Implement DACS in Integrated CMS: Using the Archivists' Toolkit

If you’ve taken the introductory DACS workshop or are familiar with this national content standard, you’re ready for this intensive 2-day workshop featuring numerous hands-on exercises in a freely-available content management system (CMS). Learn to implement the national content standard using the Archivists’ Toolkit™ (AT),* one open source application available for managing information about your repository’s collections and for producing standard descriptive products. The AT supports integrated modules for accessioning, description, name and subject authority control, and location management and also provides customizable reports and standardized description exports such as EAD, MARCXML, and METS.

Upon completing this workshop, you’ll have learned how to use the Archivists’ Toolkit™ to:

Create accession descriptions
Create resource descriptions for collections and collection components
Create and manage name and subject authorities and link them to accession and resource descriptions
Record and manage physical locations within a repository
Produce description output files in standardized data structures such as EAD and MARCXML
Produce administrative reports
Import legacy data and perform data cleanup tasks
You will also become more familiar with:

DACS and how to use it, where applicable, to determine the kind and form of data recorded in the AT
Technical and administrative issues relevant to setting up and managing an AT instance at your repository
Issues not covered in the workshop include local network configurations of the AT application, mapping of repository-specific legacy data for import, and new features added to releases after the 1.1 version.

* The instructors utilize Archivists’ Toolkit™ to facilitate teaching the content of this workshop. The use of Archivists’ Toolkit™ does not represent or imply SAA endorsement of this product.

Who should attend? Archivists who have attended SAA’s Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) workshop or who have acquired familiarity with DACS.

Workshop attendees must bring a print copy of DACS with them to the workshop.

Testimonials:

Participant response to “what aspect of the workshop methods/materials was most valuable to you?“ included:

"As an experienced cataloger but an inexperienced archivist, getting a better sense of which information goes into which ’bin’ was invaluable. The hands-on exercises made the prospect of using this tool much less daunting."
"Hands-on [experience] with a computer for each participant. Opportunity to explore all aspects of Archivists’ Toolkit. Lass assignment forced me to integrate it all, so it was particularly useful."
"Understanding the name and subject fields in [the] Toolkit because it allows me to be more effective in description control. Previously, I wasn’t certain if I was using the Toolkit’s functions appropriately." - Chris Rockwell
"The progression of the exercises worked well for me, moving me through all of AT. Previously I had only focused on resources. I definitely feel fully equipped to not only implemet AT, but to use it as an administrative tool and integrate it into our IT workflow." - Tanya Hollis
"It was so excellent to be instructed by those so intimately involved with the development and design of both AT and DACS - it’s like having the privilege of a graduate seminar." - Susan Lugo
Attendance is limited to 28.

http://saa.archivists.org/