Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Please Don’T Break: Best Practices For Digitizing And Archiving Glass Plate Photographs, Ariel Hammond, Noelle Zocco, Alejandra Tomeo, Diego Jimenez

Journal of Western Archives

Glass plate photographs, taken primarily between 1860-1930, were meant to document and preserve imagery, however, these photographs developed directly on glass are increasingly prone to destruction. With recent advances in imaging techniques, metadata, and collections care, the preservation of glass photography has evolved. This paper is a snapshot of the current best practices for preserving, digitizing, and storing glass plate and lantern slide photographs. It also features a case study from the San Diego Natural History Museum Library & Archives, which digitized a collection of 2,000+ glass photographs depicting the earliest images of flora and fauna in San Diego County, …

Leveraging The Protocols For Native American Archival Materials To Support Indigenous Digital Collections: A Case Study From The Sherman Indian Museum Digital Project, Eric L. Milenkiewicz

Journal of Western Archives

The Sherman Indian Museum houses a rich collection of archival materials that document the student experience, institutional culture, and community history of California’s sole remaining off-reservation American Indian boarding school. To broaden access to its collection for community and scholarly use, the museum partnered with the University of California, Riverside Library on a grant-funded project to digitize and provide online access to nearly 14,000 items from their collection. With a shared understanding of the unique ethical and communal protocols present in a digital project of this scope, the two repositories turned toward the standards and goals articulated in Protocols for …

Using Metadata To Mitigate The Risks Of Digitizing Archival Photographs Of Violence And Oppression, Claudia A. Mallea

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Questioning the archival imperative of access, this research article discussed how descriptive metadata can be used to contextualize and problematize digitized archival photographs, which are often inadequately described in the digital environment. Beginning with literature review of atrocity photos and their use and digitization to discuss the risks inherent to disseminating photos of or born from violence. Review continued into the digital environment and the risks inherent to making difficult archival collections accessible online and the conflict between the right to privacy of the individuals represented in archival materials and the archival imperative to provide access.

Expanding on the recommendations …

Making Hay While The Sun Shines: Answering The Urgency In Audiovisual Preservation, Benjamin Harry

Journal of Western Archives

Many twentieth-century audiovisual formats are becoming obsolete and/or the physical carriers are deteriorating, warranting the need to digitize this content as soon as possible. Balancing efficiency and urgency with digitization and digital storage resources is a challenging endeavor. This article documents the efforts of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections (LTPSC) at Brigham Young University to begin a systematic effort to digitize audiovisual content found in manuscript collections.

How To Train Your Digital Commons, Savanna Nolan, Wendy Moore

Presentations

Creating and managing institutional repositories using tools like Digital Commons can seem large and intimidating at first, but you too can train these monsters to do your bidding! The UGA Law Library will discuss three strategies we've used to be more efficient, create new workflows, and increase public discoverability by partnering with state and national digital libraries. We will focus on the ingestion of law school journals, digitization of historical photographs, recordings, and treatises, and the metadata to facilitate wider access.

Fadgi On A Budget: Improving Digital Images For Library Staff And Faculty, Matthew J. Martin

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

This case study describes the photography equipment and setup of San Francisco State University’s Digital Scholarship Center, and the testing and manipulation of these elements to reach the 4-star tier of the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) technical guidelines. It describes how, with a few tools like a color target and image analysis software, cultural heritage digitization units with limited photography skills can markedly increase the quality of their digital images with experimentation, creativity, and the photography equipment they already have.

Digitizing And Cataloging A Corporate Annual Reports Collection: A Canadian Perspective, Alie Visser, Elizabeth Marshall, Joyce Cheung

Western Libraries Publications

Corporate annual reports provide a snapshot of a company's operations and financial status. Reviewing and comparing years of annual reports can provide a rich history of knowledge on a corporation. Preserving, storing, and digitizing Canadian annual reports has been a mission of the C.B. “Bud” Johnston Library in London, Ontario, Canada. In late 2019 when Western Libraries migrated to a new library services platform, Alma, there was a new opportunity to catalog and provide access to the digitized annual reports collection. This article describes a decade long plan to digitize the print collection by library staff and a subsequent project …

Scaling Up Video Digitization At The University Of Maryland Libraries: A Case Study, Elizabeth M. Caringola, Pamela A. Mcclanahan, Robin C. Pike

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

In 2015, a team at the University of Maryland Libraries collaborated on a pilot project to digitize 100 VHS tapes from the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange collection and, in doing so, established organizational workflows for video digitization and access. After completing the pilot phase of the project, staff who worked on the project published a case study in this journal that articulated a question echoed throughout that process: “Is this enough?” Enough descriptive metadata? Enough technical metadata? Enough storage space? This article will reflect on the pilot project, detail how the digitization specifications and workflows established during the pilot project …

Accessibility For All: Digitization In Museums, Shayna Diamond

Museum Studies Theses

The role museums have in society is an ever-changing one. As institutions of knowledge, culture, and humanity, they are subject to the same evolutions as the people they represent, educate, and serve. Thus, as digitization movements have swept the world, efforts to bring museums into the digital age have increased. This paper discusses digitization in the museum context, addresses the digitization of collections and exhibitions, and examines how digitization tools open those resources for public access – in particular for people with disabilities. The aim of this topic is to demonstrate how said digitization can best be utilized for the …

Digitize Your Yearbooks: Creating Digital Access While Considering Student Privacy And Other Legal Issues, April K. Anderson-Zorn, Dallas Long

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Student yearbooks are distinctive cultural records. For the schools and universities that produced them, yearbooks promoted a shared sense of identity and experience among students and helped create enduring loyalty to the institutions long after the students graduated. For scholars and other users, yearbooks are unique primary sources that provide insight into past eras of local student life and culture. In regards to user engagement and preserving local histories, student yearbooks should be ideal candidates for digitization by libraries and archives. However, yearbooks are challenging digitization projects because they are likely to contain privacy-sensitive photographs and other information as well …

Review Of Mary Kandiuk, Editor. Archives And Special Collections As Sites Of Contestation. Sacramento, Ca: Library Juice Press, 2020., Jennifer Gotwals

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Archives and Special Collections as Sites of Contestation, an edited volume collecting 17 essays from practitioners across the United States and Canada, contains chapters critically evaluating how Special Collections approach instruction, digital projects, cataloging, knowledge production, and ethics.

Retaining Opportunities, Completing Key Projects With Remote Student Employees During Covid-19, Henry M. Handley, Kayla Harris

Marian Library Faculty Publications

As the field of higher education began furloughs and layoffs to alleviate COVID-19 budget concerns, cultural heritage workers were directed to clearly demonstrate how their work contributes to institutions’ educational missions. Although physical library and archival collections were deemed inaccessible and less critical during the pandemic than ebooks, electronic journals, and digitized special collections, the two special collections projects considered in this case study demonstrate the value of continuing collections management work remotely and the relevance of student employees and other contingent workers in libraries and archives. The projects—one an inventory and bibliography of books acquired from a defunct religious …

Review Of Memory Lab Network Resources, Annie E. Tummino, Tomasz Gubernat, Jeanie Pai

Publications and Research

Review of Memory Lab Network resources for American Archivist Reviews, a portal which highlights websites, digital collections, and technologies that have an impact on the archives profession. The authors review the resources published by the Memory Lab Network and discuss their own work building a Memory Lab at the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library of Queens College, CUNY.

Challenges In Providing Reference Services In Small Archival Institutions, Aaron T. Preston

Journal of Western Archives

This paper describes, the results of a brief survey of archivists working for fifty five small archives nationwide. The purpose the survey was to examine to what extent smaller archival institutions are applying remote reference services, what type of remote services are being utilized and to identify common challenges faced by small archival institutions with different functions and audiences. It also and examine common challenges faced in the implementation of digitization efforts to support these reference services. The survey was posted via the Society of American Archivists Lone Arrangers Forum, and cross-posted it on the Reference, Access, and Outreach Forum. …

Finding Av Needles In Manuscript Haystacks: Conducting An Audiovisual Assessment/Audit In Manuscript Archives, Benjamin Harry

Journal of Western Archives

Many twentieth-century audiovisual formats are becoming obsolete or are physically degrading, warranting the need to digitally reformat this content. The first step is to expeditiously document where and what types of audiovisual materials are hidden within archival manuscript collections. This article describes the efforts of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections (LTPSC) at Brigham Young University to quickly audit manuscript collections to determine the location and format details of audiovisual materials, a crucial first step to inform decisions about personnel requirements, equipment purchases, and grant seeking to facilitate the systematic digitization of audiovisual content.

Conference Roundup: Workshop Report On Digitization For Small Institutions, Rachel S. Evans

Articles, Chapters and Online Publications

Evans reviews a recent Georgia Library Association (GLA) preconference workshop presented by the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG). Evans shares takeaways from the half-day experience including resources related to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and the Digital Library Foundation (DLF). The report also presents learning objective in the context of the author's own work responsibilities and details how they will be useful and relate to current projects. Topics discussed include metadata, digitization, archiving digital-born photographs, repository standards, cataloging standards, and more.

Technical Services Law Librarian (ISSN 0195-4857) is an official publication of the Technical Services Special Interest Section …

“Who’S Driving The Bus?” Or How Digitization Is Influencing Archival Collections, Kathelene Mccarty Smith, David Gwynn, Beth Ann Koelsch, Jennifer Motszko

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Archivists who work directly with unique collections, as well as librarians and other professionals who coordinate digitization, generally agree that access should be prioritized. However, each group has its own goals, standards, and timelines that may conflict with those of their colleagues. The push to maximize access to collections may, in some cases, go so far as to influence collecting policies. Is the lure of rapid digitization affecting best practices of arrangement and description? If online access to the collections is the ultimate goal, and if each stakeholder has a different perspective on how best to accomplish this, who decides …

Gla Conference Review: Workshop On Digitization For Small Institutions, Rachel S. Evans

Articles, Chapters and Online Publications

Rachel Evans summarizes the recent Georgia Library Association (GLA) conference held in Macon, GA in October 2019. Specifically Evans reviews in detail a workshop on digitization for small institutions. The workshop and by extension the blog post review share valuable resources for project managers working on digitization in their libraries and within their digital repositories as well as information about metadata standards and best practices.

TechScans is a blog to share the latest trends and technology tools for technical services law librarians. The official blog of the TS-SIS and OBS-SIS AALL groups.

Digitizing The Indiana Code, Susan David Demaine, Benjamin J. Keele

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The Ruth Lilly Law Library holds one of the most complete sets of the official Indiana Code in print, and we often receive research requests for sections of the historical Code from attorneys and other researchers. The print collection is far more complete than anything available online and is freely available for anyone to use, but this generally requires a trip to the library. Currently, there is no free online public access to the Indiana Code predating 2009, and paid access offers no codes between 1921 and 1990. We have set out to change this.

Post-Custodial And Collaborative: A Primer For Memory Institutions Beginning Digital Archiving Projects, Lindsey Memory

Faculty Publications

This paper reviews the three major types of digital archiving projects: memory institutions’ digital archiving projects, community-based archiving, and personal digital archiving. An examination of some common challenges and opportunities present in most of these projects-- particularly any in the post-custodial model-- follows, with illustrative examples of various digital archiving projects. This paper may serve as a primer for memory institutional staff wishing to understand the landscape of digital archiving projects, both within and without the authoritative, disciplined approach most commonly taken by memory institutions.

The Transformation Of A Newspaper Negative Archive, Tom Belton

Western Libraries Presentations

No abstract provided.

Analog To Digital Preservation Of The “Women Trailblazers In The Law” Oral History Project, Camelia Naranch, Carol Wilson

Digital Initiatives Symposium

In November 2018, Stanford Law School Library unveiled to the public an online exhibit of more than 100 oral histories of American women lawyers, scholars, judges, and government officials who helped diversify the legal profession in the late twentieth century. Called the “Women Trailblazers in the Law” Oral History Project, it is a collaboration between Stanford Law School Library and the American Bar Association. Our presentation discusses the details of the analog to digital preservation process, whereby the physical collection was converted into digital formats suitable for long term archival storage as well as online access for the general public. …

Palm Leaf Manuscripts In South Asia, Emera Bridger Wilson, Jessica M. Rice

School of Information Studies - Post-doc and Student Scholarship

Many thousands of palm leaf manuscripts, in South Asia and elsewhere, are currently in danger of being lost due to physical deterioration. These manuscripts contain irreplaceable cultural, religious, scientific, and artistic works. Palm leaf manuscripts, which can be centuries old, are found in numerous private collections, temples, monasteries, libraries and museums. The sheer number and wide dispersal of palm leaf manuscripts provide significant challenges to conservation and preservation, including both ethical and technical considerations. A literature search and examination of palm leaf manuscripts shed light on the urgent need to proceed worldwide along two fronts simultaneously: rapid digitization of critical …

If You Describe It, They Will Come: Processing Guidelines For Audiovisual Materials At The Rose Library, Laura Starratt

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Audiovisual materials can be overlooked by researchers due to their more complicated access issues, but archivists can facilitate their use by creating more granular finding aids that incorporate audiovisual materials by content rather than format. Using the procedures at Emory University's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library as a case study, the author argues for a professional culture in which collections are not viewed as “finished” until all components are accessible.

The Digital Librarian: The Liaison Between Digital Collections And Digital Preservation, Marina Georgieva

Library Faculty Presentations

Poster session following the lightning talk at 2018 NDSA Forum Opening
Plenary about the role of the digital librarian and how it relates to digital
preservation.

It’s common misconception digital librarians are involved only in
digitizing historic materials. In fact managing digital projects is only
their visible role. Once it’s over, librarians embrace their new role of
information architects directly engaged in the digital preservation process
of archiving master files. The digital librarian is that unit in the prep
process for digital preservation that ensures meticulously organized archival
directories, easy navigation and smooth file retrieval. Part of session:
Minute Madness …

Digitization Revealed: 101 Crash Course On The Fundamentals Of Digitizing Archival Collections From Start To Finish, Marina Georgieva

Library Faculty Presentations

This introductory level presentation discusses the basics of digitizing
collections from start to finish. The author reveals some secrets as well as
tips and tricks for achieving efficiency and sustainability of digital
projects. All libraries have unique collections that deserve to gain more
publicity. This crash course targets librarians passionate to learn how to
create efficient workflows and explains in details all steps involved in
digitization - from selection, through preparation, digitization, object
description (metadata) to publishing online.

The Nuremberg Trials Project At Harvard Law School: Making History Accessible To All, Judith A. Haran

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

This article is primarily a case study of the Nuremberg Trials Project at the Harvard Law School Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It begins with an historical note about the war crimes trials and their documentary record, including the fate of the several tons of trial documents that were distributed in 1949. The second part of the article is a description of the Harvard Law School Nuremberg project, including its history, goals, logistical considerations, digitization process and challenges, and resulting impact. The structure and function of the project website is described, followed by a description of a typical user experience, the …

Getting To Tier 1 By Revitalizing A Special Collections Program With Cultural Competence, Mark L. Shelstad

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Seeking to revitalize a special collections program at a Tier 1 aspirant university, the author introduced a variety of contemporary and innovative management strategies along with new outreach opportunities to demonstrate its value toward fulfilling the university's strategic plan. The revitalization efforts included creating a manuscript and rare book collection development policies that incorporated web harvesting, making connections with the community, and finding new audiences using social media. The dramatic increase in collection use and collaboration demonstrated the value of special collections to the community and the university.

An Overview Of Planning And Implementing Large-Scale Digitization, Emily Lapworth

Special Collections Events

This document outlines the steps and considerations for planning and implementing a large-scale digitization project.

This document was given to the participants who attended the Nevada Statewide Large-Scale Digitization Workshop on May 18, 2018 held at UNLV Libraries.

Review Of The Shelley-Godwin Archive, Stacey L. Kikendall

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830

Review of The Shelley-Godwin Archive