To the List:

Please forgive cross postings -- this has already appeared on the Archives
and Archivists list.

I am relatively new in my position as Archivist and Special Collections
Librarian at the University of South Dakota.  I'm beginning to seek means
for creating EAD finding aids and I'd like to ask for advice on locating
and using EAD software.  I've been conducting some preliminary research
into the software available for EAD, and have found more questions than
answers.  I started looking in the Archives of the Archives and Archivists
list and found some information dating back to 1997.  The program with
which I am familiar, Author/Editor, seems to have been discontinued -- it
moved from SoftQuad to Interleaf which was acquired by BroadVision, which
informed me that they are discontinuing the product.  Internet Archivist,
which caused some stir on the Archives list late last year, is not selling
any new contracts as they reconsider the impact of XML on the program.
There are XML authoring products, such as XMetal, but I have little
experience with these.  How are they being used?

My question for the list is this:  for a relatively small Archives and
Special Collections, what are the best options for EAD software and
creating EAD Finding Aids?  What solutions are other smaller Archives
using? This area is changing so quickly that it's difficult at best to
keep up with the changes and make a wise decision for an Archives on a
limited budget.

Many thanks for all replies,
Amy Cooper

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Amy Cooper
Archivist/Special Collections Librarian

I. D. Weeks Library
University of South Dakota
414 E. Clark St.
Vermillion, SD  57069

Phone: 605-677-8867

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