Next up, Nick Kingsley from the National Archives.

For ‘non-archivist’ a whistlestop tour:

• Archival holdings consist of collections (or ‘fonds’) representing any number of archival objects – these are primary units of management
• Collections often have ‘natural’ or imposed structure
• Ideally catalogue are linked to authority records for names and places + taxonomies for subjects
• Archive users typically use both search and browse to aid resource discovery
• Archive catalogues compile over long periods (a century or more in some cases) – so inconsistencies/changes in language etc.

The ‘National Register of Archives’ – start of ‘aggregation’ for archives – computerised and then made available online throughout 80s and 90s

Funding silos meant outcomes of ‘Archives Online’ report published by Nationa Council on Archives (1998) were taken forward through a series of different projects – but all with committment to interoperability to allow for integration or cross-searching. Projects include:

• A2A
• Archives Hub
• AIM25
• Archives Wales
• SCAN (Scotland)
• JANUS (HE in Cambridgshire)

About 5 years ago, a view started to emerge that future not about aggregations ‘doing it for’ archives, but individual archives publishing their own catalogues online – but “usually proved disappointing” (personal view of Nick) – because:

• contrained by lack of technical support
• 2 widely adopted commercial platforms – developments limited to those supported by ‘majority’ cusomters
• Rarely offer robust search/browse
• ….

National Archives committed to supporting and promoting open data. Also has been pioneer in exploiting the potential of Linked Data – through http://legistlation.gov.uk and also looking at Linked Data version of PRONOM (impartial, definitive information about file formats, software products and other technical components) – see the National Archive ‘labs’ page http://labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk/wordpress/index.php/2011/01/linked-data-and-pronom

Lots of work going on at the National Archives – see http://labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk/wordpress/index.php. Also looking at a review of the National Register of Archives and considering a linked data approach.