Bridging the Generation Gap: Changes to IU Archives Description and Discovery

Abstract

Indiana University Libraries are home to rich and unique collections, ranging from the Calumet Regional Archives at Northwest, to the University Archives at Bloomington, to the William L. Simon Sheet Music Collection at Southeast. To date, the description and discovery of these materials have been facilitated by disparate systems, formats, and practices. This fractured ecosystem has challenged the exploration of materials meaningful to Hoosiers and those in the national and international communities.

Library Technologies and Digital Collections Services have partnered with archivists across IU in a project called Next Generation Archives Online. In celebration of IU’s 200th anniversary and with funding from the Office of the Bicentennial, this project is laying the groundwork for a unified description and discovery infrastructure and coordinated processes governing contributions to that infrastructure. This new ecosystem includes ArchivesSpace for creating collection description and ArcLight for end user search and discovery. This talk will share progress to date in implementing and moving from the current generation’s disparate technologies and practices to the unified approach of the next generation.