the same process or provisions in the general records schedule which subject is followed." He also reaffirmed that linked the disposition of computer files with processing files, including outputs from master administrative information to that of paper files with fi les, can be destroyed and enumerated that the the same information. On May 27 I 1983, most of the informational value of records related to program tasl< force met with me to discuss my report. The functions is dependent upon the linkage potential, sometimes acrimonious discussions did reach some level of aggregation and importance of subject conclusions. One was that the disposal provisions for matter. Finally, atechnical analysis of the physical machine-readable administrative or housekeeping structure of the data and of the documentation is records may not always be the same as those which imperative. were developed for textual records. Another was that My colleagues at the National Arcjhives and I issued computerized information may be appraised as arevised version of the General Records Schedule for having evidential value worthy of continued machine-readab Ie records which reiterated these preservation although textual records with principles. With complete confidence, I proclaimed comparable contents exist. Thus adiverse group these same principles and approaches in workshops within the National Archives came to endorse the on the appraisal of machine readable records at Canadian position. The Herschler appraisal of the annual Sf-.A meetings. State Department administrative systems was not the This confidence lasted until 1981. At that time, exception that proved the validity of the earlier John McDonald and Katherine (Sue) Gavrel developed approach, but the harbinger of future directions. guidelines for the Public Archives of Ganem to use in In the following year, Harold Naugler wrote his appraising machine-readable records. They further UNESCO study, The Appraisal of Machine- Readab Ie elaborated on the technical analysis which Char les Records: ARAMP Stultv' with Guideljnes. Modifying Dollar had urged, but they broke with the prevailing the Canadian guidelines somewhat in light of thought in two key ways. First, they argued that experience from the United States, he endorsed the automated records should be appraised for evidential basic direction that automated systems, whether and legal values as well as informational value. administratively or programmatically related, must Secondly, they proposed gUidelines for the appraisal be appraised for their informational, evidential and of administrative and housekeeping records which legal values. And he further consolidated the issues argued against the position that simp ly because and procedures related to the issues and techniques of administrative or housekeeping information could be technical analysis. In 1986, the workshops destroyed in human readable form that it should sponsored by the SAA Task Force on Automated likewise be destroyed in machine-readable form. Records and Techniques incorporated Naugler's Two separate activities needed to arrive at the same gu1delines. seemingly, these have now become the conclusions before the U.S. National Archives departed professionally accepted standard. from its accepted practice. First, David Herschler, What's the conclusion to this brief history of the as an archivist at the National Archives, began to

50 Archival Informatics Newsletter voU #3 appraisal of automated records? There's been both regulation reads, "Agencies should incorporate consistency and inconsistency. The constant is that records management and archival considerations in technical analysis is as 'irnportantin the appraisal as the design, development, and implementation of content analysis, And the inconsistency is the electronic information collection systems in approach to content analysis which has radically accordance with the Federal Records Act (44 U,S.C. changed over time. Yet we can learn from the 29,31 and 33)." Anyone wanting a copy of the inconsistency. Since precedents can be cited for proposed rule may contact me at the Office of the almost any position, we should discount any argument National Archives (NN-B), National Archives. which rests solely on precedent. Because appraisal Recently, two New York State Archives staff theory has evolved over time through the interaction members have made significant contributions to of many professionals, one should be leary of anyone management of machine readable records. who claims to have all the answers. Margaret Hedstrom worked with the American Thomas E. Brown. Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (MCMO) when they decided to revise their 1979 edition of Retention of Records -- AGuide for INFORMATION POLICY & RECORDS Retention and Disposition of Student Records. Because the MCMO exercised the good judgement to Cunad8's Treasury Board has acXIressed some ask Margaret Hedstrom to participate, the revised fundamental information policy questions in guide addresses student record systems regardless of "Strategic Direction in Information Technology media. The document incorporates discussions of Management in the Government of canada 1987". The automated records as they relate to the broad areas of report outlines a policy direction for information records disposition. While this booklet will become management on two broad fronts: the management of the bible of college and university archivists, it also government information and the management of serves as a model for incorporating automated information technology. It proposes policies for records disposition advice into handbooks for any information technology within the canadian type of system. (It is worth noting that when the government which distinguish information, records task force surveyed college registrars, over 62~ and data. Drawing on these distinctions, the report reported that computerized media was replacing hard delineates information management, records manage­ copy as the storage medium for their information!) ment and data management. In its definition of data Alan Kowlowitz appraised records of the criminal management, the policy seems to refer to what the history system in New York. His SAA paper on that data processing community calls data administration. appraisal provided the profession with what is Inthis context, the report proposes that data probably the first case study' of the appraisal of a management and records management can profit from complex automated system. As Kowlowltz puts it: each other's principles and techniques in the effort to "Inter-organizational systems and networks are coordinate with Information management. The report changing the nature of government documentation in a concludes by recommending specific initiatives and number of respects. Records series and data sets in an infrastructure to implement the policies. one agency are linked to those in other agencies and [Info. Man. Div., Treasury Board of canada, 140 even other \PIernments as well as those within its O'Connor St, Ottowa, KlA-OR5. (613)-957-2459.] own agency. Inter-organizational systems or The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has networks have also led to incredible ...data proposed a new policy regarding information redundancies between related parts of the system or collection by Federal agencies. Under the proposal, network. In addition, information supporting a Federal agencies will be required to consider specific function may not be maintained by the agency accepting information electronically when collecting actually performing that function. Obviously these information from the "publie", including individuals, changes in the nature of documentation are effecting state and local governments, educational institutions, the context and pracUce of mooern records businesses, private not-for-profit organizations. appraisal. " The rationale is to permit respondent's to have their Truly, more case studies like this one are needed. computers transmit information directly to a Federal Indeed, this paper should serve as a model for such computer rather than have them print it out only to case studies examining appraisal of complex systems. have the Federal agency pay to have it put back into Thomas E. Brown automated form. The final clause of the proposed

Fall,1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 51 ICONFERENCES because members felt that the role of CAIE should include information exchange issues which were broader than automation, such as standards for SAA Anttual Meeting citation of archival materials. At its meeting, the Discussion of automation has now become routine at CAIE in turn disavowed arole in dictating descriptive SAA meetings, but this may be the first year that the practices for archivists, and chose to focus on how to discussion of description standards and documentation exchange information, especially, although not issues was recognized as afull partner in the exclusively, within the MARC formats. It deferred discussion of information systems. This healthy action on proposals before it to permit repeatability rediscovery of the fundamental role of the content of of subfie1d b in 651 and subfield f in 300 until the finding aid system in the dellvery of appropriate proponents could develop examples of how records information reflects the ftllt that archivists are no using these capabilities would work and get support longer talking about automated systems they might for the acceptance of these approaches in the have in the future, but about ones they are tlltually profession. using in their every day work. By Wednesday, the absence of agroup specifically For me the conference began on Tuesday, september responsible for developing and maintaining 1, with ameeting of the Research Libraries Group professional standards for description was put before "Seven States Project". The project reported the Section on Description which, after considerab 1e formally and informally throughout the meeting on discussion of the departure this represented from the efforts of participating State Archives to employ previous /oisse (oire policies and the implications it the Research Libraries Information Network (RUN) would have for individual repositories, voted to exchange not only records about their holdings, but unanimously to ask the SAA Council to establish a also information of records schedullng and appraisal, funded task force to identify areas in which agency histories, and "functions" based descriptors. description standards were needed and to begin to The working session was focussed on how the group develop such standards. Work of such agroup would would evaluate the multi-year project after it draws evolve in conjunction with Stephen Henson's NHPRC to aformal end in December. Specifically, the group funded revision of Arcbives, Personal Papers and discussed how to assess the utility of functions Manuscripts (APPM) which serves as ade facto terminology (so called "sphere of activity" and cataloging standard for the profession, "processes" terms which are app lied to records The Description Section heard from Harriet OStroff series to describe the ~tiv1ty which generated the on the preparation for putting NUCMC online in RUN records), the value of shared information on in 1988 and from Glenn Patton on OGLC's near scheduling and appraisal, and the impact of such completion of the conversion of old MARC:MSS sharing (if any) on appraisal decisions. The records into l'1ARC:AMC and their near completion of discussion also explored in detail the potential value facilities to provide LC Subject headings online along of "form of material" authority files, which would with the LC Names now available. Larry Stark describe, in generic terms, record series which are reported that WLN has implemented AMC. Elaine char~teristic of aparticular function in any Engst reported on behalf of the Bureau of Canadian j urlsdlction, The project expects to issue Its report Archivists on the progress of their efforts to develop to the NHPRC in May, 1988, 8 common descriptive standard (reported in the last Meetings of the Task Force on Automated Records issue of this Newsletter) and I reported on the and Techniques (which transformed itself during the development of "form o'f material" authority in Dutch meeting into the Committee on Automated Records and archives, asubject which Peter Sigmond, director of Techniques - CART) and the Committee on Archival the Dutch national school for archivists, and I have Information Exchange (CAl E), com peted for my written about for the up-coming issue of the attentlon on september 2. The differences between American Archivist the roles of these two groups was itself atopic of The range of automation sessions at the annual discussion, and its resolution again points up the meeting defy aQuick summary (which fortunately is increasing recognition among SAA members of the available in the form of abstracts of papers -$3 to interdependent but distinct roles played by members, $5 to non-members, from SAA offices), description, automation, and communication in "Data elements for preservation information archival 'informatics. CART was constituted as a exchange" and "Data and Document interchange separate structure, instead of aparent bOOr to CAIE,

S2 Archival Informatics Newsletter vo1.1 #3 standards" were the most technical subjects of connection between systems at the local, state and sessions which included sessions reviewing small national levels and a horizontal interconnection systems and large, the impact of automation on access between systems of the courts, police, prisons etc. in avariety of settings, and the social impact of within one jurisdiction. Each system retains detailed computing on the profession. data which is necessary to support its own functions, Iwas particular ly excited to discover that the while sharing with each other system 'information it session on documenting the history of computing holds about an offender or suspect. The "most a

Fall,1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 53 po

DATA BASES CONFERENCE Depending on one's disposition, one could regard the plethora of topics as asign of health or chaos in the The International Conference on Data Bases in the field; my view is that the conference would benefit by Humanities and Social SCiences (ICDBHSS), met at focussing specifically on databases rather than on Auburn University at Montgomery (Alabama), July social science and humanities applications and 11 - 13. Participants heard 100 papers on those underlying technologies in the future. Proceedings of information technologies which are transforming the conference w111 be published by Paradigm Press. humanities and social science research (optical systems, AI, and full-text), specific humanities and UPCOMING CONFERENCES social sciences data bases, inter-organizational issues in the maintenance of humanities information October 4-7, American Association for State &. sharing networks, and problems of language and Local History, Raleigh, NC, (AASLH, 172 Second understanding. Among the papers were numerous Ave. North, Suite 102. Nashvllle. TN 37201). devoted to archives and museums, Including several Sessions on MARC-VM, the Common Agenda for on videodisk projects, on textual and numeric data History Museums. and the N.C. Dept. of Cultural archives, and on the use of automation in archives. Resources systems for archives and museums. Acting Archivist of the U.S. Frank Burke spoke on the potential Implications of ISO 8211 for archives OCtober 5-8: Annual National Videodisc ( the Jury is out). Gretchen Lagana reported on the Symposium for Education. Lincoln. Nebraska. cataloging of the Chicago Board of Trade records with (Tausha SChupbach, Nebraska Videodisc/Design NOTIS at the University of Illinois at ChicagJ (it Production Group. 1800 North 33rd St., Lincoln. NE works fine). David Bearman discussed the 68583, 402-472-3611). experiences of the Architectural Documents Advisory Group (ADAG) and the implications of their work for OCtober 13-14, Museum Computer Network, data exchange in the arts (the wor ld can be made to Boston MA (P .0.Box 111 •East Winthrop, ME seem more camp lex than we can afford to represent it 04343) in computer systems). Dale Foster reported on some MCN precedes the meeting of the New England very preliminary research in accessing archival Museum Association on the 14th- 16th. literature using on-line databases (not much of it is indexed by A&I services). Don Harrison reported on OCtober 15-17: Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives the uses of Vietnam war machine-readable data in Conference ( MARAC) , Char leston WV (Department reserarch at NARA (just having rich resources of Archives &. History, Library, Cultural center / ooesn't assure they will be used). capitol Complex, Charleston, WV 25305) Leslie Hume of the Research Libraries Group reported on the project which will, perhaps, have OCtober 19-22, ARMA International,Anahe·im. the greatest impact on future conferences of this CA. (ARMA, 4200 Somerset Dr., Suite 215, Prairie sort: RLG's Program for Research Information VillCXJ8. KS, 66208). Management (PRIMA). She traced the history of the concept of InclUding within RUN information which November 5-6, History of Medical Informatics, gJeS beyond the biblio;Jraphic citations to include This ACM sponsored conference on the History of abstracts, data (including images) and full-text and Computing will explore the early work In medical to incorporate data from diverse research discip11nes computing and its impacts on current visions of the including museums, archeology, etc. and she place of computing in medicine. (John Parascandola, introduced the three databases being mounted as pilot National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894.) efforts: the Medieval and Early l'1odern Data Bank, the Modern Language Association Research in Due November 15 - Proposals for IASSIST May Progress Database and the Geoinformation Control 26-29, 1988 (Washington DC) Papers on any and Retrieval System. If RLG can succeed in aspects of the acquisition, processing, maintenance providing ahost to awide range of primary data and distribution of machine readable textual and/or sources for the humanities, future meetings of the numeric social science data.. (Pat Doyle, ICDBHSS might well be discussing how best to use Mathemat1ca Polley Research Inc., 600 Maryland RLIN for scholarly research. Ave., SW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20024).

54 Archival Informatics Newsletter vol.l #3 IEDITOR EXPERTS & EXPERTISE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Recently I've been asked again about the potential of Dear Colleagues, expert systems in archives & museums. In May, at This is the third issue of this publication, so the MARAC meeting, I suggested three ideal1zed type I can now speak with experience. descriptions which might be used to assess the value Its clear to me that its time to settle down of expert systems In any appl1cation area. Suitable about format as I have about content and focus. domains are: Not that I've done it this issue. mind you, but its 1) confined, technical, arena's ln which the clear none the less. Readers deserve a certain number of experts is small. the need to have access to amount ofpredictability. and changing the the expertise is great and highly time critical and color, the pagination. and the tone of the the requirement for the information arises from jou~nal with each issue risks waking them up. dispersed loci, or I will now settle for continuous pagination in 2) simple, procedural oomains which are each volume (to improve the usefulness of the necessary but too tedious for people to do well on a annual index) and this buff paper. With the continuing basis, or which need to be done at all next issue I will return to the print layout hours or In bad environments, or program and a laser writer, having 3) complex, procedural domains in which the level demonstrated to my own satisfaction that Word of training of persons required to carry out the Processors still aren't desk top printers and dot procedures cannot assure that they will be carried matrix printers are cheap, but otherwise out correctly, but the costs of misapplying the without virtues for publishing. procedures are high or the effects are irreversab1e. I remain interested in hearing from you. I I proposed some examples of such appl1cations. The would .love to get disputes going in these pages first group includes systems embcdying the expertise and will welcome articles on topics which of conservators or disaster relief experts (the ~ould fit t~e journal. I am especially number of experts is small, the need great and time 1Dterested 1D hearing from potential authors of dependent. and it arises throughout the world). The Technical Reports since I do not intend to write second group includes intelligent environment even a lOOp. monograph every three months. monitors which adjust temperature and humidity T~e na~ure of the Technical Reports is open to controls or style monitors which advise on writing. d1scuss1on. Conference proceedings from The third group Is the most interesting because it especially interesting meetings could well fit. involves developing systems which help people deal Internal studies which have implications for with rules which are infrequently applied, hard to other institutions certainly are appropriate if learn or obscure - such as many of the rules which the authors wish to write an accompanying govern collection management (quick, what is the law essay exploring those implications. on alienation of cultural artifacts made after 1900 Vocabularies and system designs could also be from Brazll? What copyright exists for sheet mus1c appropriate. I welcome suggestions about what published in 1923? Can researchers use items should be included as well as nominations (and requiring conservation?) self-nominations) of potential authors. These kinds of problems "fit" the expert system solution, first, because they address knowledge domains which are small, limited and technical and Archival Informatics Newsletter (ISSN 0892­ for which we have been deriving catechisms as 2179) is part one of a two part quarterly teaching tools for years. Second, they are driven by publication. Part two. the Archival cause and effect which makes them well suited to , Informatics Technical Report (lSSN 0894-0266) strategies of forward and backward chaining which consists of separate titles. published on a are methods for difference reduction in expert quarterly basis, and available either by systems problem resolution. Third, they are very su~scription ?r as monographs. Both parts are goal oriented. making them well suited to means/ends ed1ted by Dav1d Bearman and published by analysis which is also awell developed method for Archives & Museum Informatics. 5600 reducing search space in expert environments. Northumberland St, Pittsbur2h,PA. 15217 Finally, they employ strictly delimited vocabularies.

Fall. 1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 55 E1ectronicAae. Washington DC, Special libraries IN-BOX Association, 1987 277pp. $21.75 ( 1700 18th 5t. NW, Washington, DC 20009). REPORTS NEWSLETTERS Sharon Caudle, Federal Information Resoyrces Management: 6riooin9 VisiQn and ActiQn, Areport to Computer law MQnitor the National Academy of Publfc Administration and The Computer Law MonitQr is, simp1y,1De. the General services Administration, National authoritattve source for news on developments in all Academy of Public AdministratiQn, Washington DC, areas of computer law, ranging from copyright and June 1987 168pp. & bibl1Q. patents to negotiating software development contracts This study of the Wffo./ in which IRM has been Qr liability fQr software failures. Cumulatively, this implemented in Federal cabinet level departments is the reference resource with which to begin and ranoom bureaus within them, describes what whenever alegal question arises. officials in the executive branch think IRM is, how they are implementing it, and how they think it CAN - Conservation Administration News, A should function. It recommends less emphasis on Quarter ly PublicatIon Qf LIbrary and Archival 1nformation technology micro-management 1n favor PreservatjQn, (ISSN 0912-2912) University Qf of greater emphas1s on informatiQn and the creatlon Tulsa Libraries, 6090 South College Ave. ,Tulsa, OK, of incenttves for better information management as $18. p.a. Issues 29 and 30 contain excellent part of program management rather than penaltles articles by Ben De Whftt (NARA) Qn uLQng- Term based on admin1strattve oversight. It oocuments the PreservatiQn of Data on Computer Magnetic Media: lack Qf flt between IRM and the paperwork reduction Part I &. II u. These are the mQst pithy guidelines yet emphasis which gave it birth, and rather weakly published on the subject. recommends that they be better integrated. Together with Richard lytle'S art1cle in the 1987 AnruAal InformatiQn Hotline (ISSN 0360-5817), Science Review of Information SCience and Technoloov, which Associates/International Inc., 1841 Broadway, New came to similar conclusiQns, this should give York, NY 10023 ($125. pa. - 11 issues) has been archivists aclue as to how they can marry their own reporting the latest news in the information policy goals with IRM programs. realm (legislation, government regulatiQn and executive agency affairs, legal precedents, studies Institution of Electrical Engineers, Report of a and grant giving) for the past twenty years and Survey of the Archives of British Commercial continues to be an unrivalled source. Computer Manyfactyrers, 1950-1970, Study conducted by serena Kelly, 272p. 1985 Library Systems Newsletter (ISSN 0277-0288) Acollective inventory, presumably being and Library TectmQlogy ReDQrts, are publ1shed by maintained Qn an Qn-lJ)ing basts by the newly ALA. 50 East Huron St., Chicago, Il60611. Annual establ1shed NatiQnal Computer Archive (Dept. of subscriptions are $35 and $155. SCience & Technology Pol1cy, the University, The Newsletter publishes press releases from Machester, M13-9PU. library vendors and prQjects in asl1ghtly edited form. The March and April issues of each year are Oklahoma Dept., of Libraries, Report to the Archives oovoted to acatalog of turnkey systems and software & Records Commission on Machine-Readable vendors in the library marketplace. While editQrial Computer Records in Electronic Format, 1987 jUdgement Is absent, the listing is useful. The This model study also reviews the findings Qf New technical reports are topical, and may not always be York, New Mexico, Utah, Kentucky and NARA studies of interest, but are usually good quality and calls for aprogram using the data administration approach. Research In WQrd processlno Newsletter (ISSN 0748-5484), publ1shed by the South Dakota SChool Special libraries Associatlon, Government Qf Mines &. TechnQ1Ot;rf. Rapid City, SO 57701, Information: An Endangered Resource of the celebrated its fifth anniversary (vo1.5, #5) with a

56 Archival Informatics Newsletter vol.l #3 bIbliography of c.ISOO articles entitled "From Word for general records descriptions for hundreds of Processing to Desktop Publishing and CD-ROM: A distinct forms of material characteriz'ing these Five Year Bibliographic Perspective on the Impact of activities. Well researched, glossaried and footnoted, Computers on Writing and Research". Although this this sourcebook will be used for years in the is not one of my regular reads, the bibliography is description of similar records in other jurisdictions. fascinating evidence of aliterature which could be telling us agreat deal about the future of the written Cortez. Edwin M., proposals and Contracts for word. L1brary Automation: Guic!ellnes for Preparing RFP's, Studio City ,CA , Pacific Information, 1987. $29. ARTICLES & BOO[5 The core of this book is a100 page essay (accompanied by 100 pages of sample specifications and contracts and an index). which serves as an Azevedo, Carmen Lucia de, Luciano Figueredo, and excellent overview of the processes involved in Maria Regina Hippolito; "MAPA Data Base - Brazilian prepraring an RFP. The volume, published jointly Public Administration History", UNESCO 1987 with the ALA, will be exceptionally useful as an The automated system for access to records of outline, but anyone using it will be well advised to government In the Brazl1ian Arquivo Nacional and treat it on ly as aframeworK. since examples are other Brazilian repositories is being organized in unlikely to apply to the user. The one weakness of two primary ffles - one arranged by agency, which the worK is in the area of evaluating responses, records name( 5), date( s) and administrative which is unfortunately an area Which gets most structures along with legislative authorities, and a buyers into trouble and needs to be fully understaoo second which consists of documentation, linked to the before the RFP is released. institutional authority f11e. The rationale is to accommodate changing institutional structures and to Heim, Kathleen M., "Social SCientif1c Information gain asystematic overview of the legislative history Needs for Numeric Data: The Evolution of the of Executive Institutions in Brazil from 1930 to International Data Archive Infrastructure", 1985, Collectlons Management, v.9( 1), Spring 1987. p.l­ Burwasser, Suzanne M.; File Management Handbook 53 Ifyou need ahistory of all the reports, for Managers and Librarians, Studio City, CA, Pacific conferences, organizations and activities which have Information Inc.1986, $24.50 contributed to the establishment of data archives Intended 6S an introduction to office level files over the past 25 years, this definitive account by the management (not records management), this Dean of LSU Library SChool, with its dozens of handbOOK contains auseful, if simplistic, discussion acronyms and over 100 footnotes, is it. of the advantages and disadvantages of avariety of f11ing schemes. Muller. Karen ed. ,Aythority Control Symposiym.

Fall. 1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 57 , I! and Richard Szary examine the prospects for involVing the Federal government and the states of multiple, conflicting, authorities in scholarly Wisconsin and Virginia. The proposal is aimed at databases. Summation by carol Mandel together with identifying and sharing information about records of practical examples of authority records and a gJVernments within the U.S. which contain bibliography make this an exceptionally valuable information duplicated at different jurisdictional text for anyone considering authority control. levels, planned and financed by one level and carried out by alower level, carried out at anumber of Williams, David W., AGujde to Museum Computing, levels, or transferred or abandoned by colonial, Nashville, TN, AASLH, 1987 territorial or federal agencies and acquired by Unfortunately, this pub 11 cation contains as much unrelated public or private repositories. The object bad advice as good and is dated by its authors' fixed of the pilot is to test the feasibility of constructing a HeIdi fixed record length orientation (cf. the series level MARC-AMC database which would assist argument against error checking p.116) and his in the efficient management of this data by fixation With print-outs (p 118-120). Williams identifying such overlaps and displacements. For introduces us to his odd concept of coded subject more information ,contact Frank Evans, NARA, categories which he confuses with authorities Washington DC 20408, (202) 724-1454. (p. 110), confounds us with his extraordinary [In this context, it is interesting to note the technology forecasts, which include predictions that publication by the Library of Congress of Federal bubble memory should could become an important Copyright Records, 1790-1800, acompilation of storage medium for portable computers, and exposes records from the 11 states and the Federal us to aprivate store of misinformation, of which his government which received copyright deposits during discussion of cashing (sic) is aclassic. The the first decade of the U.S. copyrlght law. J Appendixes contain articles by Pewt Finch (Children Museum Indianapolis), ClaUdia Melson (Delaware Roy H. Tryon. State Archlvlst and Records State Museum), Mary Cozine Woodward (Emory U. Adm1nlstrator, Delaware Bureau of Archives & Museum of Art 8< Archeology), Kate Toomey (Utah Records Management, Hall of Records, Dover. DE Museum of Natural History), Barbara Ward Grubb 19901, is circulating copies of the Delaware Public (N.C.State U.) on the systems at their respectlve Records Law prepared by his department for General museums. Assembly consideration during 1987/88. The bill, which clarifies and updates Delaware's records WOCKJ, Fed B., "Technology, Public Policy & the statutes, is based on evaluation of the laws of the Changing Nature of Federal Informatlon other states and the needs of Delaware as determlned Dissemination: Overview of aNew Office of by the recent NHPRC funded needs assessment. Technology Assessment Study''' , Government Information Quarterly, vol. 4# 1, 1987 p. ,83-96 Proceeding of the 1987 ACA Conference, reported Project Director WOCKJ summarizes arange of on in vol. 1#2, are now available from ACA offices. research underway at OTA, including the conclusions $5 members/$1 0 non-members. ACA, P.O.Box reached by the 11Ue study which OTA issued in May 2596. Station D, Ottowa, Ontario K1P-5W6, 1983, but also covering the gamut of information CANADA functions and mechanisms of the Federal government. His analysis of issues and actors should be mandatory MARC for Archives and Manuscripts: The AMC reading for anyone concerned with natfonal Format. Update 2, is now avallable from SAA Offices. information policy or interested in influencing the $3; SM, 600 S. Federal, #504, Chlcago,IL 60605 open-ended future studies which OTA projects, and which they invite readers to help to shape. SOlVing the Paper problem: An Introduction to Document Processing is anice, basic, introduction to EPHEMERA the newly emerging technologies of integrated OOcument processing employing digital image Frank 8. Evans, Deputy Assistant Archivist for capture, storage, indexing and retrieval Records Administration (NARA) has been circulating transmission of source OOcuments, Available free "Intergovernmental Records Project, ASummary" from InterFi1e, 755 North Mary Ave., Sunnyvale. CA June 29, 1987. 6p., 8 proposal for 8 pilot project 94086

S8 Archival Informatics Newsletter vo!.l #3 INEWS !JJvernment contracts, for goods and services purchased by state agencies ( including construction According to Federal Computing Week (4120/87), projects) open for bid. The information is aval1abIe NASA is using C-Quest from Image Concepts, to throughout the state in public and community college provide thesaurus assisted access to 250,000 libraries. Who archives bulletin boards? photographs on laser videodisc. The program, which is also being used by the National Agricultural ~ECTS It PROPOSALS Library, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the FB I was developed to handle imprecise Queries of large The edHors of Rog1strar , apublication of the MM photo morgues. Registrar's Committee, are surveying vendors to The Nat10nal Arch1ves is experimenting with identify collections management systems which are bit-mapping personnel documents of the Tennessee being used in at least two museums. They plan to Confederate army as apilot stu~ of optical imaging, compare the vendors along anumber of common which It sees as apotential solution to its space and dimensions in the fall issue of their newsletter. A presevatlon problems, according to Bm Hooton who limited number of copies of their findings w111 be was interviewed by Computer World (8124187). available to non-members. The Government AccounUng Off1ce which was [Rebecca Buck, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth asked by Congressman Greorge Brown to examine the College, Hanover, NH, 03755] reasons for the large backlog of FOIA requests at the Department of State, has reported that the automated The Clearinghouse Project on Art system for tracking FOIA's is in such bad shape that Documentation and Computer1zation is a it is nearly impossible to determine what the backlog cross-disciplinary resource sharing tool that is both is. adirectory and an indexing service comprised of The US Treasury has inaugurated its "Vendor information dealing with computerization in art Express" EFT program to make direct deposits to history, museum collections, and related visual and financial institutions of venoors to whom it owes bibliographic research support projects, systems money. and documentation. The Clearinghouse prOVides RepUblican Governor John Sununu of New * up-to-date information and l1terature to aid art Hampsh1re downloads f1nancial data from State librarians, museum and slide curators; registrars, mainframes to his microcomputer to make decisions archivists, art historians and students... to about the annual budget. "My style of trying to solve a Investigate computerization. problem is to cut through the bias that occurs when * areference tool for scholarly research people summarise data and pass it up to the next providing information and literature on layer. I'd rather go to the raw I unadulterated data" computeriZed art historical projects according to an interview in Computerworld * aguide to the availability of databases (6/22/87). Can archivists say with any assurance * aretrospective value for archival and historical that they could document such adecision-making research into the development of art informatics style, anywhere? * afile management system to aid those The Water Resources Division of the USGS awarded documentation sites participating in the acontract to AI RS Inc. in July to convert 300 MBof Clearinghouse Project (the Getty MT, the National water resources data to CD-ROM for distr'lbution to Museum of American Art, and W1110ughby Associates) USGS water district resource projects and other in indexing and organizing their oocument files and federal agencies. Such means for distributing special resource collections. internal databases will become common soon, and as * an interlibrary loan facility for hard to find they do, and are regularly updated, and coordinated materials in their files. with local data, they pose new questions about [Pat Barnett, Office of the System Librarian, Thomas documentation. Meanwhile, in June the census J. Watson library, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5th Bureau announced plans to publish the 1990 census Ave. at 82nd. St., New York, NY 10028 (212)­ on CD-ROM. 570-3935] North Carolina·s State Library Information Network is being emp loyed by the state as an electronic bulletin board which lists all state

Fall,1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 59 The Society of American Archivists, The RUN/Seven States project, funded by the Committee on Education and Professional NHPRC, is completing its work and preparing for the Development (CEPD) is collecting statements of evaluation phase which will be conducted early in the objectives of archival courses from educators and 1988 with areport scheduled for April or May. trainers. It will incorporate these statements into a Working papers defining the project position on profile of the education required by archivists and functional access accompanied by alist of spheres of records managers as afirst step in defining the actiVity and athesaurus-of processes have been ecology of archival educational opportunities, agreed to as have preliminary definitions of the developing standards for different kinds of programs, retention and disposition and appraisal data being and relating archival; education and certification. The recorded by the project for purposes of evaluating subcommittee charged with drafting the consolidated the use of the system for cooperative collecting statement of educational objectives consists of David strategies and assistance In mal<.ing retention Bearman, Frank Evans, David Klassen, Linda decisions. By the end of the calendar year the Mathews and Jim O'Toole. Proposed objectives, in the participating states will have comp leted entering and form "the professional archivist should have augmenting all the records agreed to in the project knowledge of x sufficient to y" should be submitted to plan. Early in 1988, plans call for participants to David Bearman by December 1. [Archives &Museum evaluate the value of access by functional terms Informatics, 5600 Northumberland St. Pittsburgh, (sphere of actiVity and process), and the use of PA 15217] cooperative appraisal and retention data in making local decisions. The Arch1ves and Records Information Coalition, an informal association of associations The Computer Index of Classical (SAA,MSLH, NAGARA, NARA, etc.) in the field which Iconography, (the U.S. office of the Lexicon are serving as information sources to their Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicoo, or Llt1C; members, was formed as aresult of the study by directed by Penny Small, at Rutgers University has Vicl<.i Walsh reviewed in the last issue. The NARA tal<.en an approach to documentation of complex library has agreed to enhance its holdings to serve as objects of art which should be of interest to other arepository for information of mutual interest to museum documentation projects. Us'jng amicro- coalition members who will meet annually to com puter based software system (Revelation, by consider ideas for further cooperation. [Bruce Cosmos), Dr. SmaII has designed at database Dearstyne, Executive Director, NAGARA, NY State consisting of acore of linked records of objects,

Archives, Cultural Education Bldg. lOA75, Albany I scenes and figures with thirty ancillary files for

NY 12230] authority control for artists, bibliography I collections, cultures, dress, element types, The Archives Users Group of the elements, general placements, materials, object Smithsonian Institution Bibliographic terms, placements, purposes, states, techniques and Information System (SIBIS) are surveying titles. The system enables aresearcher to seel<. themselves and other Smithsonian archival objects, components, figures in the design and their repos1torles to identify needs and opportunities for attributes. Most importantly, the authority files are authority control. They have hired Archives and linl<.ed not only to the main files but to each other J so Museum Informatics to evaluate their survey data that cultures is connected to the object file but also to and propose directions for future developments. the artists. This concept of linl<.ed authority files has They have also scheduled aday long symposium on been adesign objective of mine since the first outhority control in archives which will be held in definition of the Smithsonian Institution Collection late October and will include presentations by Jacl<.ie Information System in 1982; to find it imp lemented Dooley (U.C.San Diego), Marion Matters (Minnesota in aPC-based catalog is extremely exciting. The Historical Society), David Bearman (Archives 8< implications of such linked authorities are that data l'1useum Informatics) and Lisa Weber (SAA) in bases employing them become the vehicles for addition to SI staff. Plans for publication of the study delivering hypertext capabilities, since users can and symposium are under discussion. [ Harry Heiss, naVigate across files along these links, examining Chair, SIBIS-Archives Standards Committee, new areas from their originating query.

National Air 8< Space Museum, Archives, Smithsontan [College Avenue Campus, New Brunswick J NJ Institution, Washington DC 20560] 08903,(201)932-7404]

60 Archival Informatics Newsletter voL! #3 SOFTYARE BRIEFS most of all in the fact that it provides, off-the-shelf I acapability which could be readily implemented in most governments. Automated systems displayed at the NAGARA and SAA NOTIS is an integrated library system, marketted meetings this year included anumber of new entrants (since september 1) by NOTIS Inc., afully owned and enhanced packages as well as anumber of vendors subsidiary of Northwestern University. and being who had products in prior years. In the realm of installed in many of the nations largest university explicitly archives oriented applications, Michigan library systems. NOTIS has provided apowerful AMC State University showed MicroMARC:amc capability within its on-line catalog and the archival (reviewed in this issue), and AIRS Inc. displayed repositories within NOnS institutions met at SAA MARCON (Which w'ill be reviewed in the Winter with the President of NOnS Inco to discuss how they Newsletter). Cactus Software showed tantalizing could influence the direction of NOTIS implementa­ bits of its MARC-compatible archives and records tion of control features of MARC-AMC. The systems which is scheduled for release in the first instltutions I saw represented at this informal quarter of 1988. Two vendors, Cuoora Associates session, included the City University of NY, Clemson (STAR) and Inmagic Inc. (tNMA6IC) demonstrated U., Cornell U., George Washington U., Johns Hopkins, the abilities of the variable length field and text Loyola U, Northwestern, Oklahoma Dept. of searching packages to provide capabilities archivists Libraries, Rice U., TexasMM, Wesleyan. Yale, and want in multi-user systems. I continue to find the the Universities of Florida, Louisville. Minnesota, power of these two systems extremely attractive and Pittsburgh and Vermont. Many of these instituti~ns look forward to an archives acquiring them and are also participants in the RLI Nsystem, and thel.r implementing asolid application which could be collective potential impact is tremendous, dependmg demonstrated to less adventurous buyers OO'wn the on whether or not the archivists at these institutions road. MicroTRENDS Inc. demonstrated its Records which are using or have acquired NOTIS as their local & Image Management System (RIMS). an node, can influence NallS Inc. to develop aspecialized integrated digital filing system (with ASCII AMC system.to enhance their present, fully conversion of text ands full-text retrieva]), which functioning, ability to record AMC data and use it as archivists should study closely, not so much because an online catalog. they will want to use the system themselves, but Meanwhile, my expectations on the PC based because they are going to be seeing such systems soon systems may also come to pass. Raimund Goerler, in offices for whose records they are responsible. University Archivist, Ohio State University ( 169 Because I keep expecting someone to build an Converse Hall, 2121 Tuttle Park. Pl~, Columbus. archival application on acommercially available, OH 43210-1169) writes that he is developing an generalized, PC based DBMS, I was surprised that the archives application on PROGRESS, amulti-user two developments which I found most interesting DBMS from Data Language Corporation. Attracted to were applications on relatively large and large PROGRESS by its variable length fields and menu­ systems, and were not demonstrated on the exhibition driven data dictionary, as well as by its operrability floor although their vendors were at the conference. in MSDOS and UNIX, Rai has started implementing his RIMS (Records Management Information System) system as an intellectual control. The literature he is an integrated, multi-user records management has sent me makes it clear that PROGRESS is a system developed for municipal governments by promising fourth generation language, although I Information Management Specialists Inc. in Denver have some hesitations about the 2000 byte record Colorado and installed at the Department of Records limit. and Infarmatian services of New York City. Inspite Colleagues in England are working with afamily of of its acronym, it is not at all like the MicroTRENDS software by Information Management & Engineeerlng h system mentioned above. It is awork-horse records ltd. (TinNon. T1nTerm. T1nRef) to construct q center administrative control system which runs on archival applications. Last issue I reported on the , aMicroVax, uses bar-mUng extensively, and development of asystem with Revelation at Duke provides for the certification of agency records and asystem using Oracle in Holland. I've stopped officers, development of record schedUles, and the looking at systems using DBase, because its limits r, tracking of records from accessioning, through seem to me too serious to overcome in creating a ! retrieval, refiling, and destruction. Its strengths lie powerful generalizable archival application, but I'd in the reports it generates and in its simplicity, but be delighted to hear from anyone who has one.

Fall,1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 61 STANDARDS Standard Generalized Markup language (S6ML) . Can8d1an MARC format The Association for Computers and the HumanitIes Diane Beattie. project officer for the Bureau of has launched an effort to extent SGMl to text encoding Canadian Archivists. Planning Committee on for the humanities. It w11l hold aconference at Descriptive Standards. writes: Vassar College in November to define conventions to "In the report Toward Descriptive Standards, note such scholarly features as structural parts of texts (chapters. scenes. passages). recurrent published in 1986, the Working Group on Archival features such as speakers or stage directions, Descriptive Standards recommended that the Bureau indirect quotation. and ameans for scholars to extend of Canadian Archivists form aCommittee to work in the language to incorporate hitherto unforeseen close cooperation with the National Library Of Canada discontinuities of typesetting. Contact Nancy Ide, and the Canadian Committee on MARC to examlne the Computer Science Department. Vassar College, U.S. MARC Archives and Manuscripts Control format Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 and make recommendations about its adoptfon or adaptation in Canada. The American Association of Museums Museums During the last year the Bureau of Canadian Accreditation Program has issued revised self­ Archivists has worked in co-operation with the study guidelines which emphasize archives of the National Library of Canada to adapt the existing museum and include achecklist of points to be Canadian MARC format for monographs so that it can be used to describe archival materials. The Canadian evaluated. MARC format for archives differs from the American The Association for Information and Image format in two WefolS. Unlike the American format, the Management has completed the review and acceptance Canadian MARC specif1cations for archival materials process for its standard on Microfilm Computer will be integrated into the existing MARC format for Assisted Retrleval (CAR) Interface monographs. The other distinctive characteristic of Commands - ANSI/.AIIM MS40-1987. The the Canadian MARC format is that it can accept both standard provides for basic level of commands un1l1gual or b1l1ngual descriptions. The National between host software (sending) and microfilm Library of Canada hopes to pUblish the revised retrieval systems (receiving). Hardware suppliers volume of The Canadian MARC Format: Monographs must support at least all of the commands listed to be which wfl1incorporate the specifications for in compliance and software suppliers must support archival materials sometime in early 1988. an implementation subset which contains only those commands. Advanced level commands are discussed, U.S. Descriptive Standards but are not incorporated in the standard. The basic By unanimous vote, after considerable discussion, level commands are not universally implemented at the Description section of the Society of American present; buyers are urged to determine w.hether ArchiVists. has called on SM Council to.establish a supp1iers can support the standard. [COPles to All M task force to develop standards for archlval members for $7.25, to non-members for $8.00 ­ description. The section considered the past AIIM 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 1100, Silver Spring, resistance of archivists to such standards but MD 20910 (or 301-587-8202)]. rejected it as aviable stance for the futu.re. It also rejected defining the Committee on ~rc.hlval Museum Data Standards are the subject of an Information Exchange as the body wlthm the SAA article in the fall issue of Spectra. the Newsletter of charged with such standards development. preferring the Museum Computer Network. Stephen H. Delroy I amore limited definition of CAIE as the MARC format of the Canadian Heritage Information Network, maintenance committee. as urged by its chairman prOVides abasic introduction to the kInds of Max Evans. standards which could exist, are now used and are Drafting of aproposal for funding of aplanning needed. The Spring issue of Spectra discussed the group to define the areas in which descriptive ~h $5.000 contribution MCN made to the MM to fund standards are needed and the actors in arena is its participation in the development of data standards underway. for museums, At its fall meeting, David Bearman w11J be giving akeynote address which urges further MCN activity in development of standards.

62 Archival Informatics Newsletter vo1.! #3 Tutorial on ISO/OSI the logical addresses provided by the user into Lately I've become aware that many otherwise physical node addresses and chases apath by which to computer literate staff of archives and museums send the packet. don't understand the International Standards Loyer 4 is the Tronsport layer, which Organization (ISO) Open Systems Interconnection monitors packets to assure they are received and (OSI) reference model or what it has to do with them. retransmits them if they are lost or damaged. This is unfortunate because ISO/OSI is, increasingly, Loyer 5 is the session layer I which maintains defining the direction in which mostcommunication communications between devices and re-establishes standards are evolving. communications if it is broken off by an accidental The concept of an open system, or one which can interruption. receive and send communications to any other Layer 6 is the Presentation layer which system, is the quintessential goal of standards converts data into common forms, like ASCII, or an developers in every area in which there are "emulation" program which makes one device "look strandards. The OSI reference model which was like" another. developed ear ly in the 1980's, is an abstract Layer 7 is the AppHcoUon layer which framework in which such communication could take includes standards for programs ranging from simple place for any computer systems. It identifies seven commands, like PRINT to aprotocol for exchanging layers of intersystem interfaces. In principle when bibliographic data (MARC). Common application all seven are standardized, acomputer running one layer standards include the evolving Standard program can communicate it directly to adifferently Generalized Mark-up Language. designed machine running adifferent program. The best way to understand why such amodel of Three or four years ago, the concept was all there relationships between protocols is necessary is to really was, but today there are standards which examine how acomplex family of OSI standards, conform to the definitions of many of the layers, and called TOP, for The Office Protocols, is evolVing. TOP it is evident that such implementations of the OSI has yet to prove itself, but it has the potential of model are going to become increasingly important to making it possible to archive electronic office all applications. To understand why, it is important environments Which essentially defy archival I to recognize that in large integrated computing retention in the absence of such astandard. enVironments, the different hardware and software TOP is in turn dependent on file transfer between components will all date from different times and be systems, message handling and electronic mail, job made by different manufacturers. It is essential if transfer and management, database interfaces, they are to communicate to each other that they do so document interchange capabilities and the in astandard way, not one which needs to be specially maintenance of inter-system directories. It builds designed for each purpose at hand. Thus the ear liest on the lSO File Transfer and Management protocol full range of OSI protocols were developed to support (FTAI'1 8571), the CCITT Message Handling System. manufacturing firms. MAP - the Manufacturers the Graphical Kernel System (ISO 7492) and Automation Protocols, are afamiliy of standards Computer Graphics Metafile (ISO 8632) I the Virtual reflecting the seven layers of the OSI model, which Terminal device (ISO 9041 ) and avery complex support plant automation. group of protocols known as the Office Document So what are these seven layers? Architecture and Interchange Format (ISO 8613). Loyer 1 is the Physicol layer at which the bits Archivists are not likely to remember all these of data are transmitted. The standard defines the numbers, but they ought to understand that any open signal (RS-232 for instance assigns off and on bits interchange of data depends on the maintenance of 15 volts positive and 15 volts negative) and the such asystem of standards. arbitration of the line (token passing ring- IEEE 802.5 and token passing bus -IEEE802. 4 or carrier DEC Adopts X-Windows sensing multiple access/collision detection IEEE Digital Equipment Corp. announced it will adopt the 802.3). X-Windows version 11 standard. DEC's endorse­ Loyer 2 is the Doto Link layer which packages ment, following IBM, SUN and other major players in data into astandard size block or packet which the next generation of workstations is important to incIude addresses and data. archives and museums which hope to display rich, Layer 3 is the Network layer which translates user controlled, screen environments capable of showing images and running multiple applications.

Fall. 1987 Copyright by Archives & Museum Informatics 63 TECHNICAL REPORT ON PUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS POR COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT

Collections management is a function common to libraries. archives. museums. zoos and acquaria as well as to a host of other institutions we call "cultural repositories". Cultural repositories acquire, preserve, and interpret cultural evidence in its manifold forms. While they are separated by many traditions and by distinctive clienteles, they are united in their need for methods to keep track of the materials for which they assume trusteeship. In recent years the society at large has. through the courts, made the responsibilities of such trusteeship more rigorous, and this, together with the growth of collections and increased turnover of staff, has led cultural repositories to improve their systems for managing collections, including by seeking to automate the handling of collections management information.

The collections management information system is shaped by the fact that objects sought by, acquired by and used by, cultural repositories have a life-cycle as cultural objects, and that in that life they participate in a wide-range of activities. Collection policies identify classes of objects sought by an institution. Collecting itself identifies sources of such objects, and specific objects to consider for acquisition or loan. Objects are accessioned and progressively described. They are stored, and moved about, and loaned, and even disposed of. They are conserved and copied, studied and exhibited, published and discussed. And all these events in the life of an object are tracked by cultural repositories to better manage their holdings, to better understand their holdings, and to justify their very existence. Functional requirements for collections management systems derive from the nature of cultural repositories. Thus, while the kinds of objects held by institutions vary widely, and conventions for their intellectual description reflect diverse disciplinary orientations. the requirements for their management are surprisingly uniform.

This report examines these functional requirements and identifies the variables which cultural repositories should consider in specifying a need for any given requirement in the process of defining a manual or automated collections management system. The emphasis of the report is on giving the staffs of cultural repositories the tools with which to construct a locally appropriate requirements statement, shaped by local needs. resources and priorities.

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