The Integrated Digital Special Collections (INDI) system is an open source, database driven application designed to automate and manage archival workflow for large institutions and consortia. Developed at the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University, INDI is a complex program for managing projects and tasks across multiple locations. Our first phase of development will include archival and special collections accession and processing, with additional modules being released on a three month cycle. Future modules will include tools for managing archival activities such as appraisal and acquisition, deaccessioning, collection management, digitization, micrographics, transcription, and conservation. Work toward a prototype is currently underway.

Throughout the design process, the INDI team has maintained a strong focus on both workflow issues and standards compliance. The workflow management aspect of its design sets INDI apart from other emerging systems, such as the Archivist’s Toolkit or the Archon Project, allowing for greater standardization and administrative control of internal procedures and descriptive output. Its Web-based design also allows for greater cooperation among consortial partners. When ready, a single installation will be used to coordinate archival and special collections processing for L. Tom Perry Special Collections and its consortial partners.

In terms of its programming, INDI code has been based on widely accepted standards such as XML and XSLT. It features a flexible and configurable architecture, allowing institutions to easily adapt the system to their own workflow.

About the Team

Core Team

• Brad Westwood, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Department Chair and INDI Project Manager
• Jacob Jenson, Library Information Systems Programmer
• Gordon Daines, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Asst.
  Department Chair and University Archivist
• Curtis Thacker, Library Information Systems Programmer
• John Murphy, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Curator
• Cory Nimer, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Manuscripts
  Cataloger and Metadata Specialist
• Maggie Gallup, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Rare Books Curator
• Ben Crowder, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Digital Backlog Project Supervisor
• David Layton, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Collections Manager

Extended Team

• Scott Duvall, Assistant University Librarian for Special
  Collections, Curator, Project Sponsor
• Matt Kester, Brigham Young University-Hawaii Archivist
• Sam Nielson, Brigham Young University-Idaho Rare Books and
  Archives Curator
• John Powell, Brigham Young University-Idaho Archives Curator
• Blake Miller, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  Church and Family History Department
• Kevin Nielson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  Church and Family History Department IT Manager
• Emily Schultz, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  Family History Library Manuscripts Cataloging Head

About Special Collections

Founded in 1957, Special Collections at Brigham Young University began with 1,000 books, 50 manuscript collections, and one curator. Today the department has 14 full-time curators and manuscript processors assisted by 30 students working with 300,000 books, 9,000 manuscript collections, and nearly 3/4 million photographs.

In 1999 Special Collections moved into newly designed facilities on the first floor (second lower level) of the Harold B. Lee Library. Aline and L. Sam Skaggs, through their ALSAM Foundation, made a generous financial donation to the new library and requested that the Special Collections be named after L. Tom Perry, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In keeping with the vision of Brigham Young University, all undergraduates are encouraged to have a graduate-level research experience at L. Tom Perry Special Collections. All other patrons outside of BYU, including researchers from other universities, are also invited to visit and do research.

More information about L. Tom Perry Special Collections is available at the department Web site.