Encoded Archival Finding Aids. Development of a standardized tool on the international level A UNESCO/ICA project Background Objectives Implementation Project team Timeline Contact Links Report of the Ad Hoc Committee for Development of a Standardized Tool for Encoding Archival Finding Aids (RTF)   Background Records produced by administrations world-wide are increasingly available in electronic form only, and are being made accessible to administrators and concerned citizens through the networks. This development results in fundamental changes in records and archives management methods and necessitates new strategies for preserving and accessing records. On of the main issues here is the need of an international nonproprietary encoding standard for machine-readable finding aids such as inventories, registers, indexes, and other documents created by archives, libraries, museums, and manuscript repositories to support the use of their holdings. Objectives The project aims to assess the possibilities of formulating recommendations for the development of a standardized tool for encoding archival finding aids on the international level. In particular, it aims to: develop a preliminary design model for a prototype system for encoding archival finding aids based on the application of ISAD(G) and ISAAR(CPF), specifically, to make possible the integration of descriptions from different locations into a unified information system; establish a cost estimates associated with personnel to finalize functional requirements of preliminary design model and development and delivery of a working prototype. Implementation For the implementation of the project UNESCO closely co-operated with the International Council on Archives (ICA). Project team The team entrusted with the preparation of the Guidelines is composed of the following members: Nils Brübach, Archivschule Marburg, Marburg, Germany Adrian Cunningham, National Archives of Australia, Canberra, Australia Michael Fox, Minnesota State Historical Society, USA Bruno Galland, Direction des Archives de France, Paris, France K. Haworth, Canada Per-Gunnar Ottosson, National Archives of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden Dick Sargent, National Register of Archives, London, United Kingdom S. Vitali, Archivio di Stato di Firenze, Florence, Italy Peter Horsman, Archiefschool, The Hague Netherlands Göran Kristiansson, National Archives, Stockholm, Sweden Giuseppe Alberto Romano, Centro di ricerche informatiche per i beni culturali (Center for the application of computer science to cultural assets), Pisa, Italy. Anne van Camp, Research Libraries Group, United States Timeline First Recommendations for the development of a standardized tool for encoding archival finding aids on the international level have been made in December 2001. UNESCO continue to sponsor this work in 2002 and 2003. Contact Axel Plathe UNESCO/Information Society Division 1, rue Miollis 75015 Paris France tel.: 33.1.45.68.44.67 fax : 33.1.45.68.55.83 e-mail a.plathe@unesco.org Links International Council on Archives (ICA) Encoded Archival Description Official Website UNESCO Archives Portal: Archival Descriptions