Import media with metadata

Introduction

These instructions are for importing media files with associated metadata into Photo, Document, Movie, Sound, or Object classes. If you wish to import into Knowledge class or List records, refer to Importing records from file metadata. In addition, media can be added without metadata using the Ingest media or Simple Upload methods.

In addition to the media files that you will want to import, you will need to prepare a metadata file in one of the following formats:

• Comma Separated Values (CSV) or Tab Separated Values (TAB or TSV) spreadsheets, with either ‘.csv’, ‘.tsv’ or ‘.tab’ file extensions. See Creating CSV metadata files for importing and updating records.
• KC Structured Data format, which is a special format that only Keeping Culture archives can process and is created when exporting records from a Keeping Culture archive. These files must have a ‘.csj’ file extension. See Using ‘KC Structured Data’ metadata import and export format.

Your prepared media and import file need to be uploaded to the Archive Files directory before commencing the import.

Importing adds new records rather than updating existing ones. If you wish to update existing records, please consider the Updating records with file metadata or Merging file metadata with records options.

Your User account must have Administration access and Add records permissions enabled to import records.

If the hyperlinks, pages and resources for Importing media are not available on the archive, try logging in with an account with higher administrative privileges or as a Super Administrator.

How to import media records

Steps for CSV & TAB formatted import file

Imported records from CSV files are brought into the archive in an ‘unconfirmed’ state. In step 12, you will need to review these unconfirmed records and confirm them in the archive once you are satisfied the import was successful.

1. To access the Import via file wizard, go to the Main Menu → Administration tab, then in the ‘cog’ button menu next to the Archive Item class for your imported media, select Import via file.
2. In the wizard, click Choose file.
3. In the Choose file window, navigate to, and select the CSV or TAB file that you’ve previously uploaded to the Archive Files directory. Click Select.
4. Select ‘CSV & TAB File Importer’ from the Format list. Click Continue.
5. Click Continue again.
6. In the Identifier column dropdown list, select the column used to differentiate Archive Items. Leave it as the default value if your import doesn’t contain multiple Views.
7. In the Media file path column dropdown list, select the column that contains the relative file path to the media file.
8. Systematically work through the list of Archive Item and Archive View class attributes (fields) assigning a column that contains the value for the attributes. It is not necessary to assign a column to every attribute.
   
   For attributes that accept multiple values, the column’s value can be separated into multiple values using a delimiter, usually a comma. For example, a column value of ‘Matt Smith, Jill Green, Ken Bell’ can be broken into three separate people using a comma ‘,’ delimiter.
   
   For attributes that reference their values from multiple classes, you must specify the class that the column’s value will be imported into.
   
   Once you have finished making your column assignments, click Continue.
9. In step four of the wizard, specify any content restriction that will be applied to the imported records. Click Continue.
10. The import will begin, and once complete, the wizard will display the outcome of the process. Any errors and skipped records will be reported to you. Click View unconfirmed records.
11. Your imported media will now be available as unconfirmed records in the Search Results page. Here you can batch edit or view and edit the records in the View page.
12. Finally, you will need to either confirm the records into the archive (see Confirming unconfirmed records) or delete them if they are no longer needed (see Deleting unconfirmed records).

Steps for KC Structured Data formatted import file

1. To access the Import via file wizard, go to the Main Menu → Administration tab, then in the ‘cog’ button menu next to the Archive Item class for your imported media, select Import via file.
2. In the wizard, click Choose file.
3. In the Choose file window, navigate to, and select the KC Structured Data (.csj) file that you’ve previously uploaded to the Archive Files directory. Click Select.
4. Select ‘KC Structured Data Importer’ from the Format list. Click Continue.
5. In step two of the wizard, under the File Reader configuration heading, pair any comparable content restrictions from this archive with those from the source archive. Any unassigned restrictions will be ignored during the import.
   
   Review the content restrictions applied to the classes and attributes of the source archive. You will need to carefully consider whether similar restrictions should be applied to the classes and attributes of this archive.
   
   Click Continue.
6. In step three of the wizard, systematically work through the list of attributes (fields) assigning a property from the import file to each attribute in the archive.
   
   Only compatible properties will be displayed for each attribute. The system will attempt to recommend a ‘Good Match’ based on the properties of the source archive attributes.
   
   Any attributes that are unassigned a property for the import file will be skipped.
   
   For an explanation of why some attributes have ‘Unknown Reference!’, please refer to Using ‘KC Structured Data’ metadata import and export format for more information.
   
   Once you have finished making your attribute assignments, click Continue.
7. In step four of the wizard, specify any content restriction that will be applied to the imported records. Click Continue.
8. The import will begin, and once complete, the wizard will display the outcome of the process. Any errors and skipped records will be reported to you. Click Done.