AT at saa

Just attended a session on Archivists' Toolkit, an open source tool that supports archival processing. I have performed a network install of the version 1.0 tool on Windows Server 2003 at the WSU Libs, though I don't believe that it has been employed to date. The version 1.1 release of the toolkit will resolve a large number of bugs in the EAD XML import and export processes and could be an extremely valuable tool for the management and conversion of EAD content, in that the version 1.1 software will support the EAD schema. Thus, it would be possible to import DTD-validated EAD and then export schema-validated XML. This came up during the Q and A: an unidentified tech in the audience added that for this process to work, all entity references would have to be stripped from the imported EAD document.

The version 1.1 release (according to Brad Westbrook, AT Project Manager) is designed to:

• refine performance of AT 1.0 by identifying and removing bugs, enriching records and functionality...
• introduce new functionality: user registration/ use tracking; rights management; interoperability of AT with digital repository systems
• support the development of a business plan with a business expert; how will the AT application be sustained?

Currently, 1.1 is in a code freeze, and will be released once documentation is completed.

The AT model is truly intriguing, with colleges and universities across the country participating in its development. Some 1.0 interface features (e.g., wrong Windows application control used by the developer; locked-down credentials visible in clear text), plus the number of 1.0 bugs described in today's session, emphasize the fact that AT is still an early stage tool. This open source tool has great potential for development. Katherine Stefko of Bates College noted that AT offered a great chance for archivists and technologists be be involved in an open source effort, including the possible development of add-on applications to extend AT's functionality (for example, to support online searching of EAD content).