Help for batch submitters

eCommons staff can upload materials in batch, when a user, usually a collection coordinator, has a large number of items to submit and doing so one at a time via the standard interface is overly cumbersome, and when a user may need to populate metadata fields that are not available in the standard interface. For batches of less than ten items (approximately) we encourage collection coordinators to submit content directly to eCommons.

Generally batch submissions are handled as follows:

  • Collection coordinator contacts eCommons administrators to discuss their specific needs, resolve intellectual property issues, determine the best approach for submitting their content, and what preparatory work is required. If batch upload is appropriate, then -
  • eCommons administrators provide a metadata template (spreadsheet) to be completed by the collection coordinator.
  • The collection coordinator transfers the completed metadata template and files for upload to eCommons administrators.
  • eCommons administrators create metadata from the spreadsheet and upload the files.

Coordinators should refer to the Metadata tips and Creating metadata for batch upload pages in this guide for guidance on the meaning and content of metadata fields.

All users requesting batch upload assistance are expected to employ the following best practices.

  • Policies: Collection coordinator and other submitters familiarize themselves with eCommons policies and help for submitters.
  • Copyright: Batch submitters rarely hold the copyright for the materials they are submitting, and copyright clearance is the responsibility of the collection coordinator or submitter. Copyright Services at Cornell University Library provides guidance on determining copyright status and obtaining copyright clearance. Contact eCommons adminstrators for guidance on providing documentation of copyright status.
  • eCommons license: Batch submissions bypass the eCommons license. Contact eCommons adminstrators for guidance on documenting acceptance of the eCommons license terms.
  • Collection documentation: Every collection is documented on the eCommons wiki. The wiki is accessible only with permission; if you don't have access that is probably a good indication that your collection is undocumented. Documentation includes coordinator contact information, policies and procedures specific to the collection, and similar information. Contact eCommons adminstrators if your collection is not yet documented on the wiki, and to request access to the wiki.
  • Metadata: Coordinators/submitters submit clean and complete metadata with each batch. eCommons staff will supply a generic metadata template, and can customize the template for particular collections, upon request. Please see Metadata tips and Creating metadata for batch uploads for more information on preparing metadata. While eCommons staff cannot create or correct metadata, we will help coordinators/submitters identify problems so that they can be corrected.
  • Files: 
    • Files should not be locked and should not have embedded media. 
    • File names should not include spaces or special characters. More information on file naming best practices.
    • File names in the metadata must match actual file names exactly, and include the file extension.
    • eCommons staff check whether PDFs have extracted text, will run optical character recognition (OCR) on the file(s) if necessary.
  • Batch size and frequency: Fewer, larger batches are preferable to many small batches. If possible, coordinators/submitters will hold submissions until whatever they are currently working on is as complete as possible.
  • Content transfer: Options for file and metadata transfer are as follows (preferred first):
    • Coordinator/submitter notifies eCommons staff that a batch is ready for upload. eCommons staff create a Box folder and invite coordinator/submitter. Coordinator/submitter uploads files and metadata to Box.
    • Coordinator/submitter notifies eCommons staff that a batch is ready for upload. Coordinator/submitter creates a Box folder and invites one or more eCommons staff members. Coordinator/submitter uploads files and metadata to Box.
    • While we have accepted submissions as email attachments or on portable drives in the past, we are no longer able to do so.
  • Completeness: Please make sure your metadata and content are as complete and correct as possible. Please do not ask us to upload materials you expect to change later. That said, we recognize that everyone makes mistakes, and we're quite willing to make corrections when the need arises.
  • Turnaround time: eCommons staff try to provide service in as timely a manner as possible, but batch uploads are not usually processed immediately upon receipt. If providing access to your content is time-sensitive, please plan on giving eCommons staff advance notice of your needs.
  • Submission review: eCommons staff notify coordinator/submitter upon completion of the batch upload, and coordinator/submitter reviews results for errors.

Please contact eCommons administrators with questions or requests for assistance.