ArchivesSpace at NYPL

ArchivesSpace is an open-source content management system used to manage archival description and archival metadata. While ASpace has functionality that includes accessioning, collections management, digital object management, and public access, at NYPL we only use ArchivesSpace for description. Below is an explanation of what ArchivesSpace is and is not used for at NYPL.

ASpace at NYPL IS Used For

Creating and Managing Finding Aids

  • Archival description of all formats, including Born-Digital and Audio and Moving Image

  • DACS compliant metadata creation

  • EAD based metadata structure

Exporting EAD and MARCXML

Creating and Managing Access Terms and Authorities 

  • Agents (people and corporate bodies)

  • Subjects (Topical, Genre/Form, Occupations, Uniform Titles)

Managing Containers

  • Create containers

  • Assign barcodes

  • Attach containers to collections

ASpace at NYPL is NOT Used For

Collection Management 

Collection management at NYPL is managed in SPEC, which is used for both location management and accessioning.

Circulation and Public Access

At NYPL, finding aids are published on the Archives Portal by Archival Processing unit management and Archives Portal administrators by exporting EAD from ASpace and uploading it to the portal. All uploads and revisions to the portal are also tracked and versioned in a system managed by the Archival Processing unit. 

Processing archivists create catalog records in WorldCat and the Research Catalog by exporting MARCXML records from ArchivesSpace, uploading them to OCLC Connexion, and exporting those records to Sierra 🔒.

Aeon 🔒 is managed by NYPL Collections Access and Discovery department, and is used by public service staff to facilitate requests and circulation tracking workflows for collection materials.

Searching Legacy Description

When NYPL implemented ArchivesSpace for description in 2017, legacy description was not imported. All Pre-2017 archival description was created in other systems and uploaded to the Archives Portal. While legacy finding aids have been, and continue to be imported into ASpace on an ad-hoc basis, usually as part of the Archival Processing unit’s Description Remediation program, most legacy finding aids are only available on the Archives Portal. Therefore, the Archives Portal is the best place to search for all finding aids produced by NYPL.