End of Life Information
Last Updated: October 3, 2023
Important Dates
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| September 25, 2023 | EAD FACTORy end of life announcement to participating institutions |
| October 2023 - February 2024 |
Participants review finding aid and workflows to determine:
|
| March 1, 2024 |
Participants notify OhioLINK no later than March 1, 2024 if they want their finding aids to remain online in the EAD static repository until July 1, 2029. |
| June 30, 2024 at 11:59pm |
Last date to edit finding aids or upload them to OhioLINK Repository. The EAD Finding Aid Creation Tool is no longer available. The OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository switches to a static state. |
| July 1 - August 31, 2024 | Files for your finding aids are returned to each institution. |
| June 30, 2029 | The static OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository goes offline. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the EAD FACTORy ending?
The EAD FACTORy consists of a Finding Aid Creation Tool (maintained by Kent State) and a Finding Aid Repository (maintained by OhioLINK.) The EAD schema used is out of date and the repository software is no longer supported. After investigating alternatives, OhioLINK and Kent State University made the difficult decision to stop supporting the tools.
What other options will my institution have for creating finding aids?
There are national resources to support the creation and publishing of EAD finding aids. The Society of American Archivists’ Encoded Archival Standards Section provides a webpage of “Recommended Tools & Resources” and other information on EAD.
ArchivesSpace “is an open source, web application for managing archives information” that supports use of EAD.
What will be included in the package of archived files delivered to my institution between July 1, 2024 and August 31, 2024?
This archive file will include XML files for all your finding aids entered in the Finding Aid Creation Tool by 11:59PM, June 30, 2024. Additionally included will be a MARC binary file, MARC text file, and an HTML file for each finding aid entered in the Finding Aid Creation Tool by 11:59PM, June 30, 2024. All file statuses, including “In Progress” files will be included. The archive file will be delivered in the form of a ZIP file and delivered via email attachment to your institution’s EAD admin account holder.
What is the "static OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository"?
The "static OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository" will be a read-only repository that contains findings aid for those institutions that "opt in". No new finding aids or edits to existing finding aids will be made after June 30, 2024. Note that OhioLINK will be able to delete finding aids upon request.
Institutions must "opt in" by emailing OhioLINK in order for their finding aids to be retained in the static repository.
How long will the static Finding Aid Repository remain online?
The static repository will be online from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2029.
Can I request to have files removed from the the static Finding Aid Repository?
Yes, finding aids can be removed from the static repository upon request.
Who can I contact for help?
Contact OhioLINK Support for help and more information.
