ArchivesSpace Object Import

Containers and volumes of processed archival collections can be imported as SPEC objects from ArchivesSpace. Use the ASpace Object Import button in the SPEC Records section of the Collection Summary interface and select the .csv generated by the item export in ArchivesSpace. This functionality is only available when using SPEC via the client.

The import matches records on the barcode and will update an existing SPEC object record if its barcode matches one in the .csv file or it will create a new object record if a match is not found.

If the barcode matches an inactive SPEC object the import will not reactivate the object. If a record appears to not have been imported, check whether its barcode belongs to an inactive object.

The collection id in the .csv file must match the SPEC collection id. Otherwise the object records will not be linked to the correct collection, even if the import is initiated from the correct collection record in SPEC.

The same container formats in SPEC are sometimes named differently in ArchivesSpace. The import will populate the objects’ format to the corresponding SPEC format and the dimensions based on the data in the .csv file. In some cases, the format will import as a generic container format, even when the ArchivesSpace format has a SPEC counterpart. In these cases, update the SPEC format information manually. This can be done most easily using the List Edit interface.

The import will add a restriction to the object record if one is found in the .csv file. However, when updating an existing object, the import will not remove any existing restrictions. An end date must be added to the object’s restriction(s) manually, see Editing Object Records and SPEC Objects / Restrictions for more information.