ArcLight Integration Project
Integrating ArcLight with Digital Content, IIIF, and ArchivesSpace
Call for Participation (closed)
We are excited to announce a public call for participation in the ArcLight Integration Project! This initiative aims to develop open specifications that will lay the groundwork for incorporating digital objects in ArcLight.
What we’re working on
We need our archival description to provide remote access to born-digital and digitized materials. Links between finding aids and digital repositories are often challenging for both archivists to create and users to navigate. What is a digital object according to DACS? What role does the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) play? These relationships need to be more clearly defined before we can develop ArcLight to provide online fulfillment for digital materials.
Our goal is to work with a group of archival practitioners to create an archivist-version of the Portland Common Data Model (PCDM). We want this to both align with archival theory and professional standards, but also be a practical foundation for software development. This work will serve as the foundation for our ArcLight development work, and a specification that supports a number of implementations beyond ArcLight.
Don’t we already have standards for this?
Kind of, but not really? DACS, ISAD-G, and RiC-CM don’t really talk about digital objects and are not really concerned with fulfillment for better or worse. EAD has digital archival objects, but isn’t really opinionated on how you use them in a way that helps us build software around them. ArchivesSpace also has a data model and a specification for how digital objects work for that implementation.
Our work will be well-aligned with these professional standards and best-practices. We’ll also look to our cohorts of archival data experts to define these relationships.
Who we’re looking for
No ArcLight experience or expertise is required to participate
We are seeking experienced practitioners who have hands-on experience describing archival materials and working with archival description as data in a number of contexts, including (but not limited to):
- ArchivesSpace
- EAD
- ArcLight
- spreadsheets!
- Access to Memory
- Archon
In particular, we are looking for people who have experimented with connecting archival description or finding aids with digital objects and we welcome submissions from small and/or underresourced repositories.
If you’ve ever written a thoughtful scope note that describes an item uploaded into a digital repository, and have been either confused or opinionated by that experience, we want you!
Project Overview
We are seeking participants for two key groups:
Remote Cohort
- Who: A larger group of practitioners with direct experience working with archival data in any system or context.
- When: A series of virtual meetings from December 2-6, 2024.
- We plan to hold a structured session each day at 2pm Eastern time lasting from 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- While there will be some asynchronous preparation and response work, the fixed schedule will be limited to this 2pm-4pm Eastern time window.
- What: Participate in facilitated exercises to:
- Define our fundamental purposes and the context of our work.
- Share local examples and insights.
- Develop a set of guiding principles and general data structures.
- Outcome: Contribute to shaping the foundational aspects of the project and shape our understandings of digital objects in archival description.
In-Person Cohort
- Who: A smaller subset of the remote cohort invited to participate in-person.
- Where: University at Albany, SUNY
- When: February 5-7, 2025.
- What: Collaborate to draft key project specifications, including:
- A high-level conceptual model or specification
- A data model for the description_harvester tool
- A specification for the Arclight Solr Index
- Follow-Up: The larger remote cohort will review and provide feedback on these draft documents.
Public Review and Feedback
After the draft documents are reviewed by the larger cohort, we will open a public call for comments. This will allow a broader audience to provide input before the documents are finalized and published openly.
Compensation and Support
- All participants will receive a $500 honorarium for their involvement.
- Members of the in-person cohort will receive an additional $500 honorarium as well as $1,200 in travel support.
Application Process
Applications will consist of:
- An existing CV or resume
- A brief statement of about 200 words, describing your experience with archival description and digital objects, as well as your interest in the project.
Interested applicants should complete the application form and either upload a CV or resume by the end of October 11th, 2024.
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ArcLight Integration Project Board
ArcLight Integration Github
description_harvester Github
ArcLight Community
ArcLight website
ArcLight Github
Project Funding
