Overview: Collection Tools
Harvard University Library provides two collection creation tools for curators: Virtual Collections (VC) and TEmplated Databases (TED). VC creates a customized web presence for selected items already cataloged in the HUL union catalogs, while TED builds new online catalogs for collections that aren’t a good fit for any of the existing HUL union catalogs.
What is TED?
Who can create a TED catalog?
What materials are eligible?
How to participate
Fees
What is TED?
TED (TEmplated Database) is a hosting service that provides an online home for specialized collections catalogs which do not fit within the scope of existing Harvard catalog systems: HOLLIS Catalog (library bibliographic data), VIA (cultural heritage images), OASIS (manuscript and archival finding aids), and HGL (geospatial data).
Using XML technology, TED allows a curator to create a standard database for a collection, define a structured data format, and easily customize screens and parameters for search and display. This data can be maintained directly in TED or batch loaded from an external source. TED offers a web-based public interface that enables end-users to search, browse, view result sets, and retrieve records for items in a collection, as well as link out to digital objects when such links are provided.
Public Access to TED. Access to TED catalogs must be provided by a HOLLIS record and an entry in E-Research@Harvard. See Promoting Your Collection. The TED catalog and the descriptions it contains must be open to the public (TED does not perform any type of access control). The digital materials that a TED links out to may be publicly accessible or restricted to all members of the Harvard community.
TED Maintenance System. The TED Maintenance System is a web-based interface used to maintain data in a TED collection. For more information, see Maintenance Systems.
Who can create a TED catalog?
Harvard libraries, museums and archives are eligible to use the TEmplated Database service. Other Harvard organizational units and individual members of the Harvard community are eligible, when sponsored by a Harvard library.
What materials are eligible?
A collection being considered for TED should consist of materials that have library-like qualities (materials with persistent value, intended to support research or teaching). TED is not designed for short term use. The catalogs created using this service should have persistent value.
Collections described in TED can belong to any academic discipline, subject domain, etc. There are no limits on the vocabulary used.
How to Participate
If you are interested in setting up a TED catalog, please review the information about TED on this web site and contact OIS. Follow these steps:
- Review the TED Overview information on this page to determine if TED is appropriate for your collection materials. Be sure to get preliminary approval from your department administrators before contacting OIS – local administrative support for a virtual collection is essential.
- Assign a “curator” for the project. The curator should be a staff member from the library, archive, or museum that is sponsoring the TED catalog collection. The curator will be the main contact for OIS regarding the project and will take the lead on planning and setup related to the TED.
- Complete and submit a preliminary TED project proposal form and then meet with a HUL Digital Projects Librarian to evaluate the collection’s eligibility for TED and assess the size of the project.
For HCL projects: A complete proposal includes compliance with the HCL review process. To begin this process, contact Maggie Hale.
- If your project is accepted, OIS will respond with a TED project proposal with an initial outline of tasks, project timing and associated fees.
Scheduling of TED projects is based on the availability of OIS resources.
For more information, see the TED User Guide.
Fees
For current set-up and maintenance fees, see Library Systems Fees and Assessments.