Extending the capabilities of the EAD Cookbook

Smaller institutions considering implementation of Encoded Archival Description (EAD) face many challenges in designing an efficient workflow and choosing standards that will allow for future interoperability. In the past, many institutions have chosen not to implement EAD due to its perceived complexity. The EAD Cookbook, developed by Michael Fox at the Minnesota Historical Society, now greatly simplifies the creation of a best‐practices‐compliant system. However, to achieve the full benefits of the Cookbook, institutions must extend its capabilities. This article explores three areas for extension: markup macros, digitization, and workflow design. Examples and sample code are given for use with WordPerfect’s XML editor and with NoteTab Light, a freeware text editor that allows for significant workflow simplification via its built‐in scripting language. Even those with little prior programming knowledge can use these tools to extend the Cookbook.