EAD Toolkit
This "toolkit" of freeware, commercial, and CDL-developed resources will help contributors create and submit EAD collection guides. It may also be useful for other individuals and institutions; however, please note that the toolkit is designed to aid contributors and therefore contains some tools specific to our processes.
Encoding Specifications
Collection Management Tools
CDL Hosted Archivists’ Toolkit / Archon Service
CDL-hosted versions of the Archivists' Toolkit (AT) and Archon archival data management systems (see descriptions, below) are available to contributors. By hosting one or both of these applications, we seek to provide the technical infrastructure for institutions that do not have the capacity to host the backend databases locally. Institutions only need to implement the application clients to use the systems.
Archivists' Toolkit
An open-source archival data management system developed by UC San Diego, New York University, and the Five Colleges, Inc. The toolkit can generate EAD collection guides, METS digital objects, and MARCXML records. If you are hosting the application locally, please consult our OAC requirements guide; the guide explains how to generate exports to meet OAC specifications.
Archon
An open-source, web-based archival data management system developed by the University of Illinois. The toolkit can generate EAD collection guides and MARC records for digital objects. If you are hosting the application locally, please consult our OAC requirements guide; the guide explains how to generate exports to meet OAC specifications.
Encoding Tools
Online Web Forms
OAC EAD Web Templates
These online forms were developed by the CDL for generating collection- through series-/subseries-level collection guides that are compliant with OAC specifications. Encoders simply enter collection data into the webform fields, or cut and paste from an existing document into the form. The form is then converted to a text file and saved as a XML EAD file. EAD files should be validated using a separate application, such as voroEAD. The template source code is customizable and freely available for downloading.
SGML/XML Authoring Tools
EAD Cookbook
This is a set of free desktop software tools, templates, stylesheets, and instructions for markup of complete collection guides developed by Michael J. Fox that can be used in conjunction with different XML authoring software (XMetal, NoteTab, or oXygen). The particular authoring software used can also be configured to validate your EAD files.
EAD Cookbook for Notetab
Developed by Chris Prom, this is a set of NoteTab clipbooks, batch files, and associated files allowing EAD markup and collection guide publication via the NoteTab Pro and NoteTab Light text editors in conjunction with the EAD Cookbook.
Simple Text Editors
JGSoft EditPad Lite
This is a freely-available desktop simple text editor created by JGSoft that includes line and character numbers for text (which is useful for troubleshooting encoding errors). EAD files should be validated using a separate application, such as voroEAD.
Transformation Tools
at2oac
An XSLT stylesheet that can be used to post-process Archivists' Toolkit EAD outputs, in order to conform to OAC encoding specifications.
EAD to MARC Conversion Script
Stylesheets, scripts, and support files for converting EAD collection guides into MARC21, developed by Mark Carlson.
EAD to PDF
Code for converting EAD collection guides into PDF, developed by the CDL.
Validation Tools
voroEAD
EAD finding aids can be validated and checked for compliance against OAC encoding guidelines using our voroEAD system. Simply upload in-process files to your voroEAD Testing Directory, and validate them using the associated voroEAD Testing Interface.
Outsourcing
The following list is a partial directory of vendors providing EAD encoding services. The OAC does not in any way endorse these vendors. Omission of a particular vendor does not indicate disapproval; the list will be updated as additional vendors are identified.
Additional Resources
For additional methods, tools, and other resources used by repositories to generate EAD collection guides, consult the EAD Help Pages.
See our resources section for a list of other general resources and websites with information about EAD.
