Cataloguing guidelines RunCoCo, University of Oxford 2014
CataloguingGuidelines
Europeana 1914-1918 Roadshows, Feb 2014
This document offers a guide to using the Europeana 1914-1918 online submission form in relation to a roadshow or collection event. A ‘cheat sheet’ summary guide is included as Appendix 4. A briefer version is available at .
Contact the Europeana 1914-1918 team in Oxford at or the Europeana office at if you have any questions about the document or problem with the online form.
Contents
1Introduction
2STEP 0 – Register user
3STEP 1 – Telling your story
3.1Tell your story…
3.1.1Story title – title for this contribution in your language.
3.1.2Story
3.1.3Summary description of items
3.1.4Language
3.1.5Contributed on behalf of
3.1.6For the following sections, click on the titles to display the fields to complete:
3.2Tell us who this story is about
3.3When did this story take place
3.4Where did this story take place
3.5Help others find your story by adding one or several of the following keywords.
3.6Which front is this story about
3.7Save story draft
1.Add your images now
2.Add your images later
1.Add another story
2.Finish adding stories from this contributor
4Editing story (‘cataloguing’) after Roadshow
4.1Log in as cataloguer
4.2Find and open the story
4.3Edit/add to the existing information
4.4Add cataloguing metadata
4.4.1Alternative title– (mandatory field)
4.4.2Editor’s pick
4.4.3Editor's pick text
4.4.4Editor's pick signature
4.4.5Cataloguer
4.4.6Collection day
4.4.7Cataloguer’s notes
4.4.8Ticket number
4.5Save draft
5STEP 2 – Add your items and files
5.1Individual file
5.2Add an attachment
5.3Describe your item
5.3.1Cover image
5.3.2Page number
5.3.3Side
5.3.4Title
5.3.5Creator
5.3.6Description
5.3.7Language
5.3.8Type
5.3.9Subject
5.4When was this item created
5.5Where was this item created
5.6Help others find your story by adding one or several of the following keywords
5.7Which front is this item about
5.8Cataloguing metadata
5.8.1Source - Select from the list
5.8.2Medium - Select from the list:
5.8.3Total number of pages
5.8.4Media type (mandatory field) Select from the list
5.8.5Licence
5.9Multiple files
5.10Generate PDF of multiple files:
6Submit your story
7Approve a story
7.1View and open contributions pending approval
7.1.1Edit
7.1.2Add/Edit Items
7.1.3Approve
7.1.4Other options
8Working with online/public contributions
9APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Keywords
Appendix 2: Source – what kind of item has been digitised?:
Appendix 3: Media type
Appendix 4. ‘Cheat sheet’ guide to the cataloguing form
10More information
1Introduction
The Europeana 1914-1918 online form at used to add ‘stories’ and images of objects to the Europeana 1914-1918 website where they are made freely available to anyone who wishes to explore them. The process for using the form in relation to a roadshow or collection event is, in brief, that you create an account for the contributor [see Section 2] and you then fill in the form together during the interview [see Section 3]. After the interview (usually the day after the event), you edit the information [see Section 4] and upload the related images [see Section 5]. The story and images can then be added to the live Europeana 1914-1918 website [see Sections 6 and 7].
The main aim during the interview is to collect and as much information as possible and record it in a way that makes it easy to complete the form after the event. If you are not using the online form during the event, you need to record the story and related information so that you can add it to the website later on. You may use a paper or computer-based form. A voice recorder can also be useful.
2STEP 0 – Register user
Start by creating an account for the contributor at (click on ‘register’, top right on the start page). This may be done before the interview (at the Welcome Desk or self-registration terminals), during the Interview (usually preferable), or after the event. If you do not use the online form during the Roadshow, you create an account for each contributor afterwards and add their story and information then.
Username : one word, no spaces (for example contributor FirstnameLastname JoeSmith)
Full name: this will be displayed on the website
Email: if the contributor does not have an email address, leave blank but make sure some contact information is recorded under ‘Other optional personal information’.
Profile photo: if you can, take a picture and upload (this may be done at Welcome desk or Digitisation check-in. If not, suggest the contributor does it themselves later)
Password: You can choose one, ask the contributor to type one in themselves, or use the ‘generate password’ link.
Repeat password: re-type
Other optional personal information: Click to expand the optional fields and fill in as you see fit/ have time. Phone number is always useful. (NOTE – if the contributor does not have/use an email address, you must record a contact address or number here!)
The contributor MUST agree to the Europeana terms & conditions. Make sure they have read and understood them before they click to agree.
Note: if the account creation fails, try a different username (if a username already exists, you cannot create the account. Unfortunately, no useful error message is displayed in this case)
Give the contributor login information: website address, username and password (for example written on a postcard). Mention that they can re-set the password if they want/forget it – they only needto click on ‘Forgot password’ on the sign-in page and they will be sent instructions in an email.
You can now use this account to add the contributor’s story.
3STEP 1 – Telling your story
If you just completed Step 0, you will now be logged into the contributor’s account. If not, log into the relevant account and fill in the story and information as suggested below.If you are doing this during the collection day, you may want to return to it later to edit and re-phrase. Just make sure you capture the information – you can improve the actual wording later.
3.1Tell your story…
3.1.1Story title – title for this contribution in your language.
If you are doing this during the collection day, start the title with the ticket number for the contribution prefixed by the collection day prefix you have been given. For example DU123 = Dublin, ticket no 123, NG234=Nova Gorica, ticket no 234.This makes it easier when editing the story and adding the digitised material later (see Section 4.2 and 5). Also make a note of the ticket number for yourself, for example on the Interviewer record list (to help you keep track of and identify the stories you have added).
The Story title is what will be displayed when someone browses or searches the Europeana 1914-1918 database. Make this as meaningful as possible – something that will help people decidewhether to click on it to find out more.
For example: ‘My grandfather in the war’ is not as useful as ‘Ambulance driver Joe Smith in France 1915’. Something indicating what the story is about can also be a good option: ‘The tractor that became an ambulance’.
3.1.2Story
The contributor’s story, for example about an object they have brought, the person it comes from, their relationship to the person or object, or anything related (more information about the kind of information to try to find and record is given in the Interviewer station guide). May be several paragraphs or just a few sentences. You may also use this field for additional information that isn’t captured elsewhere, for example the names and date of birth or death of any people involved (one or two can be recorded under ‘Tell us who this story is about’, see 1.2 below).
The text in this field is used when someone searches the collection, so it is good to try to think of and include vocabulary that a user might be searching for. You may, if feasible, choose to use different words for the same thing: This GUN is part of the WEAPONS my grandfather used. He was very interested in FIREARMS and had his own PISTOL and RIFLE.
THINK ABOUT good questions to ask to get the information you need. Some suggestions are available in the Interviewer station guide) .
3.1.3Summary description of items
Briefly describe the items that will beuploaded for this story.
For example ‘3 postcards from Nantes (blank back)’, ‘Picture of Joe Smith and his ambulance outside tent’.
If you have noticed something special, add more details about that.
3.1.4Language
Tick the relevant language(s) that are needed to understand the story (= the language in which you are writing, NOT the language of the objects).
3.1.5Contributed on behalf of
Leave blank if the person who owns the story and objects is the same as the person whose account you are using. Usually, the person who brings in the story and objects to a roadshow, or who makes an online contribution, is the one who owns the material and who should be credited if anyone uses the pictures or refers to the story. If they are sharing the material on behalf of someone else, like an elderly relation or friend, add the name of the real owner here. Otherwise, leave blank.
3.1.6For the following sections, click on the titles to display the fields to complete:
3.2Tell us who this story is about
Add the names of the people this story is about, (one or two). If there are more people, you can add the details to the Story field.
Person 1 – First name / Surname / Date and place of birth and death
Person 2 – First name / Surname / Date and place of birth and death
If you do not have the whole name or exact dates, add what you can. For example: A.E. Smith, born 1889, died 15 July 1916.
3.3When did this story take place
The story begins …If you do not know when exactly, please enter the year only. For example,my grandfather was recruited in 1915 -> enter “1915”.
The story ends … If the story has an ending but you do not know when exactly, please enter the year only.
3.4Where did this story take place
Locate where your story took place–If you know the name of a place, type it in.
NOTE do NOT press ‘enter’.
Use Google Maps (optional)–You can locate a place using Google maps and that will generate the Latitude and Longitude. See instructions in the online form.
3.5Help others find your story by adding one or several of the following keywords.
Keywords are important because they can be used to find stories in the collection (on the ‘Explore the stories’ page). Only assign keywords that describe the main subject or broader concept of the story, if any. When deciding, try to think if the story/images would be of interest to someone looking for material related to a particular key-word. For example: A story about and photo of a female nurse with a gasmask hanging from her medical bag who is tending to a prisoner of war standing in front of her ambulance could be given the key-words Medical; Prisoners of War; Transport; Women (but NOT Gas Warfare, unless the story talks about that).See Appendix 1 for help with keywords.
3.6Which front is this story about
If relevant for the story, select from the list. In general the geographical areas for these ‘theatres’ of war should be self-explanatory. For assistance use sources like the maps on
3.7Save story draft
Click “Save story draft”. You are taken to the next step, “Step 2 - Add your items and files”.
You now have two choices:
1.Add your images now
If you have items to addto a story, continue with “Step 2 - Add your items and files” (below). If you are collecting the story during a Roadshow, you will not normally have access to the files to add at this stage.
2.Add your images later
If you do not have any items to add to this account at this stage, click on “My stories” in the left-hand margin to go to the start page. Check under “Your Stories” that this story appears in the list of “Drafts”. You may click on the title to display the story, check that it is ok, and print it.
You can then either add another story for the same contributor, or finish adding stories and sign out from the account.
1.Add another story
To enter another story for the same contributor, click on ‘My stories’ (top right) to go to the start page. There you click on “Add a new story” and start again from 1.1.
2.Finish adding stories from this contributor
Once you have entered all the stories of your contributor, check under ‘My Stories’ that all the stories are there. Then sign out (top right). If at a roadshow, make sure the items that are to be digitised are taken to the relevant place (for example the ‘digitisation check-in desk’).
4Editing story (‘cataloguing’) after Roadshow
Before a story created during a Roadshow can be added to the live Europeana 1914-1918 collection you have to add some extra information (‘cataloguing metadata’) and the relevant images. You may also want to edit the story, to make sure all the relevant information is there and phrased in a suitable way.
- Log in as cataloguer [4.1]
- Find and open the story [4.2]
- Edit/add to the existing information [4.3]
- Add cataloguing metadata [4.4]
- Save draft [4.5]
- Add images [5]
- Submit [6]
- Approve [7]
4.1Log in as cataloguer
Log in to your personal or joint cataloguer account (ask your roadshow organiser for details. or can create cataloguer accounts).
4.2Find and openthe story
When you are logged in as Cataloguer, you can see all draft stories by clicking “Admin”at the top of the page and then select “Contributions”.
You’ll seea bulleted list.
Select ‘Draft contributions’, and you’ll see a list of titles. The ones that were created during roadshows should have a ticket number at the beginning of the title (if they do not you should leave them – these are online contributions that people arestill waiting to complete).
4.3Edit/add to the existing information
Click on the story title to see the form. You can edit or add to the information added to the form.
4.4Add cataloguing metadata
Click to display the Cataloguing metadata fields. Fill in as appropriate.
4.4.1Alternative title– (mandatory field)
Enter an English version of the Story Title field here. It doesn’t have to be an exact translation – something relating to the story/objects is useful. If this is already in English, re-enter the title (you may rephrase it or use a different, but relevant, title).This field is required; it cannot be blank.
4.4.2Editor’s pick
Tick this if you think this is a particularly interesting story or object that should focus in the ‘Editor’s pick’ blog which also displays at different points around the Europeana 1914-1918 website, for examples see Do not tick for too many stories, and enter an explanation in the field Cataloguer’s notes(not needed if Editor’s pick text is completed).
4.4.3Editor's pick text
Here you may write a version of the story to be used in the Editor’s Pick blog (you may leave it blank, for someone else to write the story)
4.4.4Editor's pick signature
The name of the person who wrote the Editor’s Pick story above (will be displayed along the story). You can choose to use your full name and include your institution or not.
4.4.5Cataloguer
Your name should be displayed in this box automatically.
4.4.6Collection day
Select from the list. If it is an online contribution, choose ‘Internet’ (if unknown, use ‘unknown’):
4.4.7Cataloguer’s notes
This field is never displayed to the public. Here you may write a note for the administrators or other cataloguers if there is something to report. For example:
- a story is interesting or special so you "tick" the field EDITOR'S PICK and use the CATALOGUER'S NOTES field to tell us why you think it is special.
- a story has been submitted which is not appropriate (it is defamatory or maybe the content relates to the 1980s not the First World War); then you would REJECT the story and fill in the CATALOGUER'S NOTES field to explain your decision.
- any other comment you wish to record (please note that this is not displayed and only visible if a cataloguer or administrator looks at this specific story)
4.4.8Ticket number
Enter the cloakroom ticket number assigned to this story at the roadshow. If the ticket number is in the title, edit the title to remove the ticket number (no longer needed). If the story was not collected at a roadshow, ignore this field.
4.5Save draft
Go to the bottom of the form and click on “Save story draft”
You are taken to the ‘Step 2 - Add your items and files’. If you get an error message, please check that you have completed the compulsory fields. ‘Alternative title’ and ‘Collection day’ under ‘Cataloguing metadata’ can be easy to miss.
You then add the image(s) and add whatever information you have about them, as described under STEP 2 below (Note: images taken during a Roadshow usually need to be post-processed before they can be uploaded. This is usually done by someone other than the cataloguer. Ask the Roadshow organiser about when and how the images are available).
5STEP 2 – Add your items and files
When you add digitised items after the story has been created, you first retrieve the storyfrom the list of drafts (see above). You get to the ‘Add your items and files’ page by saving the story draft (see above). You can now add either individual items or multiple files. The process for adding information about the files varies slightly. Allowed file types: doc, docx, pdf, txt, jpg, jpeg, jp2, jpx, gif, png, tiff, mp3, ogg, ogv, webm, mp4, avi, mpg, and zip.