"Digitizing Local Collections": An Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium (ICPC) Save Our Stuff (SOS) preconference presented by Nancy E. Kraft and Bethany Davis at the University of Iowa Main Library on June 5, 2014.

1. Digitizing Local Collections
An ICPC SOS preconference workshop
presented on June 5, 2014.
Digitizing Local Collections by Nancy E. Kraft and Bethany R. Davis is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

2. Who are we? Who are you?
Nancy E. Kraft
Head, Preservation & Conservation
nancy-e-kraft@uiowa.edu
Bethany Davis
Digital Processing Coordinator Librarian
bethany-davis@uiowa.edu

3. Outline for the afternoon
* Introductions
* Project planning & digitization workflow
* Access & metadata
* Digital preservation
* Conservation & digitization space tour

4. Digital Collections
Metadata
Well-formed digital objects
Digital preservation
Access

5. Project Planning
* Value & Use
* Condition & Characteristics of originals
* Acceptability of the resulting digital object
* Existing access aids
* Copyright

6. Do this:
Frederick W. Kent Photograph Collection - Subseries: Theatre

7. Don’t do that:
Keith/Albee Vaudeville Theater Collection - Scrapbook 48

8. Digitization Workflow
* Draw it out
* Talk about it
* Do a pilot
* Revise

10. Project Management Tool
http://www.trello.com

13. Digitizing Collections
Digital copy stand:
Nikon D300, 12-24 mm
lens
Cool Lites (compact
fluorescent lenses)
Image provided by Nancy Kraft.

14. Digitizing Collections
Zeutschel 12000
Overhead scanner

15. Digitizing Collections
E.W. Ensign Diary. Civil War Collection.

17. Scanning Demo

18. Capture Resources
Association for Library Collections &
Technical Services (ALCTS)
Minimum Digitization Capture Recommendations
http://www.ala.
org/alcts/resources/preserv/minimum-
digitization-capture-recommendations

20. Images from the
ALCTS Minimum
Digitization Capture
Recommendations.
Manuscripts.
Left to
Right:
200 ppi
300 ppi
400 ppi
500 ppi
600 ppi
700 ppi

21. Capture Resources
National Archives & Records
Administration (NARA)
Reformatting Approaches
http://www.archives.
gov/preservation/products/definitions/reforma
tting.html

22. Capture Resources
Federal Agencies Digitization Initiative
Still Image Working Group
Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural
Heritage Materials…
http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/

23. Folder & File Names
* Plan folder and file names that
are
- Unique
- Scalable
- Descriptive
- Meaningful

24. Metadata
(tempting to avoid)

25. Metadata
* Another term for cataloging
– Subject
– Author
– Title
– Etc.
* Provides searching capability for user

26. Metadata
* Establish a metadata record structure
* Make decisions based on user
* Take advantage of templates
* Identify standards and best practices

27. Metadata
* CDP Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices
* LC Name and Subject Authorities
* DCMI Type Vocabulary
- Type (DCMI): still image
* Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus
- Type (AAT): scrapbooks

28. Benefits of standards
* Enhance reliability of retrieval.
* Enable compatibility with other collections
(cross-database searching).
* Make maintenance and possible migration
of data easier.
* Following cataloging standards (AACR2,
LCSH, etc.) is best, but consistency is most
important.

29. Metadata
* Goal: Standardized & shareable metadata.

30. Metadata
* Goal: Standardized & shareable metadata.

32. Villarreal sisters on bicycle,
Sheffield, Iowa, 1965

33. Follow established standards
* No need to reinvent the wheel.
* Look at other online collections.
http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/

34. Creating Metadata
* Keywords, search points, access...
* Title, creator, subject, location, time.
* What is important to the user?
* Let’s be tersely descriptive.

35. Metadata Tips
* Review and revise.
* After finishing a batch of records, review
process and look for ways to improve it.
* Start with a small batch, 20 or fewer
records.
* Template whatever you can – eliminate
keystrokes.

36. Preservation Activities

37. Digital Preservation
“The active management of digital content
over time to ensure ongoing access.”
National Digital Information Infrastructure
and Preservation Program (NDIIPP)
http://www.digitalpreservation.gov

38. Life Cycle Model

39. National Digital
Stewardship Alliance
* Created the Levels of Preservation.
* Goal: simplicity, practicality, reflective of
best practices.
* Independent of formats & systems.
* Broadly useful.

41. Digital Preservation
* LOCKSS
* CLOCKSS
* Portico
* Archive-It

42. Digital Preservation
* Multiple copies saved to multiple media
across multiple locations.
* Keep the original.
* Don’t be afraid to start small & simple.
* Active management.

43. Contact Information
Nancy E. Kraft
Head, Preservation & Conservation
nancy-e-kraft@uiowa.edu
Bethany Davis
Digital Processing Coordinator Librarian
bethany-davis@uiowa.edu

44. Resource Links
Helpful links compiled by yours truly:
Capture Resources
https://wiki.uiowa.
edu/display/DigiDoc/Capture+Resources
Equipment List
https://wiki.uiowa.
edu/display/DigiDoc/Equipment+List

45. "Digitizing Local Collections"
An ICPC SOS Preconference Workshop
Find this presentation at
Slideshare.net/BethanyDavis
Presented June 5, 2014 by
Bethany Davis & Nancy E. Kraft.