Good morning TARO folks!

Hard to believe that we are already 2 months into 2022; time seems to fly by and yet, pandemically stand still. I hope this update finds you, your staff, your repositories, family and friends all well. I wanted to take a moment to give you a TARO update, and share some exciting coming events and news with you.

Stats are available for January! Bookmark the wiki page for the latest statistics from TARO2.0.

Next up, TARO2.0 development wrapped up in December. Many thanks to all of our amazing Valkyrie Squad members who put in extraordinary work last year. Thank you to everyone who completed surveys and did usability testing on the website. Steering and Web/Tech collected that information, and passed it along to the team down in Austin. And finally, thank you to everyone who worked on remediating their finding aids. I know it was a tremendous undertaking on the part of all repositories and staff on top of countless other projects and workloads.

Now for the amazing news: with the support of the Texas State Records Advisory Board (THRAB), the TARO steering Committee submitted an application for funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) last December. We were awarded $98,000 to continue the development of the new TARO2 website! *And the crowd goes wild*. So what does this mean? We will be continuing to work on the website, incorporating feedback from the usability surveys and responses, so you may begin to notice changes to the site. Thanks to these ARPA fund we are able to bring in some additional folks, including a subject remediation specialist, and work to establish workflows for incorporating contributions from outside of the core UTL Valkyrie team in the event that opportunities like this arise in the future. This funding will allow us to continue working through the end of September 2022! Thanks to Jelain Chubb and THRAB for their continued support and advocacy for TARO.

Now for even more great news: in person TARO trainings and online webinars are coming soon! We have a variety of upcoming events I invite you to check out. Whether you are new to TARO, new to the profession, or just want a refresher, there is something for everyone. Be sure to mark your calendars and hope to see you soon.

 Introduction to TARO2.0 (Webinar)

Tuesday, March 15^th, 2022

10:00am-11:00am

Welcome to TARO2.0! Get a guided tour of the new website and all its features. Topics will include: logging in (authenticator / email methods), uploading new finding aids, compliance checking, editing and deleting finding aids. We will also demo the search, advanced search, and browse features of the site as well as analytics. Join us live for a Q&A following the presentation. The webinar will be recorded and added to our training video library.

TARO and ArchivesSpace Open Forum (Webinar)

Tuesday, March 29th, 2022

10:00am-11:00am

Are you an ArchivesSpace user and a member of TARO? Join us for an open forum on TARO2.0. Hear from other ASpace repositories on their workflows, tips, and tricks for exporting XML files and uploading them to TARO. Hear from members of the Texas State Library and Archives, Rice University, and the Briscoe Center. Do you have a process you can share? All are welcome to share their workarounds and best practices for working with ArchivesSpace and TARO. The webinar will be recorded and added to our training video library.

Introduction to TARO: Encoding and Submitting Finding Aids (In-Person)

San Marcos, Texas State University

Friday, April 1^st, 2022

10:00am-4:00pm

This workshop will serve anyone learning how to encode archival finding aids using the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) standard in XML, but is focused on the local guidelines and participation logistics for the state consortium for finding aids, Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO).  The morning session will provide basic information on EAD and the standards used with it, as well as background on TARO. The afternoon session will include hands-on time using an XML editor (or alternatively, using ArchivesSpace) to build a valid EAD XML finding aid file and seeing how to upload it to TARO. In 2020-2021, TARO underwent significant changes and upgrades, which this workshop will address, so it will be useful even to those who are familiar with the previous version of TARO. This includes required tags and attributes, suggested subject browsing terms, and a new way of uploading and managing files. Participants will learn how XML tags work, what the EAD tags are, how to validate an XML file, how to use the TARO Best Practices Guidelines, and how to upload files to TARO. Detailed handouts and sample files will allow participants to continue their practice after the workshop. Trainers Amy Bowman and Amanda Focke will lead this hands on workshop.

Workshop is free to participants. Limited spaces available; registration required. Click here to register.

TARO and Access Terms (Webinar)

Tuesday, April 19^th, 2022

10:00am-11:00am

Join us for a conversation with our subject term remediation specialist. Learn more about TARO2.0’s browse and advanced terms list, and how you can optimize your finding aids for discoverability.

Introduction to TARO: Encoding and Submitting Finding Aids (In-Person)

Dallas, Southern Methodist University

Wednesday, April 27^th, 2022

10:00am-4:00pm

This workshop will serve anyone learning how to encode archival finding aids using the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) standard in XML, but is focused on the local guidelines and participation logistics for the state consortium for finding aids, Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO).  The morning session will provide basic information on EAD and the standards used with it, as well as background on TARO. The afternoon session will include hands-on time using an XML editor (or alternatively, using ArchivesSpace) to build a valid EAD XML finding aid file and seeing how to upload it to TARO. In 2020-2021, TARO underwent significant changes and upgrades, which this workshop will address, so it will be useful even to those who are familiar with the previous version of TARO. This includes required tags and attributes, suggested subject browsing terms, and a new way of uploading and managing files. Participants will learn how XML tags work, what the EAD tags are, how validate an XML file, how to use the TARO Best Practices Guidelines, and how to upload files to TARO. Detailed handouts and sample files will allow participants to continue their practice after the workshop. Trainers Amy Bowman and Robert Weaver will lead this hands on workshop.

Workshop is free to participants. Limited spaces available; registration required. Click here to register.

Introduction to TARO: Encoding and Submitting Finding Aids (In-Person)

Houston, Society of Southwest Archivists Annual Meeting

Wednesday, May 18^th, 2022

10:00am-4:00pm

This workshop will serve anyone learning how to encode archival finding aids using the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) standard in XML, but is focused on the local guidelines and participation logistics for the state consortium for finding aids, Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO).  The morning session will provide basic information on EAD and the standards used with it, as well as background on TARO. The afternoon session will include hands-on time using an XML editor (or alternatively, using ArchivesSpace) to build a valid EAD XML finding aid file and seeing how to upload it to TARO. In 2020-2021, TARO underwent significant changes and upgrades, which this workshop will address, so it will be useful even to those who are familiar with the previous version of TARO. This includes required tags and attributes, suggested subject browsing terms, and a new way of uploading and managing files. Participants will learn how XML tags work, what the EAD tags are, how validate an XML file, how to use the TARO Best Practices Guidelines, and how to upload files to TARO. Detailed handouts and sample files will allow participants to continue their practice after the workshop. Trainers Robert Weaver and Amanda Focke will lead this hands on workshop.

Workshop is free to participants. Limited spaces available; registration required. Registration will take place through SSA and the annual meeting registration site. Click here to receive more information.

Sponsored by the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board with funding provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Whew! I think that is all the news I have for now. Thank you all again for the work you do. Here’s to TARO2 in 2022.

Best wishes and Happy Valentine’s Day!

nhprc logo

THRAB-Logo

Greetings, TARO colleagues!

What an amazing year 2021 was for TARO. Never before have so many of our repositories, volunteers, and others from around the state come together to do so much for this consortium. From the massive data remediation efforts early in the year, to the diligent testing of the constantly evolving txarchives.org (or “TARO 2.0”) website, we somehow accomplished everything we had hoped. And we did it all despite continuing to negotiate COVID, winter storms, and other challenges. We on the TARO Steering Committee cannot thank every single one of you enough for all your hard work.

2021 Steering Committee members

TARO held its annual Steering Committee open-office election in November, filling the calendar year 2022 vacancies for the offices of Vice Chair/Chair-Elect and two At-Large members. Officers who completed their terms this year are Immediate Past Chair Rebecca Romanchuk (2019-2021) and At-Large members Ada Negraru (2020-2021) and Rachael Zipperer (2020-2021). Their dedication to their duties and excellent work are much appreciated. Officers for next year are:

• Chair: Samantha Dodd, Southern Methodist University, smdodd@smu.edu
• Vice-Chair: Maristella Feustle, University of North Texas, maristella.feustle@unt.edu
• Secretary: Alexandria Suárez, University of Texas at Austin, asuarez@austin.utexas.edu
• At-Large Member (2020-2022, 3-year term): Penny Castillo, drpencil9@gmail.com
• At-Large Member: Kathryn Slover, University of Texas at Arlington, Kathryn.slover@uta.edu
• At-Large Member: Kristi Nedderman, Dallas Municipal Archives, kristi.nedderman@dallascityhall.com
• UT Libraries Representative: Aaron Choate, UT Libraries, achoate@austin.utexas.edu
• Programmer: J.J. Bennett, UT Libraries, lib-taro@austin.utexas.edu
• Immediate Past Chair: Robert Weaver, Texas Tech University, robert.g.weaver@ttu.edu

News and Major Accomplishments

NEH Implementation Grant

TARO Web Application Development

TARO kicked off development of the new “TARO 2.0” website in March via a TARO-wide virtual meeting. Development, testing, and continual enhancements continued throughout the year. In December 2021 the site debuted after tireless work by our grant-funded web applications developer, Minnie Rangel, as part of the Valkyrie Squad at UT Libraries. This work included a comprehensive functional and aesthetic redesign of the TARO website that will assist patrons, archivists, and others with finding our repositories’ valuable research materials. Enhancements include an improved search interface, the ability to browse the site using common subject headings, and improved finding aid management tools for TARO repositories. Carla Alvarez (UT Libraries Benson Latin American Collection Latino/a Archivist) served as the Product Owner for the project, spending countless hours meeting with the Valkyrie Squad, gathering website testing feedback from TARO members, and coordinating communication between developers and TARO repositories.

Metadata Remediation Project

In order for existing finding aids to integrate with the TARO 2.0 website, repositories had to ensure that their files were formatted correctly. This entailed updating thousands upon thousands of data points across almost 16,000 finding aids – a Herculean task that brought together volunteers from across TARO to assist repositories with the work. These included Penny Castillo, Samantha Dodd, Kelly Hanus, Molly Hults, Ada Negraru, Robert Weaver, and Rachael Zipperer, all of whom remained on permanent standby for our fellow archivists. James Williamson, the Chair of TARO’s Outreach and Education subcommittee, put together a training on data remediation to assist repositories as well. Finally, grant funds via the Texas State Library and Archives Commission were also allocated to contract a “Remediator” to hand-correct finding aids, a task taken on by archivist Sarah Stephenson. Through her efforts, and the hard work of every single TARO repository, TARO now boasts 15,618 finding aids online, with more appearing every day. The lessons learned from this project were too valuable not to share with other archivists and consortia facing similar challenges, so they were shared in a presentation by Samantha Dodd (then Vice Chair) at the Texas Conference on Digital Libraries.

TARO Metadata Analyst

In late 2020 our grant project hired Devon Murphy, a metadata and digital collections professional, to work with us to analyze the controlled access vocabulary in TARO in order to validate existing subject headings against established authority files. Devon’s goals included creating approved lists of controlled access vocabulary and writing training documentation for TARO members to use to edit their own subject headings. That hard work produced a Browse Terms list and an Advanced Terms list to help repositories make their finding aids more discoverable on the new website.

 TARO Virtual Brown Bag

This year our TARO Brown Bag was held virtually at the Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA) Annual Meeting, and was attended by dozens of TARO member repository staff and other interested archivists. Our Steering Committee officers and subcommittee chairs talked about the scope of their work and presented on their current activities. TARO will hold a Brown Bag at the 2022 SSA Annual Meeting in Houston to share our recent and upcoming activities and update attendees about TARO’s plans now that the new website has launched.

New Member Repositories

Due to the realities of creating, testing, and debuting a new website, TARO only welcomed one new member repository this year:

Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio, TX)

But TARO is always seeking new members! And repositories don’t have to do all the work themselves, because TARO has a “New Member Initiative,” with funding for vendor encoding of finding aids generously provided by the Summerlee Foundation. For more details about New Member Initiative activities this year, keep an eye out for the upcoming Year 4 report here on TARO Today, written by 2021 QA Subcommittee Chair Rebecca Romanchuk.

National Archival Finding Aid Network (NAFAN) Participation

TARO is one of twelve finding aid aggregator partners in the “Building a National Finding Aid Network” collaborative research and planning initiative led by the California Digital Library. After receiving a $982,175 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in 2020, the network has made notable progress toward its goals. They have begun a two-year research and demonstration project that will last until August 2022, which has already gathered demographic data and information about why and how researchers use finding aid aggregations. This was collected in part via surveys like the one featured on TARO’s old website earlier this year. OCLC researchers also mined EAD element and attribute usage data across the participating finding aid aggregators. TARO also continues to provide feedback based on our recent experiences as NAFAN explores what their final product might feature and how it might function.

 Looking Ahead

• The coming year will see the Steering Committee develop TARO’s first 3-Year Strategic Plan in nearly a decade. It will explore not only the sustainability and continued development of the website, but also how to empower repositories to better use the site and, as importantly, recruit new repositories to the consortium.
• TARO will be hosting several in-person trainings in 2022, beginning with a workshop at Texas State University on April 1^st. Two other workshops will be held in the spring: one at Southern Methodist University (date to be determined), and another at the SSA Annual Meeting in Houston on May 18^th. Fall 2022/spring 2023 trainings will also be held in West Texas, the Texas Panhandle, and the Rio Grande Valley.
• We are currently seeking new members to join our Summerlee New Member Initiative! If your repository wants to join TARO, or you know of another repository who is interested, but needs a little help to do so, please contact TARO’s new chair, Samantha Dodd.

Stay in Touch
TARO Today
TARO wiki
TARO Best Practice Guidelines

On behalf of the TARO Steering Committee, please accept our boundless gratitude for all the repositories that have made TARO into the unique treasure that it is. I want to personally thank our many volunteers, from subcommittee chairs who worked long hours during the TARO 2.0 project, to remediation team members, and the many, many other experts who contributed tirelessly to our success. I also ask you all to join me in extending heartfelt thanks to my fellow Steering Committee officers, whose patience, perseverance, and leadership have led TARO into this new, exciting period in its history.

Robert Weaver

2021 TARO Steering Committee Chair