Michele -- Brown University is displaying component container
information in the center, as last element of each component, agreeing
that the intellectual structure (series/files/items) should be
emphasized over physical location. Our finding aids are in process of
migrating from a previous site to a new one. We still have a few more
display glitches in the inventory area which need addressing in the
stylesheets, but we plan to "go public" late summer, adding our
implementation information to the LC list in the fall. Meanwhile,
keeping in mind these are in a provisional state, you can preview a
couple of our finding aids to see how the container information
displays:
http://dl.lib.brown.edu/bamcotest/bamco.php?eadid=mswyman
http://dl.lib.brown.edu/bamcotest/bamco.php?eadid=ms-1u-t3
http://dl.lib.brown.edu/bamcotest/bamco.php?eadid=ms80.1
http://dl.lib.brown.edu/bamcotest/bamco.php?eadid=ms80.5
Sarah Shaw
Digital Initiatives Librarian (EAD Specialist)
Brown University Library
Box A / Providence, RI 02912
TEL: 401 863-1508
FAX: 401 863-1272
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-----Original Message-----
From: Encoded Archival Description List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of MicheleR
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 6:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Container Information -- Left or Right?
Hello all --
We are currently debating the knotty question of whether to have our
finding
aids display the container information down the left side of the page or
down the right side of the page. The left side is more traditional, and
many of the implementations I've reviewed on the web have chosen this
approach. On the other hand, as we all know, it is the intellectual
structure of the material itself, not the container, that is the primary
organizing key of a collection; this is re-emphasized by the structure
of
the EAD document which of course is built upon the divisions and
subdivisions of material, not on where it's physically housed.
So I am wondering: how many of you have chosen to display container
information on the right, and how many of you have chosen to display it
on
the left? Has anyone received feedback (pro or con) from researchers,
other
libraries, etc? If anyone has published finding aids to the web that
have
the container information on the left, could you share the URL so we can
take a look?
Many thanks --
Michele Rothenberger
Syracuse Unversity SCRC
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