An electronic finding aid using extensible markup language (XML) and encoded archival description (EAD)

Increasingly, XML applications are appearing on the World Wide Web, from e‐commerce to information management. In the case of libraries and archives, XML enables more flexible information management and retrieval than using MARC or a relational database management system. Describes a project to explore the use of XML and the EAD, and the development of a prototype electronic finding aid. It focuses on the technical aspects, and reviews the options available and the choices made. This is done within the setting of a small‐ to medium‐sized archive with minimal tools and resources.