To publish finding aids with AtoM, you create or import hierarchical archival descriptions that follow ISAD(G), attach authority and repository records, set each description's publication status to "Published", and let AtoM render them as browsable, searchable web pages with persistent URLs. AtoM (Access to Memory) is free, open source, standards-native, and built for exactly this — turning a structured catalogue into a public finding aid without bespoke web development. This guide walks the workflow end to end.

What is AtoM and when does it fit?

AtoM is a web application from Artefactual Systems that implements the core ICA standards out of the box: ISAD(G) for description, ISAAR(CPF) for authority records, ISDIAH for repositories, and ISDF for functions. It fits archives that want standards-compliant, multilingual, web-published finding aids without building a platform themselves. It is a strong choice for small-to-mid institutions and consortia; very large repositories sometimes prefer ArchivesSpace, but AtoM's public-access layer is excellent.

How do you set up the descriptive structure?

AtoM mirrors the archival hierarchy. You build top-down:

1. Create (or select) the repository (ISDIAH).
2. Create the authority record for the creator (ISAAR).
3. Create the top-level archival description — the fonds — and link the creator and repository.
4. Add child descriptions: series, files, items, nested as deep as you need.

Each description carries the ISAD(G) elements: reference code, title, dates, level of description, extent, scope and content, conditions of access. The level-of-description field is what makes AtoM render the tree correctly, so set it on every record.

How do you import existing descriptions in bulk?

Re-keying a spreadsheet into the web form is slow. AtoM imports CSV using fixed-column templates and round-trips EAD 2002 XML.

A minimal CSV import (archival description template) looks like:

legacyId,parentId,identifier,title,levelOfDescription,extentAndMedium,scopeAndContent
1,,GB-0042,Hartley Engineering Works,Fonds,"3 boxes","Records of..."
2,1,GB-0042/1,Board minutes,Series,"14 vols","Minutes 1920-1975"
3,1,GB-0042/2,Correspondence,Series,"0.4 lm","Inward and outward..."

The parentId references the legacyId of the parent row, which is how AtoM rebuilds the hierarchy on import. Validate the CSV against the template column order before uploading — a misaligned column is the most common import failure.

# After a large import, rebuild the search index from the CLI
php symfony search:populate

How do you publish a description to the public?

Cataloguing happens against a draft. Records are hidden until you publish them.

Publication status	Public sees it?	Use for
Draft	No	Work in progress
Published	Yes	Released finding aids

Set the description's publication status to Published (you can do this per record or in batches), then re-index if AtoM does not pick it up automatically. Because status is per record, you can catalogue an entire fonds privately and release it as a single batch when it is ready, or stage releases series by series.

How do you attach digital objects and images?

Attach a digital object to any description and AtoM generates a thumbnail and a reference (access) copy automatically, linking the master. For manuscripts, maps, and photographs where users need to zoom, use AtoM's IIIF support so images open in a deep-zoom viewer rather than as flat JPEGs. Keep your preservation masters elsewhere — AtoM is an access system, not a preservation repository, and pairs naturally with a tool like Archivematica for the preservation side.

How do you keep authority control clean?

The biggest long-term win in AtoM is its separated, linked entities. Describe a creator once as an ISAAR authority record and link it from every description that creator made; describe your institution once as an ISDIAH repository. This avoids the spreadsheet curse of "Hartley, T." versus "Thomas Hartley" versus "Hartley Engineering" scattered across records. Maintain a short list of preferred forms and reuse them.

What should you check before going live?

A pre-publication checklist:

• Every description has a level of description set.
• Reference codes are unique and follow your scheme.
• Creators and repositories are linked authority/ISDIAH records, not free text.
• Access and reproduction conditions are filled in.
• Digital objects display and zoom correctly.
• The search index has been repopulated after bulk imports.
• A sample finding aid renders cleanly and the EAD export validates.

Key Takeaways

• AtoM is a free, open-source, standards-native platform that publishes finding aids straight to the web.
• Build descriptions top-down and set the level-of-description field on every record so the tree renders.
• Import in bulk via CSV templates (using parentId to rebuild hierarchy) or EAD 2002 XML.
• Records stay hidden as drafts until you set publication status to Published — release in batches.
• Use AtoM's linked authority and repository records to keep names consistent across the catalogue.
• Pair AtoM (access) with a preservation system; it is not a preservation repository itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AtoM?

AtoM (Access to Memory) is a free, open-source, web-based application for archival description and access, maintained by Artefactual Systems. It implements ISAD(G), ISAAR, ISDIAH, and ISDF and publishes finding aids directly to the web.

Can I import existing descriptions into AtoM?

Yes. AtoM imports CSV using its own templates and also imports and exports EAD 2002 XML, so you can migrate from spreadsheets or other systems and round-trip with EAD-based tools.

Does AtoM require coding to run?

Running an existing AtoM instance and cataloguing in it needs no coding. Installing and maintaining the server involves PHP, MySQL, Elasticsearch, and a job scheduler, so most small archives use a hosted instance or a managed provider.

How does AtoM handle authority records and repositories?

AtoM keeps separate but linked entities for archival descriptions, authority records (ISAAR), and repositories (ISDIAH), so a creator or institution is described once and linked from every relevant description.

Can AtoM display digital objects and IIIF images?

Yes. You can attach digital objects to descriptions and AtoM generates thumbnails and reference copies; recent versions and plugins support IIIF for deep-zoom image viewing.

How do I publish a draft description so the public can see it?

Set the publication status of the description to 'Published' (draft records stay hidden), then re-index if needed. Access is controlled per record, so you can catalogue privately and release in batches.

Related reading

• EAD finding aids
• Creating authority records with ISAAR
• Beginner's guide to accession records
• IIIF explained
• Getting started with Omeka S