Sample Programming Work of Mark Hammons

HyperFind (TM)

Welcome to this temporary and very informal web access point to the experimental HyperFind archival information management system prototype developed by Mark Hammons. This application was designed to serve the automation needs of the archives and special collections units at the University of Minnesota. The project was brought to production use, and according to the logs served 83,000 users over two and a half years. The links cited below will show the database and interpretive formats developed as experimental models.

The information set delivered here is obviously not a comprehensive representation of the holdings of the three archival units, but enough data has been loaded to demonstrate some of the system’s basic capabilities and features via this limited web interface. Selected materials have been added from the Children’s Literature Research Collections and the Northwest Architectural Archives to illustrate the effectiveness of this format for managing and displaying the materials of other archives units. Note that while all information about the various units is contained in the same database, only those references and index values relative to the unit's holdings are displayed. This custom indexing feature can be applied to any group of materials.

Demonstrations

You may want to bookmark this page for quick return once finished viewing the following links. Otherwise, you may be able to use the history list under the "Go" menubar item if your browser is Netscape Navigator. Because some links exist in the World Wide Web for the SWHA site, it was not possible to provide a hyperlinked return to here without exposing these staff pages publicly.

Social Welfare History Archives

Biggest bang for the browse at the moment. Finding aids to about fifteen collections, with varying degrees of data entry. The available indexing is sufficiently developed to provide substantial citation returns. Many images and free-standing text files attached to these references are also shown here, as well as being accessible through the indexes.

Children's Literature Research Collections

Added to display the visual richness of CLRC illustrations and artwork. These web exhibits are composed in HyperFind through drag-and-drop and point-and-click with existing database files. As with all of the HyperFind returns, no HTML coding is required to create these displays, which feature easy-to-use navigation bars, can show both internal and external web links, and are marked up to HTML on-the-fly at the time of the remote user request. (See also a different type of exhibit, one emphasizing texts, under "What's New" on the SWHA Top Page.)

Northwest Architectural Archives

An electronic view of the extensively developed finding aid to the William Gray Purcell Papers as an illustration of the numerous interesting things that happen in the conversion from paper-based to electronic media, which process is still ongoing here. Over 1,000 additional images of architectural designs not part of the Purcell collection but which are also stored on the system can be accessed through the indexes.

A guided tour of the features

A set of suggested browsing paths (which you may want to print for convenient reference) that illustrate various features of the system.

The problems to which HyperFind offers solutions

An explanation of the motivations behind this research and development project, based on why archives need their own automation matrix.

Notes for those interested in the further development of HyperFind

A summary by Mark Hammons of where the HyperFind program that produces this information stands today, and where it needs to go for completion.

Thanks for coming by! Your much appreciated comments can be directed to Mark Hammons (mark AT organica.org).