FormKiQ's Archives and Collections Business Solution connects accession records, rich catalogue descriptions, digital representations, and curated exhibits in your AWS environment. Archivists and curators use a packaged application to describe collections, review rights, prepare public exhibits, and respond to researchers, with FormKiQ managing the underlying documents, entities, metadata, and workflows.
Example in FormKiQ · fictional data
One collection, from accession to discovery and exhibits
1. Open the accession file
The archivist adds the community association deposits, deed, and inventory. FormKiQ connects their source and shows the description and rights information still needed.
How FormKiQ handles this step
- Donor and collection entities: provide reusable source and collection records for the community association papers.
- Accession dossier ACC-1042: connects the deed, inventory, minutes, photographs, correspondence, and processing status.
- Business Solution application: flags incomplete description and rights information while each deposited document keeps its own identity and permissions.
2. Describe items and connect context
The archivist describes photograph ITEM-042 and links its creator, place, and subjects. FormKiQ keeps the catalogue record connected to its digital copies.
How FormKiQ handles this step
- Item description document: stores title, dates, language, provenance, and collection or series references as structured attributes.
- Linked entities: connect item ITEM-042 to reusable creator, place, and subject records with consistent labels and authority identifiers.
- Digital representations: keep the TIFF master and JPEG access copy as separate documents linked to ITEM-042 and ACC-1042, each with its own rights and permissions.
The application checks configured metadata schemas and vocabularies. Europeana mappings, validation, and aggregator delivery are scoped integrations.
3. Review rights and access
A reviewer checks the deed and proposed uses. FormKiQ records which minutes and photograph copies can be shared while correspondence remains restricted.
Approval for one use does not clear every item or digital copy.
How FormKiQ handles this step
- Rights evidence: links donor restrictions, rights statements, and the proposed researcher or exhibit uses.
- FormKiQ workflow: records the rights decision on the deed of gift, connected to ACC-1042.
- Business Solution application: shows material-level access decisions. Rights metadata describes permitted use; document permissions enforce access.
4. Curate and publish an exhibit
The curator selects approved materials and adds captions and credits. After publication review, the exhibit application presents the approved copies and descriptions.
How FormKiQ handles this step
- Exhibit dossier EXH-1042: links the selected items, captions, credits, and sequence to their accession sources, including ACC-1042.
- FormKiQ workflow: routes the publication review document so reviewers can check the exact copies, text, credits, and rights.
- Exhibit application: presents the approved package and records later publication changes while restricted originals and donor records remain controlled.
The exhibit frontend is configured within the Business Solution. An exhibit can use several accessions without changing their archival arrangement.
5. Respond to the researcher
Staff use the catalogue to find requested minutes and select permitted copies. FormKiQ routes the response for approval and retains what was supplied.
How FormKiQ handles this step
- Catalogue metadata: helps staff find the minutes requested in AR-1042 and select the permitted access copies.
- FormKiQ workflow: records approval on the proposed access response document before supply.
- Accession dossier ACC-1042: links the request, recipient, supplied-item list, and response decision while original restrictions stay in place.
Specialist digital-preservation services can be connected where required.
Descriptions, exhibits, and access responses linked to ACC-1042
What Archives and Collections Management covers
Preserve institutional memory with metadata-rich discovery, long-term access controls, and searchable information structures across your collections.
- Rich metadata schemas for hierarchical arrangement and description — fonds, series, file, and item level
- Reusable creator, organisation, place, and subject records, with authority identifiers and consistent terminology
- Distinct item descriptions and linked digital masters, scans, transcripts, and access copies
- Full-text search and metadata-aware discovery across large historical collections
- Access controls that support both internal staff and controlled external researcher or public access
- Curated exhibit selections, captions, credit lines, sequencing, and publication review
- Preservation integrations, storage policies, and retained relationships between sources and derivatives
- Accession workflows for structured intake and description of new acquisitions
- KnowledgeBase integration for natural language query across the collection
Descriptive metadata and linked context
Europeana's model offers a useful reference for distinguishing the cultural heritage item, its digital representations, and contextual records for people, places, periods, and subjects. This separation helps a catalogue describe an original photograph without confusing it with a scan or an exhibit copy. See the Europeana Data Model mapping guidelines.
| Information | What staff record | How it connects in FormKiQ |
|---|---|---|
| Collection and item descriptions | Identifier, title, description, date or date range, language, provenance, and collection or series reference. | Item entities and description documents carry structured attributes and links to their collection and accession. |
| People, places, and subjects | Creator and organisation names, locations, subjects, preferred labels, and authority identifiers or URIs. | Reusable entities connect related items without repeating inconsistent names across the catalogue. |
| Digital representations | Master and access-copy identifiers, format, source relationship, rights statement, and credit line. | Separate document records preserve the relationship to the described item and allow each copy to have its own permissions. |
| Exhibit context | Selected items, captions, narrative sections, sequence, credits, and publication history. | An exhibit dossier links its selection and review documents; the application presents the approved material. |
FormKiQ schemas define required fields and allowed values. The application uses those fields for catalogue filters and completeness checks. The metadata profile and any mapping to Europeana are agreed for the collection; export, validation, and aggregator delivery are separate integration work.
From collection items to curated exhibits
Curators can assemble a themed exhibit from several collections while preserving each item's original archival context. The exhibit dossier records the selected items and copies; captions, introductions, credit lines, and ordering belong to that exhibit's presentation.
- Select and contextualise: use catalogue metadata to find relevant items, then add the narrative and captions that explain their connection.
- Review before publication: route the exhibit package through a FormKiQ document workflow so staff can check interpretation, credits, rights, and the exact copies proposed for display.
- Publish approved material: the Business Solution's exhibit frontend presents selected metadata and permitted access copies while source documents retain their permissions.
- Maintain the exhibit: record caption revisions, replacement copies, withdrawals, and publication decisions without losing the accession and item references.
Archival collection model
The guide distinguishes archives and collections from operational document archives: materials are organized for long-term preservation, description, donor restrictions, discovery, and controlled access rather than active workflow only.
Archival arrangement
Describe materials at fonds, collection, series, file, and item levels with inherited context and discovery metadata.
Accession records
Track source, donor, acquisition date, rights, restrictions, appraisal decisions, and processing status.
Access restrictions
Manage donor agreements, embargoes, sensitivity restrictions, copyright notes, and researcher access rules.
Digital preservation
Use durable AWS storage, cost-optimized tiers, metadata, and preservation workflows for long-term access.
Archival lifecycle workflow
FormKiQ supports archival materials from accession through description, preservation, discovery, and access.
| Stage | How FormKiQ Supports It |
|---|---|
| Accession | Capture new collections and acquisition context with donor, rights, and restriction metadata. |
| Appraisal and processing | Review materials, identify sensitivity, arrange files, and apply descriptive metadata. |
| Description | Create item descriptions, linked contextual entities, controlled terminology, and source-to-copy relationships across collection levels. |
| Preservation | Retain digital objects, derivatives, checks, and storage policies for long-term durability. |
| Discovery and access | Search catalogue metadata and fulfil researcher requests using permitted copies and recorded access decisions. |
| Exhibit curation and publication | Connect selected items, captions, credits, and publication review in an exhibit dossier, then present approved material through the application. |
Automation and governance focus
Metadata-rich discovery
Combine structured descriptive metadata, full-text search, and AI-assisted discovery across large collections.
Restriction management
Apply access restrictions by collection, series, file, item, donor agreement, sensitivity, or embargo period.
Preservation integration
Connect archival collections with digital preservation tools and storage policies where needed.
Recommended platform configuration
Edition
FormKiQ Enterprise for long-term preservation and governance-heavy operations
Modules commonly used
Enhanced Full-Text Search, KnowledgeBase, AI Processing and Analysis
Common fits: university and institutional archives, government and public records archives, museum and cultural institution collections, corporate historical records, and special collections requiring long-term preservation and governed access.
Read the in-depth guide
For a deeper walkthrough of archival lifecycle, description standards, donor restrictions, digital preservation, discovery and access, editions, and AWS deployment models, read the full guide.
Archives and Collections Management on AWS
For reusable product, training, brand, or communications media, explore Digital Asset Management and its approval, distribution, and replacement workflows.
