What archival system should I use for a large document collection?
March 5, 2020 2:43 PM Subscribe
I recently joined a team that is transcribing more than 6,000 letters to and from a very prominent writer. The work until now has been done in a very primitive fashion. There's an Spreadsheet log of each letter and a Word file for each transcription. I would like to bring the operation to the XXI century. What kind of software should I use to archive these documents?
My ideal system would be able to store the images from the letters alongside the transcriptions. And would obviously also be searchable and contain keywords. It would also be able to store other kinds of media such as audio, photos and videos.
I researched Archivematica and it seems like something we could use, but I don't know if that's the best option. Ideally the database would be a standard solution, open source (we have very little money), and built like a tank.
My ideal system would be able to store the images from the letters alongside the transcriptions. And would obviously also be searchable and contain keywords. It would also be able to store other kinds of media such as audio, photos and videos.
I researched Archivematica and it seems like something we could use, but I don't know if that's the best option. Ideally the database would be a standard solution, open source (we have very little money), and built like a tank.
You should let us know if you need something on the Windows or the Mac platform.
posted by megatherium at 4:36 AM on March 6, 2020
posted by megatherium at 4:36 AM on March 6, 2020
Response by poster: I would like to be able to access it through the web. So It should work on both Windows and Mac.
posted by Omon Ra at 8:14 AM on March 6, 2020
posted by Omon Ra at 8:14 AM on March 6, 2020
There are a number of web-app based tools, which is almost certainly the way you should go. I know folks have used extensions of mediawiki for this kind of work. Zooniverse hosts many kinds of transcription projects outside of the sciences(such as this one)and their tools are fantastic.
posted by rockindata at 2:36 PM on March 6, 2020
posted by rockindata at 2:36 PM on March 6, 2020
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It's free and open-source, code is here
https://opensourceprojects.eu/p/recoll1/code/
I've used it to search through large numbers (1000s) of files (emails, pdfs, word files, spreadsheets, images) and it has done a great job.
Don't know if it will fit your needs, but worth a shot. It also very well documented.
posted by letraset at 3:28 PM on March 5, 2020 [2 favorites]