Encoded Archival Standards Section

Mission Statement

The Encoded Archival Standards Section of the Society of American Archivists is intended to promote the implementation and use of encoding standards for dissemination of archival information. To this end, we aim to provide tools and information for use in encoding archival descriptions; discuss and facilitate the use of software for markup, parsing, indexing, and delivery; and monitor and contribute to encoding standard development for archival description.

Background

Following the creation of EAD Listserv in 1996 and the launch of the official EAD website by Library of Congress in 1996, members of the Society of American Archivists identified the need for a group to handle the more informal aspects of EAD implementation. A petition to create a Roundtable in late 1997 was approved by the Council of the Society of American Archivists. On September 4, 1998, at the SAA Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, the Encoded Archival Description Roundtable was officially inaugurated. The Roundtable was recast as the Encoded Archival Standards Section in 2017.