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Linking to Finding Aids from Catalogs and Web Sites

This document describes how to reference an OASIS finding aid in catalogs and web sites.

Linking to the Full Finding Aid
Linking to the Digital Only View
Formatting references in HOLLIS

Linking to the Full Finding Aid

When linking to finding aids from a catalog or web site, always use the persistent ID (also called a URN or name). Using the persistent ID insures that the link will always work despite changes to the finding aid's location or access method. Every OASIS finding aid has a persistent ID, which can be viewed and copied from the OASIS Full Finding Aid display. Look for the persistent ID in the top pane of the finding aid display, as in this example for the Alcott family papers:

    [Persistent ID: nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL.Hough:hou00060]

From the Full Display, you can right click on the link to copy the persistent ID or add it to browser favorites/bookmarks. The copied link will be prefixed with "http://" so that the persistent ID works in a browser. The full form of the Alcott family papers persistent ID, as used in HOLLIS or on a web site, would be:

   http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL.Hough:hou00060

The persistent ID will lead to the Full Finding Aid display within OASIS.

Linking to the Digital Only View

To link directly to the Digital Only View (a separate view of the finding aid that is limited to materials in digital form), append the ?digital=y parameter to the right end of the persistent ID. Here is the persistent ID for the Alcott family papers, modified to display the Digital Only View:

   http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL.Hough:hou00060?digital=y

The Digital Only View is available only for finding aids that contain links out to digital materials and/or imbedded thumbnail images. Once on the Digital Only View, the user can switch to the Full Finding Aid view by clicking the relevant tab. If the Digital Only View parameter is used on a finding aid that contains no digital materials, the full finding aid view will display instead.

Note about EAD markup: the XML elements that qualify for Digital Only View are any daogroup/daoloc and dao (within a "c" element) which has an @href attribute (which is the actual url of the link or thumbnail).

Formatting References in HOLLIS

A reference to an OASIS finding aid in a HOLLIS record should contain the following elements:

It is recommended that the link be the first 555 note; that it include an indication of the size of the finding aid when over 150 kilobytes (KB), and that the wording be "Electronic finding aid available." See example 1 below.

Including file size is optional, but recommended for finding aids over 150 KB; individuals accessing such a finding aid over a dial-up modem are therefore warned that it will take a long time to download. Size is intended only to be a rough guide. Use the size of the finding aid in its XML form, as this will be the largest possible size (the delivery version, in HTML, is smaller). To convert bytes to KB divide by 1024.

When electronic and printed versions are available, use a separate 555 note for each. Often, particularly with legacy finding aids, there will be differences between the printed and electronic versions. Also, for repositories adding an electronic version through recon, it may be easier to put in a separate note rather than to reword an existing note.

First indicator 0 in first 555 generates display "Finding aids". First indicator 8 in second 555 suppresses the display constant. See example 2 below.

When the electronic and printed versions are identical, you may combine them in one 555 note. Some repositories no longer make in-house print versions of finding aids, but simply print one out from the OASIS display. See example 3 below.

If only an electronic finding aid exists, use the form given for the 555 note in example 1 below.

Example 1: 555 note (Aleph record #000601618)

Aleph MARC display:

555 0   |a Electronic finding aid available (6 KB) |u http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HLS.LIBR:law00011

HOLLIS Catalog display:

Finding aids :   Electronic finding aid available (6 KB) http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HLS.LIBR:law00011

Example 2: Separate 555 notes (Aleph record #008369891)

Aleph MARC display:

555 0   |a Electronic finding aid available (5.06 MB) |u http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL.Hough:hou00068
555 8   |a Unpublished print finding aid available in the Houghton Reading Room reference collection, or consult the Houghton Accessions Records, 1996-1997, under *96M-31.

HOLLIS Catalog display:

Finding aids :   Electronic finding aid available (5.06 MB) http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL.Hough:hou00068
Unpublished print finding aid available in the Houghton Reading Room reference collection, or consult the Houghton Accessions Records, 1996-1997, under *96M-31.

Example 3: Combined 555 note (Aleph record #008614188)

Aleph MARC display:

555 0   |a Detailed inventory available on paper in repository or electronically: |u http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.ARCH:hua02002

HOLLIS Catalog display:

Finding aids :   Detailed inventory available on paper in repository or electronically: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.ARCH:hua02002