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AMICO Technology Committee

Instructions for AMICO "Lite" Data Format

Format and field order updated to comply with Version 1.3 of The AMICO Data Dictionary. September 2002.

These instructions are in three parts:

1. Catalog Records
 2. Images
3. Image Metadata
4. Submission instructions
Please email AMICO <production@amico.org> if you are submitting AMICO Lite data files.Do NOT validate these files online.

1. CATALOG RECORDS

Some Members have found that they cannot export data in tagged and delimited format according to the AMICO Data Specification (HTML). AMICO can read a simple tab delimited file,output from any database, spreadsheet, or even word processor, into the AMICO data structure.

What is required is that:

  • All fields in each record must be in the defined order.
  • Field tags must be in the first row/line of your file.
  • All fields must be present in every record, or be represented by a "tab". For example, with Creator Name CRN and Creator Culture CRC one of these two fields must have data. The other field, if there is no data is present, must be represented by a "tab".
The fields in your file must be in the following order:

    AID (AMICO Identifier)
    OTY (Object-Type)
    OTN (Object-Title-Name)
    CRT (Creator-Name, Display Order)
    CRN (Creator-Name, Sort Order)
    CRC (Creator-Culture/Nationality)
    CDT (Creator Dates Text)
    OCT (Creation-Date-Text)
    MET (Measurements-Text)
    OMD (Materials and Techniques-Description)
    OON (Owner Name)
    OOP (Owner-Place)
    OOA (Owner-Accession-Number)
    OOC (Owner-Credit-Line)
    ORS (Object Rights Statement)
    ORL (Object Rights Link)
    RIP (Related-Image-Preferred) [always Y]
    RID (Related-Image-Description)
    RIR (Related-Image-Relationship-Type)
    RIL (Related-Image-Identifier/Link)
    ALY (AMICO Library Year)

  • This format does not support repeating fields. Any additions of repeating fields can be made in the online editor in the Contribution Management Site (CMS) once records are loaded and validated by AMICO.
  • Note that if you are using the AMICO Lite format for your preliminary list of contributions you may omit the Related Image Group of fields.
  • Download a Template.
  • Download a Sample AMICO Lite File (TWAM.amicolite124.txt).

2. IMAGES

Each catalog record must be accompanied by an image file. This image file must have exactly the same the file name cited in Related Image Link (RIL). Be careful matching upper and lower case. If these don't match exactly, we can't tell which images go with which catalog records. Images must be created and submitted according to the AMICO Technical Specification. This is summarized for the 1999 contribution as:

  • Minimum 1024 x 768 resolution
    [files may be larger at your discretion]
  • Minimum 72 dpi
  • 24 bit RGB color
  • Image Files must be named in the following way:

MEMB.filename.TIF

E.G. CMA_.1988.34.TIF

MEMB

Your AMICO 4 Character Code
filename is the original name of your file
.TIF Tells the system it is a TIFF file

If you submit more than one image per work, you must add links to the additional images in the online editor the Contribution Management System..

3. IMAGE METADATA

Each image contributed to The AMICO Library needs to be documented by a "metadata record" that tells us about the image file itself. AMICO has created a computer program that can 'extract' the core of the image metadata from submitted TIFF files.

To create these records, AMICO must have in hand both the TIFF files for the images that will be part of your AMICO Library contribution, and the Catalog Records for the works depicted.

A. Data in the following fields will be abstracted from the images TIFF header and TIFF file data:

TAG Name Example
XID DC.Resource.Identifier SFMO.1920.15.tiff
XFE AMICO.Format.Encoding TIFF
XFP AMICO.Format.ColorPalette RGB
XCM AMICO.Format.ColorMetric 24-bit
XFD AMICO.Format.Dimensions 1024x768
XFS AMICO.Format.FileSize 102kb
XFC AMICO.Format.Compression none
XRY DC.Relation.Type IsFormatOf
XRI DC.Relation.Identifier

SFMO.1920.15

[AMICO Identifier of the Catalog Records where the Related Image Link(RIL) = the XID for this record.]

This is why we need to have validated Catalog records present in order for the routine to work.

B. The metadata records created will have constant values that will appear in the following fields:

TAG Name Data Value
XDE DC.Description Full view
XPU DC.Publisher [AMICO Member Institution's Name]
XRT DC.Resource.Type reproduction
XAM AMICO.Mode image
XRS DC.Rights Copyright [Copyright AMICO Member Institution's Name]

The copyright statement is the most problematic, as it will not be the same for all of your images. Contemporary works still under copyright may require a different copyright statement for the image. This data must be verified by the AMICO member and can be updated in the online editor.

All records created in this manner must be verified by the AMICO Member using the online editor in the Contribution Management System.

4. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Catalog records

AMICO Lite files should be named as follows:

MEMB.AMICOlite##.txt

eg. TWAM.AMICOlite.129.txt

MEMB

Your AMICO 4 Character Code
AMICOlite tells us the format of the file
## is the number of records in the file
.txt Tells the system it is a text file
  • Files should be uploaded to AMICO using the Contribution Management System.
  • Do NOT validate your files in the Contribution Management System, as they must be processed by AMICO first.
  • Email AMICO <production@amico.org> to tell us your file is ready. We will convert and validate it for you.

B. Image files

Submit image files following normal procedures.

Online
Small numbers of files [such as replacement files] can be uploaded via the Contribution Management System.

Send AMICO Media
To send annual submissions or large groups of files, please put write them on media [e.g. DVD, CD-ROM or ZIP] and send them to AMICO:

By regular mail By courier

Art Museum Image Consortium
AMICO Library Contributions
Robarts Library
University of Toronto
130 St. George Street, 7th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1A5
Canada

Art Museum Image Consortium
AMICO Library Contributions
Robarts Library - LOADING DOCK
University of Toronto
369 Huron Street, 7th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1A5
Canada

Phone: +1 416 946 8692
Fax: +1 416 946 8693

Email AMICO to let us know that the files are coming. Then, we can let you know if they don't make it by chance.

Remember to email AMICO <production@amico.org> to request the creation of image metadata records.

Please send any questions about the AMICO Lite format to the Technical Committee Discussion List.

Return to the Technical Committee Page.


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