ArchivesSpace Repository Profile: Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Gledhill Library

Question responses were provided via the Repository Profile Form by Chris S. Ervin, CA, Archivist at Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Gledhill Library on February 25, 2021.

Questions

Tool and version, if applicable

ArchivesSpace 2.8.1

Type of archives or special collection library?

Within a historical society, museum, or other nonprofit cultural institution

How did your institution select this archival collection management tool?

Archivist selected it.

When and why did you adopt this tool? What system did it replace (if any)?

2019; prior use in other institutions; replaced Past Perfect.

Briefly explain how this tool functions at your institution (e.g. do you only use it for accessioning, or does it fill all the functions from accessioning to public access?)

All archival functions.

What pre-installation/migration preparations were taken to facilitate implementation of this tool?

We migrated 70 years of accessions from Past Perfect via CSV files.

What degree of IT support was needed to implement and migrate into this tool?

Low.

Is your collection management tool hosted on-site and in-house or off-site by a vendor?

Off-site by a vendor.

Please describe significant post-implementation challenges using the administrative and/or public interfaces.

None.

Is your institution integrating this tool with other automated request, preservation, or digital asset management systems?

Would like to integrate with Preservica.

In what ways has using this tool been an improvement over your previous tool or finding aid access strategy?

It’s been an extraordinary improvement.

What is your most favorite feature of this tool?

Auto generation of EAD that can be easily posted to the Online Archive of California.

What is your least favorite feature of this tool?

Can be clunky when rearranging order of agents.

Lessons Learned, or tip for prospective users? What is your least favorite feature of this tool?

Go with LibraryHost hosted version, not in-house hosting.

What features would you want to see added to this tool in the future?

Agent sorting.