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Reuther Web Finding Aids Pilot



The Reuther library announces the public phase for its Finding Aids on the Web at http://www.reuther.wayne.edu/collections/hefa_-coll.htm   This area features HTML-encoded Finding Aids (HEFAs), which have be prepared by a simple conversion from Microsoft Word. The HEFAs are primarily navigational devices. They mimic EAD structure and employ its terminology for navigational links, but do not use its tagging envelopes.

The initial trials began on February 21 with 15 samples. Thanks to those on the archival educators listserv and the labor archives who looked in on it.  A month later we have a somewhat refined product and around a 125 collections available. We invite comment.  Anyone interested in trying out the model should contact me.  The initial set of instructions is available as a link from the Help button on any finding aid.

Rationale: The Reuther is driven to respond to patron requests for immediate Web access to as many of the finding aids as possible.  EAD terms were immediately embraced as the descriptive standard for the coding.  But, a pure EAD project seemed problematic. Implementation is admittedly complex, EAD is not a true Web technology, and its companion SGML software both unfamiliar to staff and somewhat dated. Rather than waiting for commercial XML DTD programming shells, we opted for a direct Web venture based on current Web standards that most browsers can address.  Since a number of our finding aids were already in Word and recent versions of that software allow for direct export as HTML files with a single key stroke, this interim solution seemed reasonable.

Fred Stielow

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Fred Stielow
Director
Reuther Library/Labor Union Archives
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
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