NOTICE: |
Welcome,
The following information will help new volunteers get a good start after adopting a
county and managing the archival contributions submitted to that county. Before adopting a
county or counties, it is important to have adequate software applications
to assist in managing the tasks required to maintain the web pages as current
and active as possible. Normally, 2-6 hours a week may be necessary to
achieve a reasonable amount of effort relative to the activity for a
county. Support for a file manager is readily available at the county,
state and national levels for everyone. The overall process is very simple
with a low level learning curve to become familiar with the routine tasks.
There are minimal mandates in the guidelines to ensure commonality
throughout the project as a whole. These mandates should be followed as
closely as possible after adopting a county. Creativity is encouraged as
each county web site is the responsibility of the individual volunteer
file manager. Browsing the archive project web sites is recommended to
provide insight of what is typically expected of a file manager.
State File Manager
KYGWARCH
Abbreviations:
ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange
SFM = state file manager
ASFM = assistant state file manager
CFM = county file manager
FM = file manager
FTP = file transfer protocol
HTML = hyper text markup language
XHTML = extended hyper text markup language
TOC = table of content
PSWD = password
*.txt = plain text format is the universal standard for
representing text letters, numerals and punctuation marks
*.jpg = Joint Photographic Experts Group (a digital image file format designed for
maximal image compression)
KYARCH = Kentucky Archives is a repository holding documents or other material,
usually of historical and/or rare value
KYGWARCH = Kentucky GenWeb Archive Project
USGWARCH = USGenWeb Archives Project
RW = RootsWeb
host server = Any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other
computers
User ID = user identification is a short and cryptic (usually eight characters or fewer)
name that identifies a user on a system
Login = a name or account under which someone gains a certain level of access to a
computer
Permissions = The set of identifiers that control how someone can access a server
The KyArchives, as part of the USGenWeb
Archives Project is completely separate from the KyGenWeb
Project and the USGenWeb Project.
The KyArchive directories are established as a repository for storing all
information and data collected or submitted as contributions to the archive project. There are two directories utilized for storage
by the USGW Archives Project, which are hosted by the RootsWeb Genealogical Cooperative at
Ancestry.com.
The first directory houses the web pages for all county web sites in a public_html
folder. The second directory houses all the informational text files
collected or submitted by contributors in a public_ftp folder. Access to
the server is restricted to volunteer file managers with password authorization
only. Each state has a separate folder utilized to manage files for each
county or parrish.
Each KY county is assigned a separate
state subfolder for file management. Subfolders are used to organize and
sort all the different types of material stored within the allocated space on
the archive server. KyArchive Guidelines are presented to assist the county File
Manager (FM) in becoming familiar with the overall project and how to
administratively maintain their respective county archives.
Each state is provided a State File Manager (SFM) to
oversee the administration of archival duties and coordinate the assignment of
counties that do not have a file manager. Adoptive counties are indicated
on the KyArchives
main web site. All FM positions are strictly voluntary
and assigned by the SFM. Current FMs will have precedence over adopting
any county.
The archive directory folder structure is designed by the USGW Archive Project administrators and should be followed as closely as possible. The outline is referenced within the USGenWeb Archives guidelines. The FM has the responsibility to ensure their respective county meets the minimal requirements for adhering to the outline structure. Adding, moving or deleting any files, folder or submitted material within a county directory must be done with extreme caution as they are often web linked from many other resources on the Internet.
The volunteer FM is assigned to a
county by the SFM and given access information to the server directories. Each county is set up to receive by email
an automated notice for file
submissions from Genrecords.org using the Automated
Records Submission Forms. The notice provides information for the
FM to post into their respective TOC (table of content) web pages for the county
archives. Manual
submissions are handled by the FM individually by creating a text file and uploading it to
the correct directory folders. All archived files are linked to the TOC pages in the
respective county. It is important to remember that text files are
uploaded to the FTP directory and all web pages and graphics and photo files are
uploaded to the HTML directory. The text files should be in plain text
format and all photos should be in JPEG format with a file size below 300Kb.
The File Manager is required to subscribe to the state administrative
mail list. The list is used primarily by the SFM to keep the FM
updated on all archival affairs for the state. This includes answering
questions and supporting the project overall. The subject matter on the
mail list is limited to KyArchive matters only. Direct or personal email
should be avoided whenever possible.
Managing a county archive web site requires a basic
knowledge and understanding of hyper text markup language (html)
and file transfer protocol (ftp).
Specific utility software is available on the Internet and the FM should be
familiar with how to use it before adopting a county. The selection of
which version or provider of any utility software is strictly up to the
individual. A little homework
will go a long way in making such decisions.
Occasionally the SFM will conduct a roll call for all
FM volunteers. This administrative roll call is used to maintain a current
and active email address for all counties to receive the automated archive
submission form notices and to ensure all FM volunteers are actively
participating in the project. Not responding to roll calls within a
reasonable amount of time, could force a county to be placed on the state
adoption roster. Resigning from FM duties should always be done by
emailing the SFM to indicate the decision as a permanent change in the roster.
The USGW Archives Project uses a daily
uploads web site to list all daily incoming file contributions to all states
and counties. This extra resource can help the FM keep abreast of current
progress for a respective county. Monitoring the resource regularly is
highly beneficial.
The FM is expected to maintain all the archival web pages for the adopted county. A basic outline for the adoption process follows:
1) Review the USGW Archive Project guidelines and agree to maintain the county web site accordingly
2) Request adoption of an available county
3) Request access to the kygwarch directory server
4) Subscribe to the KyArchives Administrative Mail List
5) Receive and manage incoming notices from the automated file submission forms from Genrecords.org
6) Maintain the archive web pages and directory folders as current and accurate as possible
7) Respond to KyArchive roll calls conducted periodically by the SFM
8) Monitor USGW Archive daily uploads to the county archives
In addition, a reasonable effort should be given to support communication and team work. The success of this archival project is directly contingent upon the participation of each county file manager.
Remember to use the project logo of the KyArchives and USGW Archives
Project on the main or primary
county TOC page (please feel free to use the graphics below. Just be sure you
upload them to your county so they show up!)
Refrain from duplicating files in the directory folders
Don't hesitate to ask for assistance or other support whenever necessary
Use standard file naming conventions as much as possible
Never delete any records or folders from the server directories unless it is justifiable
Never allow commercial solicitation on any web page in the KyArchives
Use the daily uploads web site to help manage the archives
Contact the SFM or Asst ASFM as soon as possible whenever a problem arises
USGenWeb Logos: http://usgenweb.org/volunteers/logos.shtml |
KYGenWeb Logos: http://www.kygenweb.net/logos.html |
A regular mail mode and digest
mode are available.
KYARC-L [regular mode]
KYARC-D [digest mode]
Send your email to:
KYARC-L-request@rootsweb.com [for regular
mode]
or:
KYARC-D-request@rootsweb.com [for digest mode]
In the body of the email message, type the word... subscribe
Do not put anything else in the body of the email, including your name. Be sure to turn off your signature file if you have one.
Send your email to:
KYARC-L-request@rootsweb.com [for regular email]
or:
KYARC-D-request@rootsweb.com [for digest mode]
In the body of the email put the word: unsubscribe
Do not put anything else in the body of the email, including your name. Be sure to turn off your signature file if you have one.
If you are receiving your mail in DIGEST mode, you must unsubscribe from KYARC -D to change to the regular mode..
Send email to: KYARC-L@rootsweb.com
Messages posted to this address will appear in both KYARC-L and KYARC-D modes.
Return to
KyGenWeb Archives Table of Contents
USGenWeb Archives Table of Contents
KYGenWeb Project
© 2008 All rights reserved.
How do I adopt a county?
Email the State or Assistant State file manager with
your request.
What software do I need to adopt a county?
You will need a HTML Editor and FTP software. This is a must to be able to
manage the web pages and upload the required files to the server. You can
Google "free html editor" or "free ftp software" and browse
the web for a look at what may suit your needs.
Can I design my own web page layout and graphics?
As long as it adheres to the
USGW
Archive Project Guidelines !!!
The project criteria should be exhibited
with commonality throughout. This
means you have a few requirements that must be followed. The rest is up to
your creativity. Keep in mind that graphics have a huge space need on the
server. PHP, SSI, CGI or other formatted web pages may not be allowed
without server permissions set for this type of webmastering. The idea is
to reach the widest dissemination within the audience you want to reach. Hence, simplicity is recommended when designing your web pages.
Design and layout of the web page should
be user friendly to the notice researcher. Simplicity is good and graphics
should be kept to a minimum to reach the desired effect for your web site
visitors. Professionalism is encouraged for all web mastering.
Reference
W3C Standards for more detail
about designing web pages. The least intrusive version of HTML used today is
4.01.
Can I publish my own web page for the KyArchive counties I manage?
All KyArchive web sites are freely hosted by
RootsWeb.com and maintained on the kygwarch server.
Why do I need to subscribe to the KYARC administrative mail list?
It is the only mail list used for keeping all the FMs informed of the KyArchive
general business at hand. More importantly, it is the mail list where the
periodic Roll Call message is sent to the FM to ensure we don't loose someone in
the bushes along the way. The admin list email address you use is also the
address for the archive notice (with very few exceptions).
What do I do with the notice from the automated forms feature for my county?
Process the information found in the notice and update your web pages. The
notice will contain the information and URL links to use on your TOC page.
Why am I not getting the KyArchive notices for submitted contributions?
Two reasons may apply:
1) Your email address is invalid or changed recently. Notify the SFM of any email address change as soon as possible.
2) There has been no contribution made to your county archives. Many counties have a very low volume of correspondence and it is not unusual
to see months go by without a notice.
Where does the KyArchive notice come from?
The Genrecords
automated
forms feature that is activated for all KY counties
provides the notice automatically to each FM of the first county that is noted in the
contributed information. When a contribution is submitted, the Genrecords.org server will create an
archival text file
using the information in the form. The URL link for the file location will
be included in the text file.
Where are the created text files stored by Genrecords.org?
On the Rootsweb kygwarch server in the KY
archive_ftp
directory. They are
sent to their respective subfolder automatically relative to the first county
indicated in the form submission. All other counties indicated in the form
submission will not have the created file in their subfolders. One URL for
the file is used by all FMs to post on their respective TOC pages. Photos
or pictures and all web pages, including graphics, are stored in the archive_html folders.
Why should I use the Email Registry number on my archive web pages?
First, it helps reduce the amount of identify invasion from phishing and spammers. More importantly, it provides one place for you to
change your email address when that becomes necessary. The registry number
will never change.
How do I upload my work to the server?
1. Access kygwarch at users.rootsweb.com using your FTP software
2. Enter your password and use the "Passive Mode"
3. Open the appropriate working directory for HTML or FTP files
4. Select and open your county folder - Never upload to a county not assigned
to you
5. Transfer your updated work to the respective subfolder - Text files use
ASCII and graphic files use BINARY
6. Use your web browser to check your work
7. Backup your working files regularly
Do you have a serious question we can share with everyone?
Please send it to
the SFM so it can be added to this page. Thank you and have a great day!