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New Archival Research Tool: AtoM@DO

Posted On March 11, 2014 | 14:00 pm | by lainw | Permalink

A searchable database of Dumbarton Oaks’ archival collections, AtoM@DO brings together the holdings of the Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives (ICFA) and a selection of the Dumbarton Oaks Archives (DOA) into a single virtual space, enabling discovery of related materials across the institution. AtoM@DO is a local implementation of the open-source archival collection management system, ICA-AtoM, developed with support from the International Council on Archives and based on international archival standards.

Instead of searching collections one-by-one by means of individual finding aids or collection guides, AtoM@DO enables users to search across all holdings, either by keyword or by browsing names, places, or subjects. Search results are presented within the context of their collection, making it easier for users to learn more about the materials they have found and discover other relevant resources.

ICFA launched the system with over three dozen collections, including archaeological fieldwork archives, scholars’ research papers, and photograph collections, representing each of Dumbarton Oaks’ three studies programs. In addition, ICFA has created over 400 authority records for the names of corporate bodies, persons, and families within the system.

In the coming year, ICFA will expand its cataloguing and will add digital objects for portions of its photograph collections, thus reuniting the fieldwork photography used to seed the reference collection with the archival collections from which the reference collection originated.