Adding Items in Using a Spreadsheet
Last Updated, April 17, 2023.
If you have a large number of objects to ingest, spreadsheet ingest is a great solution to help reduce the amount of time it takes to describe and upload content to the CTDA. While spreadsheet ingest may seem intimidating at first, once you get a chance to learn about each of the fields, the syntax, and the ability to create parent/child relationships all within a single spreadsheet, you will be able to ingest a wide range of content faster and with fewer clicks. The following guide provides instructions on how to add content to a spreadsheet, upload this content, as well as troubleshoot any issues with your ingests.
Accessing the Spreadsheet Ingest Template
The spreadsheet ingest template provides users the ability to upload multiple rows of objects (media) to the repository by using a spreadsheet. To help make the process less prone to errors and to save users time with data entry, the spreadsheet ingest template includes data validation capabilities for certain fields. This process allows you to select from a drop down menu the values that are valid for that field. The template is in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format and for best results we recommend using this file with the desktop version of Microsoft Excel. Additional documentation on using this with Google Sheets is coming soon.
Template for New Spreadsheet Ingest Users
As we continue to improve the spreadsheet ingest template based on user feedback, we recommend you download the latest version each time you are preparing for a large ingest. If you are new to the spreadsheet ingest process, the following version of the template includes a selection of frequently used columns along with some files already within the system for you to test ingesting in the digital_file column as a drop down selection. The Spreadsheet Ingest Template Training Version provides an opportunity to customize the metadata and learn the process of describing and organizing your data for the spreadsheet ingest process.
Template for Advanced Spreadsheet Ingest Users
For those ready to populate the spreadsheet with their own content, the CTDA Modern Islandora Spreadsheet Ingest Template All Columns template all of the column headers available to ingest content. For those that wish to test ingests with your own files, just slack uconnmhowser with a link to your files or ask for a link to upload your files for testing. Once your content is uploaded, the file name for your files in the digital_file column must include the following path as a prefix /opt/ingest_data/csv_image_upload/ followed by your file name (ex. /opt/ingest_data/csv_image_upload/myfilesname.pdf ).
Using the Spreadsheet Ingest Template
The spreadsheet ingest template includes validated fields to help users enter content that will not generate errors for those fields that have a list of expected values that must be utilized.
After you download the spreadsheet template open the file in Microsoft Excel of Google Sheets to familiarize yourself with the template.
How to ingest a spreadsheet