Workflow for Importing Legacy Container Inventories - smith-special-collections/sc-documentation GitHub Wiki

Preliminary Step

Identify approach based on cost/benefit considerations (factors include file format, description format, length, quality of description, and value of materials)

• Approach 1: Do not import legacy inventory
  • If the information is inaccurate or significantly out of date, it may be better to start from scratch.
• Approach 2: Upload PDF inventory and link out from finding aid
  • This is the approach most amendable to large scale automation.
• Approach 3: Re-key or copy/paste legacy inventory
  • For short inventories, especially those only on paper or in poorly formatted Word documents, this is usually the easiest approach.
• Approach 4: Data cleanup and transformation
  • Large or well-formatted inventories require multiple tools.

Approach 2: Upload PDF inventory

[TO ADD]

Approach 3: Re-key or copy/paste legacy inventory

1. Retype or copy-paste data into template for the Excel import spreadsheet (for very short inventories, directly entering into ArchivesSpace may be even easier)
2. Import into ArchivesSpace

Approach 4: Data cleanup and transformation

1. Clean and parse data using OpenRefine
   • Importing Data into OpenRefine
   • Data Cleanup Scripts
   • Other Helpful Resources and Functions
2. Download as Excel spreadsheet
3. Copy and paste (make sure to paste values only) into template for the Excel import spreadsheet
4. If appropriate, add additional data.
5. Import into ArchivesSpace