Axiell Sapphire

Axiell Sapphire Registry entries are documented here.

Axiell Sapphire is a browser-based interface to your EMu Collections Management System. It is designed to provide access to your EMu database for the creation of new records and editing of existing records through custom-built forms. A Form is designed and constructed by authorized users for a distinct purpose, capturing data, editing records, creating attachments, etc., with each Form providing access to a subset of fields.

  • Interfaces for desktops and tablets, providing a flexible working environment.
  • Automatic and continual live update of EMu, coupled with live validation with EMu data during capture.

    Sapphire offers a seamless integration with EMu, and records are added to your EMu database immediately. Manipulation and enhancement of data is performed directly within EMu, ensuring that data capture / cleansing projects feed directly into the core data repository continually, and that all work performed is immediately available from that repository.

  • For authorized users, graphs are available for a range of real-time statistical overviews. Graphs can be designed to display any sort of statistic; a large scale digitization project might include graphs that track the progress of the project, for instance.

Sapphire is designed to perform two broad functions:

  • Data Capture: Forms

    Forms are designed for a specific data capture purpose. A Form includes a subset of fields organized to capture a particular workflow (recording a new object, for instance).

    In a digitization project in a Natural History museum, for example, Forms would be tailored for the Herbarium digitization programme, the Palaeontology digitization programme, and so on, each one designed to capture data relevant to a particular discipline.

  • Data Cleansing: Editors

    Authorized staff are able to clean up / update data.

    Data Cleansing can be as basic as standardizing a value, i.e. replacing variations of a value with an approved value. A Sapphire Editor can also be used to create attachments. For example, during data entry a collector's name may have been captured from specimen labels and stored as text in a Catalogue record for the specimen; an Editor can be used to create an attachment from one or more Catalogue records to a Parties record for the collector.

Types of user

Three types of user are envisaged:

  1. Data Entry
  2. Programme Lead
  3. Manager

A user's type, which projects the user is assigned to, and which tools the user can access for each project are specified with a series of Registry entries. You will find details about how projects are created and made available to users here.

Project elements

A project can include:

  • One or more Forms

    Forms are designed by Programme Leads for a specific data capture / editing purpose.

  • Editors

    Editors can be provided for data cleansing / update and processing data. A project may have one or more Editors.

  • Query pages1

    A Query page enables users to perform a search, return a result set (all the objects at a particular location, for instance), and save the results to PDF.

  • Statistics

    Graphs presenting various statistics, such as the progress of the current project.

Typically:

  • Data Entry users are presented with Forms when they log in to Sapphire. If authorized, they may have access to one or more Editors.
  • Programme Leads are presented with the Form, Editor, Query page and Statistics configuration tools.

    It is the Programme Lead's responsibility to create projects, assign access permissions and make projects available to users.

  • Managers are presented with project statistics.

Sample Forms and Tools bundled with a new Sapphire installation

A new installation of Sapphire includes a demo project with a range of sample Forms and Tools designed to manage Condition Updates, Image Capture, Location Updates and Stocktake. Note that these sample Forms were configured for the EMu museum system and may not work out-of-the box in all environments. Although it may be possible for users to use these Forms and Tools, it is envisaged that their primary value will be for Programme Leads, who can examine how they have been configured.

The first three Tools are self-explanatory. With the Stocktake Tool it is possible to search for a location and then scan all objects found in that location. In the Catalogue record for each scanned object the Stocktake Date and Stocktake By fields are updated on the Status tab. If an object’s current location differs from the location in which it is found, the object is flagged as being in the wrong place. If an object should be in the location specified on the Form and it was not scanned, it is flagged as missing. Both these exceptions can then be followed up manually.