YAMS Activities FY 2020-FY 2021

Over the past year YAMS completed several major projects, including an upgrade to ArchivesSpace v2.7.1. We also contracted with a vendor to develop plugins to 1) enhance our repository landing pages with Google maps and information about hours of operation, 2) more clearly indicate to users whether materials are stored on- or off-site, and 3) improve public user interface search functionality. In FY20, YAMS also successfully proposed the hiring of a 1.0 FTE Technical Lead for Special Collections, a much-needed expansion of YUL’s capacity for internal development and maintenance of ArchivesSpace and other special collections systems. Our full FY20 work plan, with end-of-year results, is here.

Major projects for this fiscal year include:

  1. Archives at Yale Development: In coordination with LIT, BDAWG and ASC, contract with a vendor (Hudson Molonglo) to develop new features for the ArchivesSpace public user interface, including:

    • Updating the Aeon request fulfillment plugin to enable users to place photoduplication requests via Archives at Yale and Aeon.

    • Improving the process for requesting access to born-digital materials via Archives at Yale and Aeon

    • Improving the display of digital/digitized materials in Archives at Yale by including thumbnail images in search results, enabling filtering/faceting of collections based on the presence of digital materials, and adding an embedded IIIF viewer.

    • Updating the ArchivesSpace-Aeon add-on, which facilitates searching ArchivesSpace within the Aeon staff interface.

  2. ArchivesSpace Staff Interface Development: Contract with a vendor and work internally to develop new features for the ArchivesSpace staff user interface, including:

    • Improving PDF export to facilitate proofreading of finding aids

    • Adding more detailed site navigation information, including enhancing “breadcrumbs” to more clearly indicate a record’s position in the collection hierarchy

    • Improving data entry functionality for more efficient creation and update of descriptive records.

    • Implementing a plugin to automatically generate box and folder labels within the staff interface

  3. Data Management: Implement data auditing, reporting, and cleanup protocols; complete internal and external development to improve data entry validation and import/export rules for ArchivesSpace data.

  4. Training: Implement annual training plan, including general use of the Staff User Interface/Archives at Yale, and specialized training in using the API and the agents and subjects modules.

Our full FY21 work plan is here.