Making Workflows Work for you: Adlib CMS at the Institute of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Making Workflows Work for you: Adlib CMS at the Institute of Ismaili Studies

By Naureen Ali Cataloguer and Adlib Officer, Ismaili Special Collections Unit The Institute of Ismaili Studies

The Institute of Ismaili Studies (Located at the Aga Khan Centre in Kings Cross)

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The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) was established in 1977 with the object of promoting scholarship and learning of Muslim cultures and societies, historical as well as contemporary, and a better understanding of their relationship with other societies and faiths.

Images by The Aga Khan Development Network

Overview of the Special Collections at the Institute

 The Institute holds one of the most

significant repositories in the world of materials related to Ismaili communities, comprising nearly 3,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Persian and Indic languages.

 Several hundred volumes of rare books,

periodicals and journals, off-prints, as well as a number of important coins from the Fatimid and Alamut periods of Ismaili history along with archival material.

Cataloguing Needs

 Comprehensive cataloguing points  Connect relevant paperwork (such as condition reports)  Accommodate different languages (Persian, Arabic, Indic along with others)

and scripts.

 Diacritics  Different types of material (Artefacts, books, manuscripts, archives, serials)  Published online  Accommodate workflow  Restricted cataloguing in certain linked fields

Cataloguer creates a record (Level C) Senior Cataloguer review (Level B) Back to cataloguer for review Senior cataloguer may want to re-check details (hold) Send for final approval Entry completed and approved (Level A)

Adlib Cataloguing Workflow

 Different levels of cataloguers may

enter different types of information (Corresponding access levels).

 Some cataloguers are temporary and

some are permanent (implications on data entry).

Subsequent Alterations to the application

 Specific fields for temporary and permanent

cataloguers.

 For workflow: an enumerative field was added

in the tab, ‘Management Details’ to highlight the level of work.

 These levels refer to access levels  These levels of work were searchable so that

the relevant entries could be easily retrieved.

 Pointer files and scheduled searches added to

track progress through email.

Cataloguer creates a record (Level C) Senior Cataloguer review (Level B) Back to cataloguer for review Senior cataloguer may want to re-check details (hold) Send for final approval Entry completed and approved (Level A)

Adlib Cataloguing Workflow and Subsequent Field

Lessons Learnt

 On a particular level, all cataloguers can see entries created by each other.  Different types of cataloguers may need particular levels.  Pointer files/scheduled searches took some time to work.  Access specific linked fields.

Adlib Archives – Help for New Cataloguers

The above image is from Adlib Archive Task Manual (p. 77)  Features such as Hierarchy Browser

help new users understand archival description

Adlib Archives – Help for New Cataloguers

Questions and Comments