TARO repositories have been sorted into three groups for the purposes of working through schema conversion process.
Each repository will be worked with individually to ensure their documentation and training needs are met.
Scroll down to see what to expect and where your repository is grouped, and please know we will be in touch with your repository to discuss this process and the timing.
Questions right now? Contact Amanda Focke
- Group A – Spring / early Summer 2016: repositories already creating schema compliant XML with software such as ArchivesSpace, ArchivistsToolkit, CuadraStar, Archon.
- Group B – Summer – Fall 2016: repositories encoding by hand in XML editor of some sort, significant current staff experience and documentation
- Group C – Winter – early 2017: encoding by hand in XML or text editor, little or no current staff experience and documentation
TARO workflow steps for repositories moving to schema compliant XML submissions, 2016
What to expect: Overall, each repository should expect the conversion process to take about a week, with the work happening via a script run by Minnie Rangel, and the repository not having account access during that time. After that, the repository can submit edited or new finding aids as long as they are schema compliant, and guidance will be provided on how to do that.
- Scheduling the conversion, repository by repository
Minnie Rangel and Amanda Focke to schedule conversion with repository at a convenient time.
- Blocking repository account access during conversion
Tuesday of the scheduled conversion week, the repository’s account access is blocked by Minnie to prevent any submissions during the conversions.
- Schema conversion of existing files at TARO
Wednesday of the scheduled conversion week, Minnie runs the dtd-to-schema conversion script on the repository’s existing files in TARO. This may take 2-3 days depending on the number and size of the files. (For example, 800 files might take 2-3 days.) At the end of this process, all the XML files on TARO’s server for this repository will be schema compliant and valid, with no need for the repository to take further steps on them, unless there was an error (see below for further info on errors). The HTML webpage for the finding aids that researchers see online will not have changed at all. - Repository to download their dtd files and new schema files for local backup.
Repository will log in to their TARO account in the usual manner as access will have been restored, and use the secure-shell client’s tools to download all their files. The old DTD XML will be in one folder and should no longer be used for current finding aid editing, only as an archived copy. The newly created schema compliant files can be used for editing if needed.
- Error correction on schema compliant XML
In the event of any errors, Minnie will supply a list of such errors which will be helpful in correcting them.
- Please note that the correction of these errors is required but can be done at the convenience of the repository, since the finding aid seen by users is still the HTML as generated by the old DTD file.
- Advice and troubleshooting will be available from the TARO Outreach and Committee, and possibly other TARO committee members as needed.
- Any new or edited XML submitted will need to be schema compliant and valid
Going forward from your conversion, any edits to files, such as for updates to a finding aid, will need to be submitted as a valid schema compliant XML file in order for it to process correctly and show online as HTML. You will be given the documentation and other info needed in order to do this using essentially the same workflow you already have, it is not a huge change.
A note about groups — if you think your repository is in the wrong group, or you don’t see your repository at all, please contact Amanda Focke. The groups were made based on survey responses in Fall 2015 or by email / phone in early Spring 2016.
Group A: roughly scheduled for Spring / early Summer
African American Library at the Gregory School (AS)
Baylor University (CuadraStar)
Rice University, Fondren Library, Woodson Research Center (AS)
Texas General Land Office Archives and Records (AT)
Texas A&M Corpus Christi (AS)
Texas A&M University Cushing Memorial Library (Archon)
University of Houston Libraries, Special Collections (Archon) University of North Texas Archives (Archon)
Vietnam Center and Archive, Texas Tech University (AS)
Group B: Roughly scheduled for Summer / early Fall
Austin History Center, Austin Public Library (NoteTab)
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Notepad++)
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo (Oxygen) Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin(Oxygen)
Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library, John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center (Oxygen) Houston Public Library, Houston Metropolitan Research Center (limbo between AT/AS)
San Jacinto Museum of History (Oxygen)
Southern Methodist University (Oxygen)
Stark Center, University of Texas at Austin (Notepad++)
Stephen F. Austin University (limbo between Archon/AS)
Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas at Austin (Oxygen)
Texas State Library and Archives Commission (Oxygen)
Texas Tech University Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library (Oxygen)
Texas/Dallas History and Archives Division, Dallas Public Library (NoteTab)
Texas State University (Oxygen)
The University of Texas at Austin. Alexander Architectural Archive (Oxygen) –CONVERTED FEB 2016 IN TARO PILOT WORK
The University of Texas at Austin. Benson Latin American Collection (Oxygen)
The University of Texas at Austin. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History (Oxygen)
Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections,
Moody Medical Library, University of Texas Medical Branch (Oxygen)
University Archives and Special Collections The University of Texas at Tyler (limbo between Archon/AS)
University of Texas Arlington Library, Special Collections (XMetal)
University of Texas San Antonio (Oxygen)
Group C: early 2017
Tyrrell Historical Library (Oxygen)
Concordia University Texas Historical Online Collection (Oxygen)
Lamar University’s Archives and Special Collections (NoteTab)
Robert E. Nail, Jr. Historical Archives at Old Jail Art Center (NoteTab)
San Antonio Municipal Archives
South Texas Archives at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (Oxygen)
Texas Woman’s University, the Woman’s Collection (Oxygen)
University of St. Thomas Archives
University of Texas El Paso (Oxygen)
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Oxygen)
UT Health Science Center San Antonio
UT Human Rights Documentation Initiative
