[Archivesspace_Users_Group] Changing top containers for archival objects in bulk

[Hilton, Adrien]

Hello ASpace community,

We recently started using AS for our archival description. Previous practice involved hand-encoding EAD in oXygen. We did not use containers but rather consecutive <unitid>s that were machine generated at the end of description. Processing involved (and continues to involve) a lot of both physical and intellectual arranging and rearranging right up until those <unitid>s were created.

We're having a difficult time with data entry in AS. For example, a bunch of archival objects are created and assigned to Top Container 1. But then we find some more (physical) material that needs to go in Box 1. We shift folders (physically) from Box  1 to Box 2. Do we have to open each archival object that we want moved and assign it to Top Container 2?

I know we could physically leave said folders at the end, etc. But first I just want to know if AS allows for bulk editing of archival objects that are already assigned a Top Container to a different Top Container. Am I missing something? Could I use the API for this?

For practice sake, what are others doing in this case? Are you ensuring physical order is established before data entry?

Many thanks in advance,
Adrien


Adrien Hilton
Head of the Manuscript Section
Houghton Library
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138
adrien_hilton at harvard.edu

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