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Ryan, Jordan, all,
I've been on the periphery of EAC-CPF development, so I'll take a quick stab
at how it differs from traditional authority records and how it might be
implemented.

CPF - at minumum - does exactly what a traditional MARC authority record
does: establish the name of a person, corporate body, or family.  In CPF
this is the function of the <identity> element.  Authority records might
have some additional info - life dates, some disambiguating notes - but
CPF's <description> element allows for much greater contextual information
about the identity being described.  This could be a traditional
biographical/historical note we are familiar with from finding aids, or
could take a more structured form using the many structured descriptive
fields in CPF, such as <function>, <activity>, <occupation>, <mandate>, etc.

Where CPF moves beyond traditional authority records in a compelling way is
in the <relations> element, where you can track relations between the
identity being described and other identities, between the identity being
described and the functions it performed, and between the identity being
described and other resources (ie descriptions of records created by the
identity, books written about the identity, etc.).  Along the same lines, in
<sources> (a child of <control>) CPF can either embed or link to the sources
from which the CPF is derived (MARC authority records, other CPF records,
books, etc.),

These are important steps toward an archival semantic web.  Imagine CPF as a
new access point, containing useful information itself, and providing
meaningful links to other access points.  As Kathleen Roe just commented, it
helps move us away from the linear, paper-based concept of archival
description, which EAD tends to perpetuate.

Doesn't this get you excited?

Mike

EAD Coordinator, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 12:16 PM, Jordon Steele <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Ryan,
>
> I, too, don't fully understand how EAC-CPF is different from/relates to
> traditional authority files.  (Solidarity, brother.)  I'm hoping the webinar
> Michele linked to will answer our questions or give us the opportunity to
> ask them.
>
> Best,
>
> Jordon
>
> Jordon Steele
> Archivist
> Biddle Law Library
> Penn Law School
> 3460 Chestnut Street
> Philadelphia, PA 19104-3406
> (215) 898-5011
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Encoded Archival Description List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Michele R Combs
> Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 11:58 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Implementing EAC-CPF
>
> > Date:         Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:36:10 -0600
> > From:         Ryan Lee
> > Subject:      Implementing EAC-CPF
> >
> > Hi all, I hope this is the right audience to send this question. I am
> just
> > looking for examples of institutions who have started implementing
> > EAC-CPF.
>
>
> Hi Ryan --
>
> This doesn't quite answer your question, but following is info on an EAC
> webinar that might answer some of your questions.  This was posted to the
> Archives and Archivists list; I'm not sure if it was posted here at the EAD
> list as well.  The EAC website
> http://eac.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/eac-cpf-in-use.html also has a list
> of places that have implemented EAC in some fashion.
>
> Michele
>
> *************************
>
> The EAC Working Group is planning a web-based workshop on EAC-CPF on 8
> October 2009, facilitated by OCLC Research. While the "Final Draft" of
> EAC-CPF (EAC for short) is out for review by the community, we hope it will
> be useful to offer a workshop, open to all, for questions and suggestions.
> We want to hear from you! The EAC website is at:
> http://eac.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/
>
> Please save the date. The time for the "web seminar" is not set yet, but
> will be shortly. We might offer two sessions on the 8th, in order to ensure
> participation from folks in time zones ranging from Australia to Greece, and
> beyond.
>
> On behalf of the EAC Working Group,
> Jennifer Schaffner and Katherine M. Wisser
> ***************************
> Jennifer Schaffner
> [log in to unmask]
> Program Officer (and member of the EAC Working Group)
> OCLC Research and the RLG Partnership
> 650.287.2140
>