XQuery for Archivists: Understanding EAD Finding Aids as Data

[Excerpt] XQuery is a simple, yet powerful, scripting language designed to enable users without formal programming training to extract, transform, and manipulate XML data. Moreover, the language is an accepted standard and a W3C recommendation much like its sister standards, XML and XSLT. In other words, XQuery’s raison d’etre coincides perfectly with the needs of today’s archivists. What follows is a brief, pragmatic, overview of XQuery for archivists that will enable archivists with a keen understanding of XML, XPath, and EAD to begin experimenting with manipulating EAD data using XQuery

XQuery for Archivists: Understanding EAD Finding Aids as Data

XML has long been an important tool for archivists. The addition of XQuery provides a simple and easy-to-learn tool to extract, transform, and manipulate the large amounts of XML data that archival repositories have committed resources to develop and maintain – particularly EAD finding aids. XQuery allows archivists to make use of that data. Furthermore, using XQuery to query EAD finding aids, rather than merely reformat them with XSLT, forces archivists to look at finding aids as data. This will provide better knowledge of how EAD may be used and further understanding of how finding aids may be better encoded. This article provides a simple how-to guide to get archivists to start experimenting with XQuery

Describing Web Archives: A Computer-Assisted Approach

Currently, web archives are challenging for users to discover and use. Many archives and libraries are actively collecting web archives, but description in this area has been dominated by bibliographic approaches, which do not connect web archives to existing description or contextual information, and have often resulted in format-based silos. This is primarily because web archiving tools such as Archive-It arrange materials by seeds and groups of seeds, which reflect the complex technical process of web crawling or web recording, and are often not very meaningful to users or helpful for discovery. This article makes the case for arranging and describing web archives in meaningful aggregates according to established standards—showing how archival practices allow archivists to arrange the diversity of web content according to their common forms and functions while empowering them to be creative with their time and thoughtful with their labor. It provides a path to exposing important provenance information to users and demonstrates an existing proof of concept. Finally, it outlines a possible integration between ArchivesSpace and Archive-It that is feasible to implement for many archives and would automate the repetitive parts of creating and updating description for new web crawls

Cost and Reliability Improvement for CIGS-Based PV on Flexible Substrate: May 24, 2006 -- July 31, 2010

Global Solar Energy rapidly advances the cost and performance of commercial thin-film CIGS products using roll-to-roll processing on steel foil substrate in compact, low cost deposition equipment, with in-situ sensors for real-time intelligent process control. Substantial increases in power module efficiency, which now exceed 13%, are evident at GSE factories in two countries with a combined capacity greater than 75 MW. During 2009 the average efficiency of cell strings (3780 cm2) was increased from 7% to over 11%, with champion results exceeding 13% Continued testing of module reliability in rigid product has reaffirmed extended life expectancy for standard glass product, and has qualified additional lower-cost methods and materials. Expected lifetime for PV in flexible packages continues to increase as failure mechanisms are elucidated, and resolved by better methods and materials. Cost reduction has been achieved through better materials utilization, enhanced vendor and material qualification and selection. The largest cost gains have come as a result of higher cell conversion efficiency and yields, higher processing rates, greater automation and improved control in all process steps. These improvements are integral to this thin film PV partnership program, and all realized with the 'Gen2' manufacturing plants, processes and equipment

Development of Project Management Application Suite for Improved Communication & Project Development

The purpose of this project was to provide the client with a project management solution that provided for better communication between ITS and the community, while providing a place for projects to be proposed and stored, ensuring projects are not lost. This goal was achieved through a process of determining the client\u27s business needs, examining their existing systems, preparing a formal project plan, and designing and implementing a solution. The result was a solution that provided the community a location to improve communication on project status on a 24x7 basis. Through the design of a custom project management solution, all of the client\u27s goals were achieved. The application worked with the client\u27s current security system; guaranteeing all community users are able to access the system, without requiring a new username/password. The application also provided users the ability to finish a project proposal over multiple sessions, for projects to be prioritized, and phases to be added to each project with the ability to assign each phase to a project manager and team. The project was a successful solution to the problems defined, with the success attributed to clearly defined goals. The project used commonly used internet technologies, which provided a solution easy to use and implement

Terministic Screening and Conspiracy Theory in Political Communication: A Critical Analysis of Trump’s Rhetorical Ties to FAIR and Alex Jones Through “Invasion” Immigration Discourse

This study focuses on the political and social communicative implications that result from mirrored anti-LatinX immigration discourses from three different political entities: President Donald Trump, special-interest hate group the Federation for Immigration Reform (FAIR), and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Through a critical communication lens, the author presents and discusses the influence of presidential communication, and its ability to contribute to and bolster xenophobic political undertones, creating a communicative environment that functions to empower and embolden proponents of racially based discrimination. Further, this study discusses the power presidential communication has to legitimize, normalize, and amplify the racist and xenophobic anti-LatinX discourses perpetuated by hate groups and conspiracy theorists, bringing fringe beliefs into the communicative mainstream

Metadata (Book Review)

Review of Metadata by Marcia Lei Zeng and Jian Qin